Ino Moses Jonah, a filmmaker (writer, actor, producer and director), has been spectacularly active in promoting the talents of Edo To The World. In this most delightful conversation with Nosazeme Aimiuwu, Jonah shares his experience from his years as a creative. Here are excerpts:
Who is Ino Moses Jonah and what do you love to do?
Ino Moses Jonah is a media and entertainment expert with wealth of experience as a film/TV producer/director, and a public speaker. My entertainment career started in 2003 at Okada Grammar School Okada where I was motivated and challenged by my English teacher Mr. Brown to take my creative art seriously. In 2005 I was given my first stage play at Winners Campus Fellowship (WCF), Igbinedion University Okada, where I played the lead role in a 45-minute stage play “Second Chance” directed by one Ms Kemi. My outstanding performance gave me the requisite motivation to engage myself in series of church dramas. My unmatched leadership prowess saw me take the revered position of a drama coordinator in Church of God Mission International Miracle Centre for a long time, 2006 to 2017. During that period, I further equipped myself by attending series of drama schools and master classes. I directed “There Might Not Be a Second Chance” (90-minute play), “The Encounter” (80-minute play), and several church convention stage plays.
In 2009, I gained admission to Kogi State University, Anyigba, where I bagged a first degree in Mass Communication. As a student, I developed further interest and adroit knowledge in production and management of films, advert, documentary, and new media.
My one-year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was in Gombe State. Hard work and diligence brought more loads of responsibilities as a producer and presenter of the NYSC TV/radio programme, “Jewel Kopa” and “Kopa’s Forum”, bestowed with the Corps Liaison Officer (CLO), Gombe State. At the end of the service year, I was recognized with NYSC Commendation Award.
After service I took out time to redirect my searchlight into producing and filmmaking. I went to NTA TV College Jos to study for directing and producing for the screen. I further went to NFI and Push Africa Media and Journalism Training in Media, Minds and Emotions as it relates to Filmmaking, all to understand the gimmicks around the industry.
On reaching Benin, I began a voluntary service to train and understudy Amb. Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen. As a volunteer I produced over one year a weekly TV magazine programme called the “BFA Half Hour” airing on satellite and terrestrial channels (GOtv, Startimes, ITV Benin, and DBS), over 20 short films and over five of them screening and winning awards in international film festivals like Lift-Of Global Network Film Festival, Zuma International Film Festival, Lekki International Film Festival, Toronto Int’l Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF), Abuja International Film Festival, Coal City Film Festival, best Director New Arts International (Film) Festival and a host of others.
In 2019 I was the Associate Producer for the National Festival for Arts and Culture command performance “Nekighidi” organized by the Nigerian Government hosted in Benin. Early 2020 I produced the movie “Onaiwu” and was the Associate Producer for “Love of Isiuwa”, “Awuoto”, “Before 30”, “Hi-Court with Maleke” (pilot production), and executive in-charge of production for “Not a Burden”.
In 2020 I was involved as Associate Producer in a star-studded production that has the likes of Sam Dede, Ini Edo, Mercy Aigbe, Charles Inojie, Zubby Michael, Broda Shaggi, Jide Kosoko, Jnr Pope, Ebele Okaro, Harry B, Sani Muazu, Nosa Rex, and a host of others). The movie, titled “Gbege the Omodion Saga”, was in cinema nationwide from October 7th, 2022.
In 2021 the movie series which turned out to be a cinema sensation “Mechanic Diary” became another of my productions as Associate Producer. In the same year I directed and produced my first feature film which made the cinema titled “Almost”, a movie whose focus was on irregular migration and the struggling lifestyle of Nigerian youths from the city of Benin. It interests me to tell stories to curb the issues around societal ills. During the same period, my short film was screened at the A-TIPSOM.
I have also produced and directed series of commercials/ads/jingles/PSAs for companies, like Home and Away Resturant, Mouth Piece Café, Eduabroad Travelling Agency, John Best Roofing Technology, Excel Hairlab, Guinness Nigeria Breweries (as the Production Manager), and Kada Cinema and Entertainment.
Why do you love filmmaking? Why do you make films?
Filmmaking helps me engage the creative circle and passionate minds in the society. I love division of labour, team-work and above all, creating job opportunities for a community of creatives.
Filmmaking helps me reach/speak to a distance or a people I would naturally not cover in my lifetime. There is this understanding with me that there is a creative exploration through the lenses to an ensemble of onlookers, unveiling a tale to educate, re-inform and entertain, therefore creating a historical reference among our people.
Who are your role models?
My role models cut across film continents – in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Tyler Perry; in Bollywood, Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots), and in Nollywood, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen (De Guv’nor) and Kunle Afolayan.
What is your favourite food?
Oil beans mixed with any of the following – rice, dodo, yam, garri.
What was your first filmmaking experience like?
It was like solving any of the statistic equations. I couldn’t understand how the camera and camera angles, lenses, lights, actors blocking and script description work. Funny enough, I was shooting the script scene after scene but after I went to film school and started having set experience with fellow students and prominent directors, I began to understand the drill.
What is your personal philosophy that directs your approach to filmmaking?
Come into filmmaking prepared and ready to learn from every set.
What inspired your bold dive into filmmaking?
I was first hungry to tell the world my own kind of story, then I focused on the underground preparation. Thereafter, I had to serve to polish what I had been schooled for.
What were your challenges? Expectations? Realities?
My major challenge was navigating from a white collar job to one you don’t know when your next job will call. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy so I came with the mindset that I won’t be going back no matter what. The truth is that you will be used, not paid, spend your savings, the industry practitioners will only open their space easily for you when you assure them you are not money-conscious.
Juxtapose your filmmaking experience now with the past.
I am still learning but miles away from when I came in.
Your top 10 films ever.
1. “Almost” (distributed by Kada Cinema and Entertainment Centre around cinemas in the country); 2. “Onaiwu” (won the Edo State International Film Festival 1.0 Best Feature Film Award and the Governor’s Overall Best Film); 3. “Stoic” (finalist at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival 2020); 4. “Oduna”; 5. “Akate”; 6. “Tomorrow”; 7. “Ahuemwen” (my first Edo Language movie); 8. “Taxi Guy”; 9. “Wetin Dey Sup”; 10. “Chronicles”.
Your top 7 advice for aspiring filmmakers.
Find a space in any film set for a film set experience; Serve and don’t stop serving; Money is very important but as startup, let your film-set employer value you not you telling them what to pay. You will know when you can negotiate fee; Your library is any platform where you can watch good films like – cinema, film premiere, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Africa Magic, ROK Studios, YouTube, etc; Watch films as a filmmaker and not one who wants to be entertained; Promote any work you are involved in like it is your birthday; Organize your social media space to depict what you do in the creative space.
What is your biggest project so far?
“Akate”.
What filmmaking goal is the most important to you and what are you doing to achieve it?
To the first question: Breaking global Box Office with an African story. To the second: Preparing for that great day as it draws near.
What is your biggest yearning for the progress of filmmaking in Edo State?
That investors, marketers, distributors globally channel their interest down to Edo State. It is also very important that the industry practitioners also take advantage of the incentives of the Edo State Government to engage professional and global best practices in filmmaking.
What do you think about the motto: “Edo To The World”?
It is a challenge to everyone whose creative career emanates from Edo to be a good ambassador of professional practice, training and retraining, upholding the decency and artistic display of pure talent that bring the state global presence.
What would you love to correct, change or improve about Nollywood?
The fact that top and rising talents are easily disappointed or distracted by wanting to achieve so quickly or faster what their senior colleagues sweated night and day for years to achieve.
What is your perspective about international collaboration (perhaps with Hollywood)?
It is a welcome development if only our method of operations as filmmakers or practitioners is more organized like those of the international communities and our government can settle the challenges of security. Only then will international collaboration come to stay without hitches.
What’s your final word for those still trying to succeed as filmmakers?
I will say you are almost there. Do all you can, as best as you can, as though your life depends on it.
Tell us about your upcoming film project? What makes you excited about it? What do you want the audience to learn from it?
Well, so much to anticipate. I am taking the minds of all those that are living in Edo and have travelled out of Edo to a nostalgic call-back experience. My inspiration for wanting to make it is the fact that I love telling stories that my audience can resonate with.
In your opinion, what uniqueness, what special essence does the Edo person bring into the world?
A typical Edo man or woman or resident that has had the experience of living in Edo will always do difficult things as though they were very easy.
What is your final message not just to filmmakers but to every industrious person out there who feels stuck or unappreciated?
Who dey cry dey see road. This means, as long as you are still alive, if you have to cry, cry and stay focused. The result will surprise you.