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Filmmaker James Abinibi has opened up about one of the most difficult periods of his career, revealing that the commercial failure of his first cinema feature left him financially drained and emotionally affected.
Abinibi shared the experience in an Instagram post while reflecting on the risks he took to bring his 2017 movie, Mentally, to the big screen.
The filmmaker explained that he had complete confidence in the project and invested heavily in its production. However, when the budget became insufficient, he resorted to selling his SUV to raise additional funds and ensure the movie was completed.
Despite his sacrifice, Mentally failed to recover the money invested in it, leaving Abinibi to deal with the financial consequences for several years.
“In 2017, I took a bet on myself and went into depression after losing out,” he said.
“I put everything I had into making my first feature film for the cinema, Mentally, because I believed in the idea completely. When the budget ran short, I sold my SUV to complete it. The film didn’t make the money back and I didn’t have a personal car for five years after that.”
The filmmaker said the experience was particularly painful because of how much personal sacrifice went into making the production. Losing his vehicle and the financial investment he had made in the project created a difficult period in his life.
However, Abinibi chose not to allow the setback to define his career. Instead, he described the experience as his “baptism of fire” and continued pursuing filmmaking.
“But I took the whole experience as my baptism of fire and kept it moving,” he added.
According to Abinibi, his decision to take such a major financial risk came from his determination to create opportunities for himself after struggling to find people willing to support his creative ambitions.
He explained that filmmaking had been a major passion for him for decades, but the difficulty of getting others to give him an opportunity forced him to take matters into his own hands.
“Filmmaking is something I have been deeply passionate about for decades. But nobody was going to give me a shot, so I decided to create my own opportunities. That has always been my secret sauce,” he wrote.
The filmmaker’s account highlights some of the financial risks involved in Nigeria’s film industry, particularly for filmmakers who choose to independently fund their projects.
For Abinibi, the failure of Mentally did not signal the end of his ambitions. Instead, it became an experience that taught him about persistence, sacrifice and the unpredictable nature of filmmaking.
Years after the setback, he remains committed to taking risks and investing in his creative vision.
“I’m still here. Still taking that crazy bet on myself. Because I know who I am,” he said.
Abinibi also used his post to promote his upcoming project, One Gidi Night, expressing strong confidence in the production.
The filmmaker described the project as one that could become a significant milestone in his career and promised that those who have supported him over the years would be proud of the work.
“One Gidi Night is one for the books. And if you’ve ever been a friend or a supporter, this one will make you proud to know me. I promise,” he wrote.
His story serves as a reminder that success in the creative industry does not always come immediately, even when a filmmaker is deeply convinced about the quality and potential of a project.
For Abinibi, the losses surrounding Mentally became part of his journey rather than a reason to abandon his passion.
The filmmaker has now continued to build his career, carrying the lessons from his first major cinema project into his subsequent work. With One Gidi Night ahead, Abinibi appears determined to once again take a bold step and trust his creative instincts.
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