Popular Filmaker and movie Producer, Yomi Fabiyi who recently resigned as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the newly formed The Movie Ambassadors (TMA), also known as Golden Movie Ambassadors of Nigeria, headed by ace role-interpreter, Saidi Balogun in this special Time-out with Pye spoke about his new NGO Save Group Foundation, his career, the reason why he resigned and his new project. Enjoy it. Excerpt........
Pye: You are one of the hardworking Nollywood Producers and filmmakers, What is keeping you going inspite of the challenges in the industry (Piracy).
Yomi: Film making is spiritual and I am driven by passion and vision for the job not just the monetery aspect of it. It is for me to do it right within the limited resources I have and it is another to be rewarded for it.
Pye: How long have you been in the industry?
Yomi: 13years going now
Pye: Which of your movies would you say, is your favourite?
Yomi: I favourite all my movies because each of them keep me relevant in my own little way each time they are out.
Pye: Apart from filmmaking what else do you do?
Yomi: I am a full time film maker though recently I just began my own NGO
Pye: What is the focus of your NGO
Yomi: Focus of Save Group Foundation is to bring about citizens honest attention to all national monuments, institutions, ideas that ought to form part of the economic brought but are left to detoriorate or perish owing to negligence or lack of maintainance culture or even widespread corruption.
Pye: Are you indirectly going into politics?
Yomi: I am not. Politics is not the only way one can serve or contribute his or her quota to national development. NGO, community service and so on
Pye: What is your opinion on entertainers now romancing politics as an alternative to serve their people
Yomi: It is a brilliant idea. Nigerians will find it easy to trust people in entertainment. Am sure before these people decide to contest, being famous must have attracted a lot of social economic demands from the youths around them which they must have been trying to respond to for years. As a known face on TV you seldom escape such from your area except you are not good. So, feeling all these shortfalls directly must have propelled most of them to volunteer to go and serve same people.
Pye: hmmm(Sighed) What is your relationship with Saheed Balogun?
Yomi: He is a colleague and President of the association I belong. We used to be close by virtue of my position as PRO then.
Pye: But I learnt you resigned as PRO of the Association?
Yomi: You learnt, perhaps you don't trust your source.
Pye: Meaning you have resigned from your position as PRO but still a member?
Yomi: Yes I am a member except if tomorrow the same executive discontinue my membership with reasons.
Pye: Why did you resigned from the responsibility given to you?
Yomi: Not all resignation are the inner most desire of the person. Sometimes you resign when you feel you cannot discharge your role effectively and with humility you step aside and on the other hand it could be it was an option given to avert an impending shame owing to a confirm gross misconduct or indictment which may result into expulsion, discipline or impeachment. And lastly it could be that you think you are no longer appreciated inspite of all you bring to the table. In any of these cases, it is honourable to walk away and save so many stress and time.
Pye: So which of these reasons was your motive before tendering your resignation?
Yomi: Like I said it is a personal reason. The time to divulge further talks on the issue is not now
Pye: Good one
Yomi: You need to take your time to read the individual mission statement. I have a personal dream and aspiration which is to be of help to mankind and contribute my quota to national development when age and time is still on my side. I only need a vehicle to propagate this, a medium humble enough to understand my vision and pave way.
Pye:Can we go a little bit personal and soft here? In Showbiz, Have your ever had crush on any of the Nollywood Actresses?
Yomi: Yes
Pye: Who?
Yomi: Jump that my dear. Got loads of ....but dnt like discussing them again
Pye: It is crush not really Love
Yomi:Real love starts from crush but love needs manure. So if its not encouraged it may not germinate
Pye: Loads of them means you just like many but you should have soft spot for one.Loads of them means you just like many but you should have soft spot for one
Yomi:Skip it
Pye:Try and answer now. It's fun
Yomi: Guess this will bring about the end of the very serious interview
Pye:Cos, we should make people relax their nerves while reading
Yomi: Am sure they are relaxed reading dear
Pye: Anyway, what are we to be expecting from our dear Yomi Fabiyi soon?
Yomi: I have two fantastic movies coming out shortly; Father Moses and Metomi.
Pye: Directed by who and who are the likely stars to be featured in the movie?
Yomi:Father Moses star: Ini Edo, Desmond Elliot, Ara, Hafiz Oyetoro, Jide Kosoko, Yomi Fabiyi, Ayo Mogaji, Keji Yusuf, Hakeem Rahman, Ngozi Nwosu, Jane Ugbe, Bukola Awoyemi, Kemi Afolabi etc
Pye:Father Moses star: Ini Edo, Desmond Elliot, Ara, Hafiz Oyetoro, Jide Kosoko, Yomi Fabiyi, Ayo Mogaji, Keji Yusuf, Hakeem Rahman, Ngozi Nwosu, Jane Ugbe, Bukola Awoyemi, Kemi Afolabi etc
Yomi: Metomi star: Toyin Aimakhu, Buki Ajayi, Saheed Funky Mallam, Ngozi Nwosu, Bayo Bankole, Saidi Balogun, Kemi Afolabi, Yomi Fabiyi, Introducing: Tomiwa Sangonuga of Project Fame Season II, Tayo Adeniyi
Pye: My second to the last question: when its comes to interpreting roles, who is your favorite among your colleagues
Yomi: There are so many of them just that our audience are used to a talking cast as the best. When we begin to have the right projects with plotting and screen play, some may not last or fit into some hi-class movie just because they have stuck characters and are known for mediocrity. But give it to some fantastic ones out there. They are distinct even if not rave of the moment.
Pye: Being married to white and how do you cope with Female Fans seductions? How do you balance your home plus your career! Gbam?
Yomi: I don't give too much reference to colour. We all have our different colours owing to our different climatic conditions. Nothing special married to a white other than you tend to appreciate uprightness, honesty and dedication the white people way. And as per female fans, they are inevitable and I must be willing to embrace them with a plain mind, respect and understanding of the fact that they form a major drive to a male artist and one must however not be loose about it because, choosing wrong and less human ones could wreck the artist.