Filmmaker Biodun Stephen said her approach to filmmaking is driven by purpose not the pursuit of box office records viewership numbers or awards.
Stephen spoke on the Paul and Baaj: In Character podcast where she shared her thoughts on success pressure in the film industry and what truly fulfils her as a filmmaker.
The director who earlier urged colleagues to stop announcing cinema earnings said her motivation goes beyond commercial success.
She said she focuses more on telling impactful stories that resonate with people than on topping box office charts.
‘I’m doing it because I am living a life of purpose; I’m not chasing the numbers I’m not chasing the audience’ she said.
Stephen stressed that the emotional connection viewers have with her work means more to her than any award or record-breaking figure.
She said the biggest reward is when people reach out to her after watching her films.
‘When people call me to pray… and cry and say thank you so much Jesus my work is done no award’ she said.
The filmmaker noted that Nollywood has become overly fixated on numbers with filmmakers and fans often using cinema earnings to determine a film’s quality or a filmmaker’s success.
She argued that this mindset puts undue pressure on creatives and distracts from the core of storytelling.
For Stephen success is measured by the lives her stories touch and the conversations they spark not by how much a film grosses at the cinema or how many awards it wins.