Victor Okafor: My Goal is to Make Movies that Can Travel the World

Victor Chukwuebuka Okafor, popularly known as Asia Big Son, is an actor and producer. Okafor who studied Archeology is passionate about filmmaking. In this chat with Ferdinand Ekechukwu, he talks about his journey in the industry, his dream goal as a young movie practitioner, and stint in Asia prior to investing in the movie industry

Nollywood journey and movie projects

I started as a makeup artist and effect in 2016 shortly before I traveled to Asia at an early stage and came back in 2020 to invest in Nollywood as an executive producer. That was the birth of my movie production outfit, ‘Big Son Movies International Ltd.’ So far I have five movie credits to my name.

As an actor and producer

While I was doing makeup/effect, I had an opportunity to represent an actor who didn’t show up for his role and I did well, and then came another one and another one and another one. That was how my life as an actor began. As I shuffled between being a makeup artist/effect, and an actor, then a passion in me grew for film production. When I came back from Asia, I knew it was time to invest in Nollywood; I began with the registration of Association of Movie Producers, Nigeria (AMP) and Active Movie Producers & Marketers Association of Nigeria (AMPMAN), and went fully into film making. I just finished a movie titled FRAME OF MIND set to premier soon and I just commissioned another project recently and many other projects in the works.

Experience as young a producer

The little experience I got from been a makeup artist/effect and an actor and also the experiences that I got from traveling helped me to run my production effectively as an entrepreneur and passionate filmmaker. Although a few projects that I commissioned while I was away didn’t go too well as my funds where mismanaged by some persons I put in charge but as soon as I came back to Nigeria last year everything took shape.

Getting production team right settles challenges

As a young movie practitioner one of the challenges you get is selecting your production team, once you get your production team right, you are good to go.

Aspiration growing up as a child

I aspired to be a musical producer while growing up because after school and homework, I do go to the music studio and watch people produce music beats. In fact, I literally learnt how to produce beats, recording of songs, mixing and mastering of songs at a young age.

Dream as a young practitioner

My dream is to make good movies that can travel the world and impact my generation with storytelling and I also hope to get to the point that I will be able to collaborate with Hollywood at large.

Plans to study in film school

Yes, I plan taking further studies in film school as a director in the near future.

Filmmakers I look forward to working with

There are a couple of filmmakers that interest me, some includes Tyler Perry. He’s a Hollywood actor, producer and director. His works inspire me. A.Y, he’s a comedian actor, producer and a director. As a comedian he had a swift switch into filmmaking and now stealing the box office with good films. Those are the kind of moves I will love to make. Jay Z, aside been a music producer which was my first aspiration growing up, Jay Z has an influence that inspires me and his new work “The Harder They Fall” is an amazing piece of work, the kind of work that I will love to produce some day.

My artistry and creativity

I feel like every actor should have that artistry that distinguishes them from other actors, you don’t have to be stereotyped but then you need to have that creativity that specifies you as an actor.

View about movie genres churn out at the moment

Most of the genres of movies that have been churn out of the movie industry are based on marriage, relationship, breakups, which is clearly not far from what’s going on in the society.

But then I think the script writers need to be more creative and not make all of them seem as they are the same story. They can go on to write fiction, action and historical stories.