Pressing Forward

• Emelu Simon Chibuzor is the CEO of Pressing Forward Movies Ltd.

• He tells Nollywoodgossip: “I’m known as the King of MMS (that is Making More Stars).

• He says: “I have been a keen follower of Nollywood right from day one, I mean from the days of Living in Bondage.”

• He says: “I went for auditions years back until I found myself producing my own movie, which was in 2006. The name of the movie is Breaking News.”

• He says: “As an actor, getting roles was so difficult because then there were fewer marketers.”

• “As a marketer, raising cash for the initial shooting wasn’t a bed of roses.”

• “And as a producer, getting a good script, gathering the preferred artists, and managing logistics were not easy.”

• “But piracy seems to be the main challenge we have, generally.”

• “In Nollywood, we’ve been recycling some particular set of artists, using the same faces in films every day. So there is need to give others a chance. I mean the up comers.”

• “Nollywood has improved both in picture quality and storyline. Though we still have junk producers who I would say are killing the industry with bad movies.”

• “Government needs to build film villages and cinemas to encourage us.”

• “I’ve done so many jobs like, Breaking News, Prince of my Heart, Great ambassador, Emotional Romance, Hottest Boys ,Blind Choice, Princess Rihanna, Mama Goes to School, Mrs. Ibu, Fashion Parade, Implication, Three widows, Divine princess.”

By Evia Simon (Nollywood Gist With Evia).

Please kindly introduce yourself to our readers.

My names are Emelu Simon Chibuzor. I’m the CEO of Pressing Forward Movies Ltd, also known as The King of MMS (Making more stars).

Brief us of your journey into movie making.

Well, I have been a keen follower of Nollywood right from day one, I mean from the days of Living in Bondage and since then I’ve always try to belong. I went for auditions years back until I find myself producing my own movie, which was in 2006. The name of the movie is Breaking News.

Challenges.

Well, as an actor, getting roles was so difficult because then, there were fewer marketers. And as marketer, raising cash for initial shooting wasn’t a bed of roses. As a producer, getting a good script, gathering the preferred artists and managing logistics were not easy, but piracy seems to be the main challenge we have generally. Another main challenge I have on set is making sure I achieve the script as written by the script writer.

Tell us more about being known as the King of MMS.

MMS simply means making more stars. You see in Nollywood, we’ve been recycling some particular set of artists, using the same faces in films every day. So there is need to give others a chance. I mean the up comers.  That brought about the birth of MMS, which I think I am the king.

But most marketers prefer known faces.

That’s the old belief which I have vowed to change today in Nollywood.

Good story or nudity, which sells movies?

No not at all, nudity doesn’t sell movies but good stories do.

Has Nollywood Improved?

Yes very well, both in picture quality and storyline, though we still have junk producers who I would say are killing the industry with bad movies.

Has the government contributed to the growth of the movie industry?

Not at all, instead we are the ones paying to copyright and censors board. But our rights are not protected. Government needs to build film villages and cinemas to encourage us. They can also help us combat piracy by arresting anybody caught with pirated DVDs.

Some of your previous jobs.

I’ve done so many jobs like, Breaking News, Prince of my Heart, Great ambassador, Emotional Romance, Hottest Boys ,Blind Choice, Princess Rihanna, Mama Goes to School, Mrs. Ibu, Fashion Parade, Implication, Three widows, Divine princess, just to mention a few.

Tell us about your last job.

It’s about three triplets who never knew they existed until they found out that someone is carrying their faces and a big search began. The movie is titled 3 generals.

What are you working on at the moment?

Like our name pressing forward implies, we always research for what to give our fans. So right now, we are busy thinking of our next job, which will be a mind touching movie.

Anything else you want to add?

For now, I am good and my viewers should always expect good quality job from me (pressing forwarding). And watch out for 3generals.

Nollywoodgossip wishes you the best.

Thanks, you are most welcome.

Pressing Forward