Young actors and actresses in the Yoruba movie industry have voiced out against what they call growing unprofessionalism and unreasonable financial demands from some of their peers.
Their main concerns revolve around escalating appearance fees, particularly from moderately popular actors, and a lack of support for films after release.
Insiders report that some actors are now demanding as much as N700,000 for a single appearance, irrespective of the production budget or the role’s significance.
Young filmmakers argue that these exorbitant fees make it challenging to cast suitable talent, especially for low-budget and emerging producers
Leading the protest is actress and producer, Yusuf Adeola, popularly known as Basira Beere, who recently took to social media to air her displeasure.
She called out some of her colleagues who, despite not being A-list celebrities, have inflated their fees without providing commensurate value or support to the projects they work on.
“These days, everybody wants to be treated like a cinema star,” she said.
“Even those who are not box office names are charging between N500,000 to N700,000 just to appear in a production that may not even get the same exposure as cinema films. It is frustrating for upcoming producers like us.”
Basirat said while she understands that the industry is evolving and actors need to earn a living, there should be a balance.
She noted that the Yoruba movie industry, which has historically thrived on collaboration and support, is gradually losing its essence due to greed and ego.
“What pains me the most is not even the high fee, but the fact that after shooting, some of them won’t even repost the film or help promote it,” she lamented.
“You pay them a huge amount, they finish the job and move on without helping to amplify it on their platforms.”
The actress recalled a recent experience where an actor she paid handsomely failed to acknowledge the film on his social media after release.
According to her, such behaviour is not only unfair but detrimental to the growth of the industry.
“Promotion is now part of the job. If we are paying you that much, the least you can do is to post the flyer or trailer when the film drops,” she added.
“But some of them feel it’s beneath them to promote movies that are not in cinemas.”
Yusuf also noted that the behavior of some of these actors is causing a rift between producers and their preferred casts, leading many to begin seeking new and more affordable talents to work with.
“It’s a shame that we now have to consider passion over popularity when casting because some of the so-called stars don’t care about the craft anymore. It’s all about the money,” she said.
She urged industry veterans and stakeholders to step in and help curb this rising trend, emphasizing that if left unchecked, it could lead to a breakdown in the creative ecosystem that once made the Yoruba movie industry unique.
“You can’t build an empire with people who only think about what they’ll gain and not what they can contribute,” Yusuf warned.
“If we don’t address this, the industry will suffer more in the long run.”
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