Omotola Shares How Ruth Kadiri Inspired Her Journey into YouTube Filmmaking

Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has disclosed that her choice to pursue YouTube filmmaking was motivated by her colleague Ruth Kadiri.

In an interview with the Nollywood on Radio podcast, the seasoned actress revealed how Kadiri continually urged her to embrace the digital film revolution.

Omotola, 47, said that the chat took place during her vacation in 2023.

“I came on vacation in 2023, and Ruth called me. She said, ‘Mama, do you know what’s going on? There’s a whole revolution with YouTube.’ She showed me numbers and everything,” Omotola said.

According to her, Kadiri described YouTube as a “phenomenal” platform that gives creators control over their content.

“She told me, ‘You can do what you want on YouTube, but I think you should get in on this. You would do very well.’ She didn’t let me rest,” Omotola added.

Eventually, the pressure paid off.

“That girl gave me no peace of mind. So I called my producer and said, ‘Let’s just try something.’ We shot the first project in four days and used the fifth day for cleanup. I surprised myself. I was thankful to her for giving me the courage to try.”

Omotola said the success of her first YouTube project inspired her to shoot Mother’s Love, a feature film that later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

“Mother’s Love came because I was under pressure. I just told my producer, ‘What if we did a feature film?’ and that was it. We started planning immediately and shot it in less than two weeks,” she said.

“It took long to release because I was scared people might laugh at me or say it wasn’t good enough,” she added.

In summary, Omotola’s journey into YouTube filmmaking was significantly influenced by Ruth Kadiri’s example and encouragement. Their shared passion for storytelling continues to inspire many aspiring creators, demonstrating that with determination and support, anyone can carve their own path in the digital filmmaking space.

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