Vanessa Obioha
In the next couple of months, the Filmhouse Cinemas and FilmOne Distribution and Production Ltd, will be unveiling its streaming platform, ‘Myfilmhouse.ng’.
The platform is the group’s view-on-demand offering to its teeming audience.
Still in its development stages, the Group Managing Director, Kene Okwuosa, revealed some of the unique features of the platform.
Okwuosa said: “It is a typical and unique window that has not really existed in this market. What it allows us to do is that when movies are done in the run in the theatrical window, we can dump it immediately online so that our audiences can have access to it.
“Where traditionally you would have found that audiences that are having to wait for months before the movies can get to TV and other syndicated platforms, it allows you a window where you can drop it in real time, just right after the theatrical window and it is premium content.
“We are the only one offering premium Nollywood content in this region. Premium content that we produce, distribute or aggregate for third party as well as top Hollywood content. The price point is also very unique. Depending on what type of content, it ranges from N400 to N700. It is very affordable and accessible.”
Already, movies like Wedding Party 1&2, which the company co-produced, are already uploaded on the app.
The Managing Director of FilmOne Distribution and Production, Moses Babatope, sees it as an opportunity for fillmmakers to showcase their films
He said: “Not all films can make it to the cinema, especially films that my not have that commercial appeal to the audience. They can use this window to get to their audience.”
The streaming app is one of many plans the group will be unveiling in the coming years. Recently it opened its 11th Cinema in the country at Twin Waters, Oniru, Lagos.
It is also planning to host a film gala in February 2019. The gala, which will be in partnership with Moet and Chandon, will reward budding filmmakers in the industry.
So far, Okwuosa is grateful to the film industry which has made their operations successful in the past six years they entered the space.
He said: “The film industry is a budding industry that has graciously opened its arms to us. We are relatively new when we think of some of the institutional Nollywood players. We are about six years and we do not take for fact that we have been able to make quite an impression in these six years and sell ourselves across the value chain.
“We are partners to every stakeholder in the film industry, from the filmmakers to the distributors which is why we do not take for granted any opportunity to demonstrate ourselves.”
Speaking more on the app, the helmsman said that they will supply exclusive content and also TV series.
However, he pointed out that the major challenge of such platforms is data which is still on the high side in this part of the world.
Nevertheless, Babatope stated that the app will be designed in such a way that will be user-friendly for viewers.
“The kind of technology we have built enables us to have payment options. There will be a wallet system. We are working on various technological advancements to ensure we keep it as premium as possible. The streaming service is still untapped in Nigeria and it is one of the things we are looking at,” he added.
