Asaba is the home of Low-Budget Nollywood – Chizzy Alichi
Asabawood, or Asaba filmmakers, refers to a branch of Nollywood known for its low-budget productions often marked by subpar acting and storytelling.
Chizzy Alichi, an actor from the Asaba-based Nollywood scene, recently spoke out about the mainstream media’s limited acknowledgment of Asaba filmmakers, attributing it to a shortage of funds required for high-quality productions. In a recent conversation with Hiptv, Alichi discussed the lack of recognition for Asaba actors within the wider Nollywood industry and highlighted how Asaba filmmakers often invest less in their projects compared to Lagos-based filmmakers. “The only difference I see here is maybe in the making of the movie. Lagos tends to take their time especially the use of props. There in Asaba, we believe in mass production as e dey hot. Nollywood is everywhere,” she noted. Alichi also pointed out that Asaba actors often have a wider reach due to the accessibility of their low-budget films, which reach audiences who may not have access to streaming services or theaters.
“Most of the Asaba actors are more popular because they make the movie with a low budget. It goes to even the village women. Not everybody has time or money to come to the cinema but those epic movies; even the market women, the hawkers, the mechanics, can watch,” she said. She wrapped up by stressing the need for these filmmakers to work on enhancing production quality.
“The world has gone past that kind of movie, they need to step it up a bit,” she concluded.