Actor Kunle Remi recently shared his perspectives on what sets cinema apart from television films.
In an interview with Hiptv News, Remi pointed out that not every film labeled as cinematic meets the true criteria of the cinematic experience.
He highlighted the frequent confusion between TV-quality films and cinema, stressing the importance of a better understanding of what defines a film as truly cinematic.
Kunle Remi emphasized that achieving a genuinely cinematic experience demands a high standard of quality, style, and dedication.
He commended director Kunle Afolayan for his work, using Afolayan’s films as benchmarks for cinematic excellence.
Remi also noted that Afolayan’s emphasis on cinema might not necessarily lead to success in TV film direction.
As an actor, Remi mentioned his ability to discern when a film, despite being labeled as cinematic, is hurried or poorly crafted.
He urged emerging filmmakers to welcome constructive criticism and not be disheartened by feedback from critics or audiences.
He stated:
“Not everybody understands what cinema is. I don’t think a lot of people understand it in the first place, that is why you have a low-budget film put in the cinemas when it’s not even cinema-worthy. And you see people come for you. There is a difference between a cinematic film and a film for TV.
“The moment Nigerians and filmmakers understand that we won’t be having this conversation. Kunle Afolayan for example, does cinema if you look at the quality of his project, the style and effort put into it are cinema. If he does TV films, he might not do so great because he is probably focused or trained to do cinema films.
“TV films are maybe cable films or online TVs and you can tell this was done in 5 days. I’m an actor and I can tell. Sometimes I’m doing a film and they tell me, it’s for the cinemas and I laugh. I know I’m not supposed to but, it’s funny.
“I can’t discourage anyone cos it might be a starting point for some people do not be angry if people come for you or movie lovers share opinions of your film or critics talk about it cos you can’t then compare it to a Hollywood production”.
See interview:
