It is now common knowledge to find the ladies in the movie industry making waves and setting the standards for others to follow. And they are not just breaking boundaries with their incredible performances in front of the camera, they are also flourishing as some of the industry’s biggest movie producers. Some of the biggest movies and series of the last couple of years were produced by women, some of whom have already established themselves as accomplished actors. And they have inspired hundreds of younger actresses who wish to follow their lead. One of such actresses is the very brilliant and intensely creative Amarachi Ani, better known by her brand name, Stephmara. She has been in the movie industry for a while now as an actor but has since developed a strong passion for film making. This very quiet but gorgeous looking actor and producer stunned everyone last year when she accomplished an incredible feat, producing four short films in one year. For someone who’s just emerging as a young film maker, that is impressive. She has done beautiful short films such as Black Eyez, Under Noses Breath, etc. They are all on Youtube.
City People Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) engaged this hardworking actress when she visited the City People head office in Gbagada, Lagos, a couple of weeks ago. Looking enchanting in a pretty, glittering black outfit that accentuated her lovely figure, the fiercely focused Stephmara spoke about her passion for short films, her fears about the social media and her aspirations to become of Naija’s brightest film makers. Enjoy excerpts of the interview.
Happy new year to you, Amarachi, share with us what your 2023 was like. Were you able to meet some of your expectations for the year and what particularly would you have loved to have accomplished before the close of last year?
Happy new to you and I pray that this year will be our best year yet. So, firstly, I would say 2024 was a deal breaker for me, you know, trying to make a come back in the film industry as an actor. But then, I decided to go into film production instead. So, what I did was set a goal.
You know, setting professional goals as a Filmmaker is essential for navigating the complexities of the film industry and ensuring the success of your creative endeavors. These goals serve as a compass, guiding you through the intricacies of storytelling, production, and audience engagement. By establishing clear objectives, produce impactful work, and carve out a distinctive path in the cinematic landscape. And, I planned to produce at least produce 3 short films before the end of the year but I ended up producing four. So, I would say, yes. I accomplished my goals for last year with the help of God.
And how about the economic situation, how has it impacted on your creative aspirations, particularly last year
It hasn't been easy at all..... But, God has been faithful. I have had to think outside the box to be able to raise funds for my movies. At some point, I almost gave up owing to scarcity of funds to do a ;lot of things. I even wanted to o things a bit differently if I had sufficient funds, but I thank God all the same for all I was able to accomplish last year.
Tell us about your passion for short films, and why short films? How many have you done so far and what are you hoping to accomplish with them?
What sort of challenges do you have to deal with shooting short films for Youtube?
Well, Short films have a number of challenges, in times of funding, time constraints, and the pressure to impress quickly. Again, finding the money to make a short film can be difficult. And, off cause, managing the budget and schedule of a project can be challenging too!
What big project are you looking forward to doing this year?
I'm actually working on a project currently. So, I'm hopping to start a series soon and it is titled MY SISTER AND I. Hopefully, if all goes well, it is a project I expect should be a defining moment in my career as an ac tor and film maker
Yes. She is also into acting.... But, not full time. And she's into business too.
You do not seem to be a social media person like most of your colleagues, why is that? Is it deliberate?
I would say, it's deliberate and that's because it has a lot of fake news, negative people, and negative content. And that's not to say that it has no advantage.... You know, it helps to make one stay connected, access to News and current events, it is also a platform for personal Branding. The benefits are numerous, no doubt, from connecting with friends and family to promoting businesses. Yes, it does have all of these benefits but I am also wary of its madness. When you put yourself out there all the time, you leave yourself open to all sorts of controversies that can shatter your career and personal life.
Let me ask you this question, do you subscribe to this idea that living a fake life on social media is part of show biz, like a lot of your female colleagues claim?
My answer is a big NO. I think that, the only reason why people do that is because they're probably going through a tough time. So, they just log onto social media and pretend to be someone else for a while in other to escape from their reality. Everyone now flaunts good living on social media like it's nothing. This almost made me walk into a hotel without any aim of lodging but to take pictures in the beautiful place so my social media friends will also know am living the big life. But I tell you, its all nonsense!
You’re an attractive looking lady so you must be enjoying your own fair share of admirers. Tell us, can you dump a rich but arrogant guy for a cool but broke dude who showers you nothing but affection all the time?
This is kinda dicey..... But, come on who no want peace. Yea! Money is good. But peace of mind is very, very important. This does not mean that money does not matter. As a matter of fact, money does matter. But, at the same time, it doesn’t matter as long as there is love, passion, care, concern, and unconditional love. If the guy you are in love with is a person who can do anything for you, you have nothing to worry about.
Amongst all the female movie producers making waves in the industry right now, as a young emerging producer yourself, who are those female producers who inspire right now?
Well, there’s actually a handful of them that I respect. They are all doing a great job and inspiring many of us. But two people stand out for me, and they are Funke Akindele and Mercy Johnson. These two brilliant women actors have done so much for the industry. When I grow up, I want to be like FUNKE AKINDELE and MERCY JOHNSON
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