Nollywood actor and filmmaker Chimezie Imo says producing his first film, Strawberry Chinny, with a budget of ₦13 million taught him important lessons about financial management, production discipline and collaboration.

Speaking during a panel session at NECLive 2026, Imo reflected on the experience of making the film, describing it as an important learning process that changed his understanding of the financial demands of filmmaking.

He said the production made him realise that money plays a crucial role in turning creative ideas into finished projects, despite how some industry practitioners tend to overlook its importance.

“I learnt money is very important, and we act like it’s not,” he said.

According to the actor, working with the film’s ₦13 million budget helped him appreciate the need to take financial planning more seriously when developing and executing a production.

Imo also identified collaboration as another major lesson from making Strawberry Chinny. He said the experience challenged him to become less selfish and embrace the idea of sharing responsibilities and resources with others.

The filmmaker’s reflection highlights the importance of teamwork in filmmaking, where bringing a creative vision to life often requires contributions from people with different skills and responsibilities.

For Imo, producing the film was therefore not just an opportunity to tell a story but also a practical introduction to the demands of managing a production and working collectively towards a common goal.

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