She is a film producer, an actress and an
entrepreneur in entertainment. Known as
Funmi Fiberesima, she premiered her first
movie recently. She talks about her life and
career in this interview
Who is Funmi Fiberesima?
I am a producer and actress but I like to refer
to myself as entertainment entrepreneur
because I handle the business of
entertainment.
What do you mean by that?
I am in the business of movie production. Apart
from producing my first film, I am also involved
in drama productions for the Nigerian
Reproductive Health Association and I have
also been doing production consultancy for
the African Drama Association.
What is the title of your film?
The movie is titled: Onikola. It is a Yoruba film
about female circumcision.
As a member of the Fiberesima clan, how was
growing up in the family?
Our family is a very large one. The
Fiberesimas are scattered all over United
Kingdom and other parts of the world. We
come back many generations, even within the
Fiberesima family, there are different
households. I met one of my cousins last year
for the first time in my life. My mom is from
Ogun State and I was born in Lagos where I
spent my childhood with my mother’s relative.
I did not get to visit Rivers State until much
later when she died.
What in your background prepared you for the
job of movie production?
I come from an entertainment family. The
Fiberesima family has been in entertainment
right from when I was a kid. I remember that
part of the syllabus that I had to study for my
music exams had my uncle’s name, Adam
Fiberesima in it.
What did you study in school?
I did a certificate course in Theatre Arts and
then moved over to Communications Studies
at the University of Port Harcourt.
How profitable has the entertainment
business been for your family?
Nobody comes into the industry looking for
money or profit; we all come in with a passion.
One has to be willing to work even though
they are not going to be paid. If you come into
the industry with the mindset of making profit,
you are going to be frustrated pretty quickly.
But you will make money eventually if you
remain with your passion and if you don’t get
discouraged along the way.
Is the business all rosy for you?
No, it is not all rosy. I have made sacrifices
but for now, I think I am comfortable. I am not
desperate to make money. I am in it for the
passion and I believe that I will get to a point
where I will be able to make money that will
cover all the years of sacrifices. Till then, I will
continue to make sacrifices.
Who financed your first movie?
I came into the industry with my money.
Nobody financed my first movie.
How much did you spend producing the
movie?
I spent close to N12m and that was because I
ran into a lot of people that were thieves but
my production was protected because of my
background. I have learnt that if I have to give
somebody any money, the person has to sign
a written agreement. It got to a point, one of
my directors attempted to hijack my
production, claiming that it was his intellectual
property! I bought the rights from the script
writer and I paid for everything, but he was
telling me it was his intellectual property
because he directed the project. I may be
new in the industry but I am not new in
business, nobody can swindle me.
The money must have come from your
boyfriend
I don’t have a boyfriend.
Why is that?
I seem to make all the wrong choices. The
cliché that good girls like bad boys applies to
my situation because I have a tendency to run
into the wrong kind of guys.
Did you fall for a bad boy?
Yes. I fell for a couple of them. I seem to have
a track record in that area. The fact is that if
one person does something bad to you and
the second person does the same thing, you
begin to ask if you have a problem. I am
currently going through rehabilitation process
in church so that I can spot a good guy when
he comes.
What happened with the last guy you dated?
He is married now. We actually got engaged,
he was a good guy but a boring one.
What is his profession?
He is an Information Technology expert.
Would you have preferred an actor to him?
No, I would not prefer an actor because I am
not sure I would be able to endure the sight of
my husband kissing another woman in a
movie.
But that is your profession…
I know. Our profession is the type that can
drive a woman crazy. I know there are some
actors that do all that and are still committed
to their homes but I don’t think I am secure
enough to be an actor’s wife.
How do your male colleagues react to the idea
of a rich female producer?
The men feel intimidated and they try to write
me off, but I don’t care, if I make returns of
just N1m from that film, I would be happy
because it dealt with female genital mutilation,
something that most people are no longer
talking about. I have always been passionate
about women and children.
It is interesting to see a woman that is
financially independent.
Fiberesima women are strong; my sister is
doing a pretty good job with the African Movie
Academy Awards and Ibinabo has a track
record with the Actors Guild of Nigeria. I am
glad to be toeing their paths and I hope that I
will not put my family name to shame.
What does style mean to you?
My style is exceptionally moody; when I am
happy, my style is happy; when I am sad, my
style is sad. You find me wearing black and
navy blue when I am not happy. Also, I like to
look sexy when I feel sexy.
What is your favourite food?
I don’t have a favourite food; the reason is
that I like experimenting. I like travelling and
trying out local dishes. The last time I was in
New Delhi, India, I was hospitalised twice
because of the pepper in their food.
Do you believe in cosmetic surgery?
Yes I do, I am even considering doing one, and
I am still doing research on it at the moment.
Which one do you want to go for, breasts or
face?
I won’t say much on that but Toolz has looks
that I admire and you might see me looking
like her very soon.
That means you are considering buttocks and
hip enhancement..
(Laughter) No comment on that.
What would you want to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered for following my
passion and staying true to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment