James Abinibi, the filmmaker, has revealed that he went into depression after his first cinema feature film, ‘Mentally’, failed to recoup its investment.
In a recent Instagram post, Abinibi recounted the financial and emotional toll of the 2017 production, saying he invested all his resources in the project because he strongly believed in the concept.
The filmmaker said he eventually sold his SUV to raise funds to complete the movie after the budget ran short.
“In 2017, I took a bet on myself and went into depression after losing out,” he said.
“I put everything I had into making my first feature film for the cinema, Mentally, because I believed in the idea completely. When the budget ran short, I sold my SUV to complete it. The film didn’t make the money back, and I didn’t have a personal car for five years after that.”
Abinibi described the experience as a “baptism of fire”, adding that he chose to move forward despite the financial setback.
“But I took the whole experience as my baptism of fire and kept it moving.”
The filmmaker said he resorted to self-funding after struggling to secure external backing for his projects.
He explained that his passion for filmmaking, which he has pursued for decades, pushed him to create opportunities for himself despite the challenges.
“Filmmaking is something I have been deeply passionate about for decades. But nobody was going to give me a shot, so I decided to create my own opportunities. That has always been my secret sauce,” he wrote.
Abinibi said he remains willing to take creative risks and is optimistic about his upcoming project, ‘One Gidi Night’.
“I’m still here. Still taking that crazy bet on myself. Because I know who I am.
“One Gidi Night is one for the books. And if you’ve ever been a friend or a supporter, this one will make you proud to know me. I promise.”
Leave a Reply