The leadership of the Ibadan Film Circle has commended the Theatre and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria for the role it played in making actor and producer, Murphy Afolabi, to see reasons he should not charge money for audition.
The IFC has risen against the move by Afolabi, the way it did some four years ago when the matter first came up.
While debate raged over the matter, with Afolabi initially defending his position, the IFC had urged TAMPAN to step, in, which the latter promptly doing.
The development and pressure group thus sees this as a wise one.
In a press release signed by the IFC’s cHAIR, rope Ewenla, it also commended Afolabi for eventually responding positively to the clarion call.
below is the statement:
IBADAN FILM CIRCLE COMMENDS TAMPAN ON MURPHY AFOLABI
The body of filmmakers, scholars and enthusiasts under the umbrella of Ibadan Film Circle (IFC) wishes to publicly acknowledge the role of TAMPAN in the recent case of Mr Murphy Afolabi’s unethical practice of charging fees at the auditions for his forthcoming film, Ọmọ Ọdẹ.
We note with satisfaction the speed and professional thoroughness with which TAMPAN rose to the occasion in calling one of their members to order. We are particularly delighted that TAMPAN saw IFC’s intervention as necessary and did everything possible to verify the facts before coming to a decision. We have the TAMPAN National Executive Council led by Mr Bolaji Amusan specifically to thank for this. What TAMPAN has done is the best option we have to keep sanity, ethics and best practice standard in the industry that we all love and want to grow.
We would also like to use this opportunity to commend Mr Murphy Afolabi for the humility and maturity he displayed in resolving the matter. He went before a special TAMPAN investigative pane and, later, he duly complied with TAMPAN’s directive to issue a signed Apology Letter in which he accepted his wrongdoing with a solemn promise that this practice will not manifest from him again.
We also use this press release to challenge or wake up all other relevant art and cultural associations to borrow a leaf from TAMPAN and realise that they not only need to be vigilant and proactive in ensuring that their members maintain basic ethical standard, they must also be swift and decisive in reigning in errant members. Finally, we enjoin all notable figures in film, theatre and related media practice as well as members of the public to support a comprehensive advocacy campaign against exploitative acts in the industry which IFC will launch soon.
Signed:
Olúwáfirọ́pò Ewéńla
Chair, IFC (Ibadan Film Circle)
