BB Sasore’s Entrepreneurial Journey to Shaping African Cinema

Bodunrin Sasore, popularly known as BB Sasore, is the creative force behind Nemsia Studios, who traded in his microscope for a camera lens to pursue his passion for storytelling. With a background in biological sciences and a knack for filmmaking, Sasore has made a name for himself in Nollywood, directing critically acclaimed projects like ‘Before 30’ and ‘Banana Island Ghost’.

In this interview with MARY NNAH, he shares his inspiring journey from independent film projects to co-founding Nemsia Studios, and how his unique approach to storytelling is shaping the future of African cinema

What inspired you to move from biological sciences to filmmaking, and how has your academic background shaped your approach to storytelling?

I sincerely believed I would be a surgeon, thus pre-med and Biological Sciences. I have however always been a natural storyteller and a bit of a performer growing up. In college (university), my love for films crystallised the expression of that storytelling for me into motion picture format. I guess the simple answer is I loved films so much I decided to make them. 

I’m not sure my academic background has influenced it much. Maybe it has allowed us to take a more methodical approach to storytelling overall, but filmmaking is quite organic and instinctive. 

What drives your passion for storytelling and filmmaking, especially through your journey from independent projects to co-founding Nemsia Studios?

I remember growing up watching westerns with my dad, especially Clint Eastwood ones. That is my earliest memory of the film format, but the storytelling has always been there. I was always in theatre productions in school and debates and anything expressive. I guess that means the passion for it is innate. Today, I am passionate about discovering a visual language for Nollywood, especially with untold stories and unknown voices. That is what is exciting.

“Before 30” and “God Calling” have garnered critical acclaim. What inspired these projects, and what messages do you hope audiences take away from them? 

While it’s hard to find a link between both of these projects from two distinct genres. I think overall I am deeply fascinated by purpose and how much exogenous factors such as culture and religion affect our choices. The audience can make their own decisions about how they feel about the movies… or can they?

As Creative Director at Nemsia Studios, how do you approach messaging and communication strategy for clients, and what distinguishes your team’s approach?

At Nemsia we are storytellers at our core, and we believe everything has a story: places, people, products, everything. Our job is to find that story and re-present it to the world. 

Your film “Breath of Life” won the Best Director award at the AMVCA 2024. Can you share the creative process behind this project, and how did it feel to receive such recognition?

Most of the process is hiring and surrounding yourself with the best talents. Nollywood is still in its infancy, which means not all the skill sets have the necessary numbers of experienced personnel to choose from. People still need to be pulled into the industry across the value chain of expertise. At Nemsia we don’t only hire people who have worked on films, we look for people who are great in tangential fields to the expertise that is required. For example one of the production designers is an architect. When you have the best team, directing becomes easier, because you can achieve almost anything in your mind. Almost. 

The recognition meant a lot. Many people worked very hard for over two years and I kept joking with them, saying they would give me all the credit for their work. Yes, only my name was on the award, but a lot of people know that their contribution was immeasurable towards that achievement. That makes me happy. 

Nemsia Studios has successfully collaborated with major platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. What’s the secret behind your studio’s versatility and global appeal?

I’m not sure there is any secret source to success in any industry, certainly not in ours where a lot of success is subjective. That being said, we try to make the best films. At our very core, we trade everything (popularity, profits, etc) in for that. After that, it is mainly serendipity and opportunity. 

How do you balance artistic vision with commercial viability in your projects, and what advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers?

This is the toughest job as a filmmaker, especially in an independent film ecosystem. Typically when there are big studios, you don’t have to worry about the commercial aspect, or at least they guide that aspect so you can focus on the artistic expression that is the story. To be fair, Prime Video was quite great at giving us a lot of latitude for artistic expression and allowing us not to worry much about commercial success, but in Nollywood, you must juggle both or you won’t last long.

How do you envision your role in shaping the future of Nollywood and African storytelling on the global stage?

Other than the obvious continuing to tell good stories, I see my role or ability to add value in two ways. First knowledge sharing. We are inherently bad at this. Most Nigerians have a survivalist mentality which is anathema to sharing information. However, the industry grows significantly when we can share knowledge and improve much quicker because people don’t have to keep rediscovering. When the tide rises, so do all the boats, so we at Nemsia don’t think knowledge sharing is completely altruistic, but instead good for the industry and good for us. 

Second, keeping everyone naive. We have to believe we can motion picture stories as well as anyone else, anywhere else. The good news is Nigerians are born with outsized egos which you need, but we want to continue to encourage that.

How did your upbringing and family impact your creative journey and decision to pursue filmmaking? 

I mentioned that I remember growing up watching westerns with my dad, especially Clint Eastwood ones. That is my earliest memory of the film format, but the storytelling has always been there. I was always in theatre productions in school and debates and anything expressive. I guess that means my parents/family were quite supportive, which isn’t easy to do in our culture. 

What sparked your partnership with Derin Adeyokunnu, and how did you both come together to form Nemsia Studios?

My partner Derin Adeyokunnu – the Managing Partner of Nemsia – was the driving force here. He has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and this wasn’t his first venture, though it was mine. We were however aligned on vision, we wanted to make an impactful motion picture studio in Africa that tells great stories like Pixar or A24.  

What personal experiences or values motivate you to create content that resonates with diverse audiences and tells African stories?

I’m not sure too many of my personal experiences factor into the stories we tell at Nemsia, I’m a pretty boring guy honestly. But we do talk a lot about interesting stories we hear every day. In essence, we gist a lot and that does find its way into our stories.

How has your journey as a filmmaker and entrepreneur influenced your personal growth and worldview?

Certainly. Probably most in all the people from all walks of life that you meet and work with intimately. It forces a more rounded point of view, or at least allows you to wear different lenses as you walk through life. 

What role does family play in your life, and how do you balance personal relationships with your demanding career?

Balance. I’ve never suffered from inspiration or motivation, but my wife is instrumental in providing balance and perspective on the things that truly matter in what can be a bit of a fantasy world. 

How did moving from the US to Nigeria influence your storytelling, and what insights have you gained from working in both contexts?

Not too much because storytelling is very human regardless of where you are, and Nigerians love authentic Nigerian stories. But having more perspectives through which you see the world can only be a good thing. 

What’s next for BB Sasore and Nemsia Studios? Are there any exciting projects or initiatives on the horizon?

Many. We are fortunate to have two slates and over a dozen films to make. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that you can stay tuned. 

How do you hope to be remembered in the Nollywood and African cinema annals, and what legacy do you wish to leave?

I hope Nemsia Studios becomes a transgenerational company that tells compelling stories from Africa to the world. Hopefully, we also make a good living for many people doing so. That’s enough for me.