The removal last week of Kene Mkparu as managing director/chief executive officer FilmHouse Cinemas and FilmOne Distribution and Production may see others in the management team shown the exit door, Qed.ng has learnt.
Insiders reveal that Mr Mkparu, who co-founded FilmHouse in 2012, was removed following a tussle with some high ranking staff of the organisation which launched FilmOne, a distribution and production company, in 2014.
There had been muffled talks about financial misappropriation, sexual harassment and disregard for filmmakers by several parties.
In announcing Mkparu’s removal, the board of directors of FilmHouse and FilmOne said in a statement signed by Kene Okwuosa that the companies were entering a new phase.
The statement also announced the appointment of Okwuosa as interim managing director of FilmHouse Cinemas and Moses Babatope as interim managing director of FilmOne Distribution and Production pending the appointment of a substantive managing director.
Both men served under Mkparu as deputy managing director and chief operating officer respectively.
“Contrary to some news being peddled in the public domain, the Board wishes to assure everyone that the company is in good health, and there is no cause for alarm,” the statement signed by Okwuosa said.
Insiders, however, believe that Okwuosa and Babatope’s jobs may be on the line after the appointment of a substantive managing director for FilmHouse and FilmOne.
Others senior staff too are destined for the chopping board.
A source who craved anonymity told this online newspaper “the owners are trying to manage the crisis by retaining the two men. It was the same way they managed the suspension of Kene Mkparu which was not announced before they finally parted ways with him.”
The owners are African Capital Alliance (ACA) which invested out of its third fund (CAPE III), a $400 million private equity fund in FilmHouse and FilmOne in November 2014.
Speaking on FilmHouse and Film One’s growth prospects, ACA Partner, Paul Kokoricha, said back then: “Despite Nigeria having one of the largest film industries in the world the cinema space is largely untapped. The world over, cinema exhibition and film distribution are key segments of the film industry and the main drivers of economic value in the sector. We are looking forward to partnering with the team to deliver on the promise of the sector.”
The promise has not materialised the way the investors wanted and there are fears the two companies may be sold.
Beneath the glamour and glitz that characterise movie premieres and screenings at FilmHouse are allegations that the company uses its position as key distributor and exhibitor to undercut filmmakers.
Kunle Afolayan told Qed.ng that he was once censured for asking a lawyer to write a letter demanding the tax returns from his films shown at FilmHouse.
“They told me how I dare ask a lawyer to write them,” Afolayan said.
Described as a “true visionary”, Mkparu often spoke about a strategic development plan to roll-out 25 cinemas over a six-year period starting from 2012.
Six years after, the company has only nine outlets – four in Lagos, two in Ibadan, and one each in Calabar, Akure and Kano.
