Imagine a teenager writing to me that her father slept with her-Ani Amatosero

Actress, movie maker, entrepreneur and publisher, Effixzzy Magazine, Ani Amatosero, is back on the block and she is poised to release two brand new movies entitled December 24 and Warri Blood.

In this chat, the architect who dumped her degree to pursue a career in Nollywood and publishing talks career, movies and of course, her ideal man among other interesting issues.

Excerpts published by the Sun brought to you by www.odogwublog.com 

A while ago you shot a movie on women issues entitled The Squeezed. What is happening to it?

Yeah… that was a while ago. The name was later changed to Rosy, it did very well in the market by His grace.

We understand that you are out with two new flicks, could you shed light?

My new movie is entitled December 24. It is about human trafficking, the role of women in society and the effects of child abuse. In fact, we know that 90 per cent of trafficked people are women. This could be caused by poverty, unemployment, domestic violence, child abuse, discrimination against women and the desire for a better life. This movie has exposed so many things we take as trivia. Do you know that most traffickers are family member or trusted associates? The other movie I shot is entitled Warri Blood. It is also an eye opener for bankers and also to let  people know that the fact that you come from a poor background does not make you less human. Where you are coming from may not be your responsibility but you are responsible for where you are headed in life and you must take charge. Most rich and famous people are from poor backgrounds. It is a motivational movie designed to encourage our youths especially those that have low self esteem. an eye opener for bankers and also to let

What inspired both movies?

My inspiration comes from God. I have people around me who share their stories. I have people sending me mail too, telling me what they go through and their experiences in life and how most of my comments on facebook and instagram have given them hope. Too many terrible things you won’t believe are happening all over. Imagine a teenager writing to me that her father sleeps with her!

How many movies have you shot till date?

This is my third movie by His grace. And I hope to do bigger projects. It is unfortunate most people don’t believe in investing in Nollywood. I had somebody say how do we make our money back, and I answered, have you seen an Igbo man investing where it is not profitable? Whether we like it or not, majority of the investors in Nollywood are Igbo people; they are business minded and they do very well at it.

What’s your take on sex-for-role?

Is there any woman that has never been sexually harassed? Every woman has experienced that in one way or another. If not in school, it could be when you were looking for a job or whatever like trying to get admission into school or getting promotion at the office; people really do stuff.

Could you describe your ideal man?

I don’t have any perfect description of my ideal man. All I know is the man God has made to be my husband. The mistake most women make is that they perceive their boyfriend as husband and husband as boyfriend. Even if he is not rich he should have a vision. He must not only have a vision but he should be working towards it as well. He has to be in line with what I do; there has to be an agreement. Most women marry the wrong people because of what they look out for including money, security, fame and so on. They forget that when you finally settle into the marriage and you don’t see all these things, the love simply fades; it is good for a woman to be hard working. When you do that, your husband will only become your supporter and not an access to riches. I don’t want to be a woman saved by a prince, I want to be a queen that is an asset to her king.

Can you date a poor guy?

Yes, why not? I can date a poor guy. Any hard working woman will not look at the pocket of any man; you don’t marry a man’s now but his future. For such women, the mantra is it can only get better! Like I said earlier, my ideal man must have a vision and must be hard working. And let me add, a man with a vision is not a poor man. Wealth is not how much you have, rather, it is how many lives that you can touch.

We understand that you are also a publisher and an entrepreneur? Could you tell us about your magazine, Effixzzy Magazine?

Effixzzy Magazine was six years August 27. The inspiration came six years ago. I have always been a creative person right from childhood and I love challenges. I was told that to publish, you must be very rich. In fact, it was like a daring thing going into publishing. I actually started with a friend but I pulled out and started mine. It was not easy building the foundation I must confess but over the years it’s been worth it.

What is the next level for Annie Amatosero?

The next level is to build on the foundation I have laid. My publishing company should get stronger. I am not just a publisher, I am also a printer. We print posters, branded T shirts, print on gift like bags, complimentary cards and banners and we also brand note books among others. My movies are also not doing badly in the market; I hope to do more and better ones.

What is your advice for the youths?

I encourage our youths, especially the girls to know that they have to take their faith into their hands now; they have to stand up and do something. Depending on men to feed and do everything for you is not a good idea. Those days our parents could afford to marry as many wives as they wanted and still take care of them but today, the reverse is the case. Some complain that there are no jobs but the truth is that you don’t have to wait for anyone to give you job; you can create something for yourself in your own little way. We all have talents. Yes, it’s not easy to start but I believe that instead of blaming government, whatever you find yourself doing no matter how small it is, do it passionately and do it well; there is gain in service, there is dignity in labour.

How many movies have you acted in to date?

Wow! I have acted in over a dozen movies. The ones I can remember include My Baby, Baby Oku In America, Ladies On The Move, Nkasi The Fighter, Rosy The Trouble Maker, Aziza, Tears of Agony and Bloody Carnival among others.

Was there ever a time things got so bad you felt like quitting?

Never, I have never thought about quitting. I only left Nollywood for about three years when I started publishing. Publishing takes time because you need a lot of concentration. My target then was the Niger Delta and I also published in Lagos so it wasn’t really easy for me when I started. However I am yet to stabilise because I cannot dump a company I have built for 6 years for Nollywood even though I just love acting. However, quitting Nollywood has never crossed my mind even though my attention is divided.

How many moves have you produced to date?

I have only produced three. One is in the market already. It was directed by award winning director, Lancelot Odua Imasuen and starred Nollywood award winning actress, Funke Akindele, Francis Duru, Charles Iniojie, Rex Okunzua, Nonny Anyawu and my humble self among a host of others. The second one was shot in Houston, Texas. That one is based on Human trafficking and child abuse. It will hit the Nigerian market soon. I admire women who have really excelled in this field as well especially Emem Isong and Uche Jumbo.

What is your advice for women who want to go into movie production?

My advice to women who want to go into production is that you have to love what you do first. That way you won’t feel much of the heat when it comes; no business is 100 per cent juicy.

What are your dreams?

My dream is to be exactly what God wants me to be. It is one thing to wish while it is another thing for it to come to pass. But I believe the will of God should be done in my life as regards my publishing company and Nollywood. As a publisher I hope to grow bigger. Effixzzy Magazine is six years now but it seems just like yesterday when we started but God has been faithful. I just started producing movies last year and I hope it grows bigger and better and most importantly, changes lives for the better.

The Sun interview with Chuks Eze