April 29, (THEWILL)- Moses Babatope The co-founder of Filmhouse Group and former Managing Director of FilmOne, Moses Babatope has broken off his partnership with Kene Okwuosa and is all set to launch his own media and entertainment company. Sources reveal that there were internal tensions between them which may have prompted Babatope’s departure. The issue stemmed from differences in vision and leadership style which had long been a point of contention within the organization.
Babatope’s hands-on approach and emphasis on innovation were both admired and met with concern, especially as his accomplishments, such as expanding FilmOne Entertainment and securing major distribution deals. On the other hand, Kene Okwuosa’s leadership style and vision were purportedly at odds with Babatope’s, leading to friction between them.
The recent discussions surrounding Babatope’s role within the company were influenced by these frictions. This prompted Babatope to resign as Managing Director, paving the way for his new company’s establishment. Babatope’s new venture is focusing on film production, distribution, and cinema, following his departure from FilmHouse Group which was initially established in 2012 by Kenechukwu Mkparu, alongside co-founders Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa, with the aim of addressing gaps in the cinema market. Babatope’s journey in the film industry spans over two decades, marked by his expertise in cinema operations and management.
As a co-founder of FilmHouse Group and the pioneering Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, his leadership has been instrumental in the production and executive production of over 40 of Nollywood’s most notable titles. These include successful ventures like ‘Wedding Party’ which grossed N452 million and Funke Akindele’s ‘A Tribe Called Judah,’ which grossed N1.4 billion, among others.
Under his stewardship, FilmOne Entertainment forged significant partnerships with major Hollywood entities such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony, Netflix, Prime Video, and Warner Brothers. Furthermore, Babatope played a key role in pioneering corporate financing for films through the establishment of the West African Film Fund. This innovative initiative involved partnerships with Huahua Media of China and Empire Entertainment of South Africa to fully finance or co-finance 15 film projects, marking a significant milestone in the industry.
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