Guide for Streaming Your African Film on Netflix
In the world of African cinema, Netflix has become a beacon of opportunity. The streaming platform, known for its vast library and high production standards, has been making strides in Africa, with Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry, leading the charge.
Recently, the premiere and release of Toyin Abraham's Fate of Alakada were postponed indefinitely. This delay, however, does not seem to slow down the momentum of Nollywood films on Netflix.
FilmOne, a production company based in Nigeria, plays a significant role in this journey. They handle the legal, technical, finance, operations, and marketing aspects of an African movie's journey to Netflix. But the road to Netflix is not easy. The platform competes on quality in addition to quantity, requiring African movies to meet technical specifications on picture and sound, as well as scripting and acting.
Netflix does not accept unsolicited submissions. Producers must go through agents, producers, or industry executives with which Netflix is familiar. International festivals can be a good route to getting an African movie on Netflix, but the bar for quality storytelling is high.
One movie that has made it to Netflix is Living in Bondage, joining a growing stock of African films on the platform. The production company that licensed 'Living in Bondage: Breaking Free' to Netflix is Surreal 16, and the licensing fee paid was reported to be around $250,000.
Local traction can also breed Netflix attraction. Ema Edosio's film Kasala and Abba Makama's Green White Green are prime examples. Hits like The Wedding Party projects, King of Boys, and several Nollywood 2.0 classics are also available on Netflix.
DVDs are still a viable option for film distribution, but dealing with piracy in markets like Alaba international in Lagos can be challenging. Netflix, on the other hand, offers a post-cinema destination for Africa's biggest box office movies, aside from DVDs.
Netflix has a dedicated department of acquisitions for Africa and the Middle East, with acquisitions executives like Funa Maduka handling the discovery and licensing of films. They plan to roll-out more African originals, such as Blood and Water, a South African teen drama series, and Mama K's Team 4, an animated superhero African original.
About 24 Netflix-ready licenses are in the works, according to Idowu, with FilmOne's 'structure, efficiency, knowledge, and professionalism' as their advantage over other aggregators. Netflix only licenses films with organic traction to showcase a diverse catalogue and make money from existing and new subscriptions.
Mama Drama, a film about infertility and surrogacy, had started showing in cinemas but will be re-released later in the year due to lack of traction from the first release. Netflix pays between $5,000 and $70,000 per licensed African film, expecting a return on investment.
Netflix Originals are not yet within FilmOne's purview, but it makes sense for an ambitious producer to reach for the additional global reach offered by Netflix and other streaming platforms. Apart from Lionheart and Queen Sono, other highly-rated South African thrillers from the 2000s like Tsotsi and District 9 are now on Netflix.
Filmhouse cinemas have a significant market share in Anglophone West Africa, making FilmOne, their production and distribution arm, a major player in the West African film value chain. So far, FilmOne has distributed 55 Nollywood films to Netflix, including the Wedding Party films which FilmOne co-produced with three other studios.
Netflix adds between 5 and 10 African films and TV shows every month, with a significant number from Nollywood. The coronavirus pandemic has put Nollywood on hold, causing production and movie releases in cinemas to be adversely affected. Yet, the future of Nollywood on Netflix remains bright.
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