Cinema programming and access in Nollywood took centre stage at the Finicus Forum, an industry dialogue organised by the School of Media and Communication’s Nollywood Study Centre. Filmmakers, exhibitors and distributors confronted long-standing questions around screen access, revenue sharing and alleged bias within Nigerian cinemas.

The forum, themed “Cinema Programming and the Economics of Exhibition and Access in Nollywood,” was convened against the backdrop of public complaints from filmmakers during the recent holiday season. This complaint was made by producers who had been accusing cinemas of unfair scheduling and deliberate sidelining of certain films.

Who Controls Access to the Big Screen?

Opening the discussion, Fumi Onuma, General Manager of Silverbird Cinemas West Africa, explained that access to cinema screens is structured but often misunderstood.

According to Numa, most films enter cinemas through registered distributors, although low-budget or highly localised productions sometimes approach cinemas directly. She warned that bypassing distributors exposes producers to legal and commercial risks, including censorship violations, soundtrack rights disputes and weak market positioning.

“A distributor understands the full supply chain of a film, from legal clearance to marketing and audience targeting. Without that structure, producers limit their growth and increase risk,” Onuma said.

She contrasted Nigeria’s structured distribution system with Ghana’s largely independent model, noting that the absence of strong distribution frameworks in Ghana has slowed industry growth.

The Revenue-Sharing Formula Explained

Addressing one of Nollywood’s most contentious issues, Patrick Lee, Head of Operations at Viva Cinemas and Distribution, outlined the industry’s long-standing revenue-sharing structure.

Under the agreed model:

Lee noted that exceptions are sometimes made for blockbuster titles, but stressed that the framework has been in place for over a decade and is applied uniformly across cinemas.

“There is no secret formula. It’s been consistent for years. What changes is performance,” he said.

He also clarified that cinemas are not obligated to accept every film offered, citing limited screens, overlapping Hollywood releases and audience demand as determining factors.

For Michael Dele Williams, General Manager of EbonyLife Place, the recurring accusations of bias reflect a deeper misunderstanding of how cinemas operate.

Williams stressed that programming decisions are guided almost entirely by audience data, not personal relationships or sentiment.

“Everything we do is audience-driven. We follow the numbers. Programming films based on sentiment would be commercial suicide,” he said.

He explained that EbonyLife Place’s core audience is predominantly aged 19–35, largely female, and inclined towards Hollywood or heavily marketed Nollywood titles, a reality that shapes screening decisions.

“If a film won’t connect with our audience, we simply cannot program it, no matter how much effort went into making it,” Williams added.

Distribution Gatekeeping and Industry Structure

From the distribution perspective, Ladun Awobokun, Chief Content Officer at FilmOne Entertainment, highlighted the regulatory framework governing cinema releases in Nigeria.

She explained that major cinema chains only accept films from distributors registered under recognised industry associations, a system designed to maintain standards and accountability.

“To distribute to major cinemas, you must be properly registered. These rules protect the entire ecosystem, exhibitors, producers and audiences alike,” Awobokun said.

Awobokun also warned that overcrowded release windows, particularly during major holidays, often dilute box office performance, as multiple films compete for limited screens.

Why Films Get Fewer Showtimes or Dropped

Responding to claims that some films are deliberately scheduled at “dead hours,” Patrick Lee offered a blunt explanation: performance dictates survival.

Every film, he said, is given an initial opportunity to succeed. However, weak attendance during the first week inevitably leads to reduced showtimes.

“If you sell 50 tickets out of over 2,000 available seats in a week, we cannot justify keeping three prime-time shows. The data makes the decision for us,” Lee said.

Cinemas, he added, must still cover energy costs, staffing and operations regardless of attendance.