RIGHT from when he came out with the movie, Irapada, Kunle Afolayan has always cut the picture of a filmmaker, who is deeply committed to his art. Aside from the story line and attention to details, Afolayan portrays himself as a conscious filmmaker, who is well informed about the culture and tradition of his people, which he showcases in his works. He was never to be carried away by the glitz and razzmatazz that have dominated Nollywood.To many, Afolayan represents the future of Nigerian motion picture, especially as regards documenting the country's history and culture. With Figurine, the filmmaker has written his name in gold, joining the league of successful Nigerian filmmakers. Screened at film festivals within and outside the country, the movie, also earned Afolayan accolades, especially at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) where it won five different awards.However, just as many had started boxing him to a particular genre of movie, Afolayan returned with Phone Swap, a comedy film that is entirely different from his previous creative outputs. Away from the usual hard lines, he presented a humorous work that could make one laugh for the entire one hour, 50 minutes duration.Featuring Wale Ojo, Nse Ikpe Etim, Joke Silva, Chika Okpala (Zebrudaya), Ghana's Lydia Forson, Hafiz Oyetoro, Ada Ameh and comedian Gbenga Adeyinka, who made special appearance, Phone Swap has clearly shown the other side of Afolayan; witty and comic.FROM the sneak preview screened recently at the Ozone Cinemas, Yaba, Lagos, to members of the press, it is obvious that the movie will spark up debate among fans and stakeholders in the motion picture industry.'This is bright and light and different from what I did in the previous releases; this is to prove to people that we are not one way traffic. It is not heavy stuff like Irapada and Figurine; this is something that will make you laugh,' Afolyan said.The movie, which is set for cinema screening, is dedicated to late actor, Sam Loco Efe, who was originally penned down for a role in the production.'He was originally penciled down to play Mary's father before his demise. So, we had to look for someone else, who could interpret that role very well; that was how Chika Okpala came on board and he gave his best.'Speaking on the project, Nse Ikpe Etim, who played Mary in the movie was full of excitement as she recounted her experiences on set.'Mary is an Igbo lady, who speaks fluent Owerri-Igbo dialect; I could speak a bit of Igbo, but the Owerri dialect was an issue. It took me about a month and half to do that. In fact, I fell down from an okada and broke my hand while on set. There was even a scene where I had to fall inside the swimming pool almost 10 times in the morning, it was very draining,' she noted.For Nse, the script was the attraction.'It was a good script and I think a script would always inspire an actor; that's why I did the movie. I found it funny and I took it on; I thought it was well written and constructive. I had a lot of fun while filming Phone Swap. It was amazing working with Kunle Afolayan, I would say that he is one director that every actor should work with even if you are going to work behind the scene,' she said.PHONE Swap is a comic story weaved around Akin (Wale Ojo) and Mary (Nse Ikpe Etim); both accidentally bump into each other at the airport and mistakenly swap their Blackberry phones in the process. A destination mix-up occurs after they receive each other's text regarding where they are going. Akin ends up travelling to Owerri, Mary's destination while she goes to Abuja. Seeing that they cannot do anything about the mistake, they agree to help carry out each other's missions using the information on their respective Blackberries.But it is not plain sailing as they both contend with alien environments and situations (Akin is Yoruba while Mary is Igbo). Akin has to represent Mary in a family meeting while she represents him at a company meeting where he is planning a takeover. The result naturally is hilarious with viewers bound to double over intermittently with laughter.Ahead of its opening at the cinemas on March 30, Phone Swap will premiere on March 17, at the Expo Centre, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos by 5pm and at Silverbird Entertainment Centre, Abuja on March 24 at 5pm. A red carpet premiere of the movie is also scheduled for April 5 at Silverbird Entertainment Centre, Accra Mall, Ghana.'The reason I brought in Lydia Forson into the film was to accommodate my Ghanaian audience. By the time you watch the full film, you will understand her contribution to the production. So, we are also going to have a premiere in Ghana as well,' Afolayan informed.
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