FilmOne Distributions
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Headquarters | Plot 1378D Joseph Namah Close, Off Karimu Kotun, Victoria Island, , |
Areas served | West Africa |
| Key people | Kene Okwuosa (Group CEO) |
| Services | Film distribution, DCP encryption and Mastering etc |
Filmone is an independent film distribution company in West Africa,[1] headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. Since 2013, the company has directly distributed local and international film content in the region; creating a channel for the exportation of local theatrical films (to the United Kingdom, United States, and other regions in sub-Saharan Africa) and being a distribution channel for film content from Hollywood.[2][3]
In 2016, the company signed a pact with Hollywood media company 20th Century Fox,[4][5][6] a partnership that has seen to the distribution of films within West Africa such as Independence Day: Resurgence, Logan, Assassin's Creed, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.[7]
In Nigeria, Filmone has distributed and/or co-produced several blockbuster films such as Half of a Yellow Sun[8] The Wedding Party 1&2,[9][10] Taxi Driver: Oko Ashewo, Okafor's Law, A Trip to Jamaica, 10 Days in Sun City, King of Boys, Royal Hibiscus Hotel.[11]
History
[edit]The origin of the company dates back to 2012, when the founding CEO Kene Mkparu, in collaboration with co-founders and members of the board of directors, became the first beneficiary of the Creative and Entertainment Fund provided by The Bank of Industry,[12] with which they kick-started business in December 2012. Founding directors and senior managers of the company are mostly former cinema management staff of Odeon Cinemas, United Kingdom.[13]
In 2014, the company went into partnership with investment giants African Capital Alliance to finance its long term expansion goals.[14][15][16]
In 2018, the board of directors appointed co-founders Kene Okwuosa as Group CEO/Managing Director of Filmhouse Cinemas.[17]
Filmhouse Cinema
[edit]This is the film exhibition part of the company and a member on the Board of Trustees of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria - CEAN.[18]
After opening with a 3-Screen cinema in December 2012, at Leisure Mall, Surulere,[19] Lagos, the company expanded its flagship cinema to 8 screens in 2016, with 5 additional screens located in the neighboring Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall.[20] Since 2012, they have opened two cinemas in Ibadan (at Dugbe and Samonda), one each in Port Harcourt, Benin, Akure, Kano, Lekki, Oniru and Victoria island in Lagos. The company currently operates 11 cinemas across 6 cities in Nigeria[21]
In 2015, the company partnered with Canadian cine-tech giants IMAX to build the first IMAX theater in West Africa – Filmhouse IMAX, Lekki.[22]
American cine-tech giants Mediamation released a statement in April 2019, announcing their partnership with the company to build the first MX4D theater in West Africa.[23] The technology was unveiled when Filmhouse opened a cinema at Landmark Village, Victoria Island, Lagos in November 2019.[24]
References
[edit]- ↑ Harrow, Kenneth W.; Garritano, Carmela (27 December 2018). A COMPANION TO AFRICAN CINEMAS. John Wiley & Sons. p. 221. ISBN 978-1-119-10031-7.
- ↑ Film, Tools for. "FilmOne Entertainment | Film Distribution Company". www.toolsforfilm.com. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "National Film Authority of Ghana Partners With FilmOne and Silverbird to Host the Continents First Africa Cinema Summit". Celluloid Junkie. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "20th Century Fox". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ↑ Ikeji, Linda (2016-04-19). "Twentieth Century Fox Partners FilmOne For Theatrical Distribution Deal In West Africa". Linda Ikeji's Blog. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ Nation, The (2016-04-26). "Nigeria's FilmOne brings 20th Century Fox to West Africa". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ Ajagunna, Timilehin (2016-04-26). "Twentieth Century Fox partners FilmOne for theatrical distribution deal in West Africa". Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "Half of a Yello Sun". BBC News. 8 July 2014.
- ↑ Abudu, Mosunmola. THE WEDDING PARTY - There ain't no party like a Lagos Wedding Party.
- ↑ Haynes, Jonathan (2017). "The Wedding Party dir. by Kemi Adetiba (review)". African Studies Review. 60 (3): 261–262. doi:10.1017/asr.2017.101. ISSN 1555-2462.
- ↑ Nigeria, Guardian (2020-02-28). "Filmhouse Group Hosts Exclusive Screening of Queen Sono, The First Original African Series By Netflix". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ↑ "Filmhouse-BOI". TRUMPET MEDIA.
- ↑ "NiF summit". nifsummit.com.
- ↑ "ACAC-FILMHOUSE". acagp.com. AFRICAN CAPITAL ALLIANCE. November 2014.
- ↑ "African Capital Alliance Invests in Filmhouse Cinemas and Film One (Sub-Saharan Africa) – GPCA". 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "ACA invests in Nigeria's Filmhouse Cinemas". www.africaglobalfunds.com. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "Filmhouse News". The Movie Pencil. Archived from the original on 2019-07-15.
- ↑ "About Filmhouse Cinemas (Film House) - NG (Nigeria)". www.africa2trust.com. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "FILMHOUSE TO OPEN FOUR CINEMAS". Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ↑ "FH Surulere". PAGE ONE.
- ↑ "FILMHOUSE CINEMA location". trendynaija.com. TRENDY NAIJA. 13 May 2019.
- ↑ "IMAX - FILMHOUSE partnership". imax.com. IMAX. 21 August 2025.
- ↑ "FILMHOUSE - MX4D". www.mediamation.com. MEDIA MATION.
- ↑ "Filmhouse Cinemas opens West Africa's first MX4D Cinema at Landmark Village | Pulse Nigeria". www.pulse.ng. Retrieved 2024-11-22.