Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: Nigerian cinema

  • NFVCB Defends Ini Edo Film Title After Backlash, Floats Compromise

    NFVCB Defends Ini Edo Film Title After Backlash, Floats Compromise

    Photo Credit: The Punch

    2025-12-24 08:00:00

    According to Punch, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) says Ini Edo’s movie title “A Very Dirty Christmas” was cleared after review and was not intended as an attack on Christianity, following public backlash from Christian groups.

    The board’s explanation is that the phrase should be interpreted within the story’s theme rather than as a statement about Christmas itself, while also suggesting a possible compromise to reduce tension.

    • Premium Times (website): “The title Dirty Christmas is not an insult to the Body of Christ.”
    • Christian Association of Nigeria — Facebook (verified org page): “CAN … is deeply troubled by the title …”

    Echotitbits take: This is a familiar flashpoint in Nollywood: artistic choices meeting faith sensitivities at peak holiday season. Watch whether a title adjustment happens, whether cinemas face organized pressure, and whether the controversy ends up boosting attention and ticket demand.

    Source: The Punch — Dec 24, 2025 — https://punchng.com/nfvcb-defends-a-very-dirty-christmas-title-seeks-change-after-backlash/

    The Punch
    2025-12-24

  • Ini Edo appeals as censorship pressure builds around ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’

    Ini Edo appeals as censorship pressure builds around ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’

    Photo credit: The Punch

    2025-12-22 11:30:00

    In a post shared by Punch on Threads, Ini Edo publicly appealed amid the NFVCB pressure around her film A Very Dirty Christmas and its cinema run.

    The dispute blends censorship pressure, public outrage, and the commercial reality of theatrical windows—where even short disruptions can wreck box-office momentum.

    Ini Edo’s position is essentially: allow audiences to choose, while any regulatory concerns should follow due process rather than public intimidation.

    Premium Times reported the board’s demand and the push to withdraw the title, while Vanguard also noted that the censors board had “asked cinemas to withdraw” the film.

    Echotitbits take: Nollywood’s next growth phase needs clearer content classification and fewer ad-hoc “moral tribunals.” Watch whether NFVCB issues a transparent, written decision—and whether cinemas comply uniformly or selectively.

    Source: Punch — Dec 22, 2025 — https://punchng.com/can-says-ini-edos-a-very-dirty-christmas-movie-title-offensive-to-christians/

  • “Oversabi Aunty” hits cinemas—Toyin Abraham drops showtimes and rallying call

    “Oversabi Aunty” hits cinemas—Toyin Abraham drops showtimes and rallying call

    Photo Credit: Instagram

    2025-12-19 11:00:00
    In a post shared on Instagram, the actress/filmmaker rolled out showtimes for Oversabi Aunty as it begins nationwide cinema runs, urging fans to pick a location and turn up.

    The rollout has been echoed by cinema and distributor-linked pages, signaling a coordinated push for holiday footfall when competition for attention is at its peak.

    – Filmhouse Cinemas (Instagram / cinema chain): “Oversabi Aunty… SHOWTIMES…”
    – YouTube (Official trailer page): “IN CINEMAS 19TH DECEMBER”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: December box office in Nigeria is ruthless: films compete with concerts, travel, weddings, and nightlife. Watch whether Oversabi Aunty sustains weekday turnout after opening buzz—and how fast word-of-mouth clips dominate TikTok and Reels.

    Source: Instagram — 19 Dec 2025 —https://www.instagram.com/p/DSMFfb3CBWb/

    2025-12-19

  • CAN Slams Ini Edo’s ‘Dirty Christmas’ Title, Rekindling Faith-and-Film Debate

    CAN Slams Ini Edo’s ‘Dirty Christmas’ Title, Rekindling Faith-and-Film Debate

    2025-12-17 08:00:00

    Reporting via The Punch, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the title of Ini Edo’s film A Very Dirty Christmas, saying it is offensive and disrespectful to Christian sensibilities.

    CAN argues the word choice undermines the spiritual meaning of Christmas and could inflame tensions in a multi-faith society.

    The controversy has also triggered fresh conversations about Nollywood marketing, regulatory approvals, and where creative freedom meets public offense.

    Verification
    TheCable Lifestyle (media outlet): “Creativity should build understanding and unity, not provoke or offend deeply held beliefs.”
    New Telegraph (news outlet): “Linking such a holy celebration with the word ‘dirty’ diminishes its spiritual meaning.”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: This will likely test how producers manage backlash during peak box-office season. Watch for a producer response (apology/clarification), any title/marketing adjustments, and whether regulators issue guidance on sensitive branding.

    Source: The Punch — 2025-12-17 — https://punchng.com/can-says-ini-edos-a-very-dirty-christmas-movie-title-offensive-to-christians/

    Photo Credit: The Punch
    2025-12-17

  • Funke Akindele’s “Behind The Scenes” smashes ₦200m opening weekend mark

    Funke Akindele’s “Behind The Scenes” smashes ₦200m opening weekend mark

    According to P.M. News, Funke Akindele’s latest cinema release, Behind The Scenes, crossed the ₦200 million threshold in its opening weekend, extending her run as one of Nollywood’s most bankable box-office names. 
    In the report, FilmOne Entertainment (the distributor) is credited with describing the performance as the biggest opening weekend of 2025 so far, with multiple opening-weekend benchmarks reportedly broken in the process. 
    TheNation’s coverage also reproduces a distributor caption praising Nigerian audiences for filling cinemas, framing the milestone as both a commercial win and a signal of sustained momentum for theatrical Nollywood releases in December. 
     • The Nation Newspaper (TheNationOnlineNG): “Behind The Scenes crossed ₦200M in just one weekend…” 
     • FilmOne Entertainment (Instagram, via distributor caption reproduced by The Nation): “We call her the Queen of Box Office for a reason!” 
    Analysis/Echotitbits take: This is a strong indicator that the “December cinema season” remains a major revenue window for Nollywood—if the legs hold beyond week one, expect more aggressive marketing pushes, piracy warnings, and competing studios timing their own releases to chase the same audience attention.