It came as a shock when top cinematographer and director, Tunde Kelani, recently announced his resignation as the chairman and member of the National Film and Video Censors Board.

Kelani spoke on his plans after quitting NFVCB. He said, “My plan is to continue working. Being a member of NFVCB wasn’t a full-time job; we were just expected to hold meetings three times a year. As a matter of fact, there was no time I left my job as a filmmaker.

But for the last four years, I have not released any new production. I have movies I can release but it wouldn’t be wise to do that because it will be pirated within 24 hours. It is not sustainable to keep working for pirates because we invest a lot in our movies.”

The challenge in 2019, according to the director, is to look for other platforms that will make the industry more sustainable. He said, “Piracy has affected the traditional DVD distribution network; so, we have to look towards technology and other platforms. This year, I think we will have solutions.”

The respected filmmaker also insisted that he resigned his position at NFVCB because he felt he could do more as a stakeholder. He said, “Being a member of NFVCB wasn’t financially rewarding as most thought; it was a service to the country.

We were supposed to formulate policies that would support the movie industry. I resigned because I felt I could do more as a stakeholder. I felt I would be more useful to the industry if I was not part of the board.”