Nelly Wilson Misago is the brains behind Seburikoko, a local drama series. The 30-year-old holds a degree in finance but his strong passion for entertainment drove him to film production. Misago is also the managing director of Inyarwanda LTD. He had a chat with Society Magazine’s Donah Mbabazi. How did you end up in your line of work?I started out with inyarwanda.com where I worked since the days I was pursuing my finance degree at former SFB (School of Finance and Banking), now University of Rwanda’s College of Business and Economics (UR-CBE): That was in 2009. I mostly did it as a hobby and was reporting on entertainment news .After graduation, I took it on as a profession, mostly in the entertainment field, and in 2010, I became the marketing manager of Inyarwanda Ltd. In 2012, I worked as a radio presenter at City Radio, while creating a love story on inyarwanda.com. That’s how I ended up in film production.

What are some of the series you have created?In 2013 I created Ubu n’ejo which was not popular because it was a new concept. Later in 2014, I created Inshuti (Friends), an urban sitcom aired on TV10 and Seburikoko which is among the most popular TV series aired on Rwanda Television, and City Maid, an urban series aired on RTV too.

What do you think captured people’s attention with Seburikoko?The Seburikoko series has a good story and there’s also the cast. They are really good actors who feel what they act, it’s basically what has made it a hit.

Does experience count in regards to capturing a film?When I started creating those films, I didn’t have much of that. My creativity mostly came from my passion. I am a fan of films and used to like watching TV series, it became my dream to create my own story and make a film out of it.

Being a series lover inspired me to do all the research required on what I really needed, like the team, equipment and basically the budget needed for a start. Do you consider yourself a movie producer or director? And what’s the difference between the two roles?I am a producer. The difference is that a movie producer is the person who bears most of the responsibility for a film’s production. In other words, the producer has significant decision-making authority over all phases of a film’s production. But a director contributes to all creative elements relating to the making of a motion picture and participates in moulding and integrating them into one dramatic and aesthetic whole.

What does it take to create a good film?Producing a good film requires much effort, money, skills, people, equipment and a well calculated budget. And each film presents a unique set of circumstances but typically, the quality of the writing is the most consistent indicator of whether a film will succeed.

What’s that one Hollywood film or series that captured your attention and why?One tree Hill is my favourite TV series of all time because it’s a story that was based on daily life.

How do you market your films? Is there a ready market in Rwanda?As a TV content producer, the first client of my content is television stations. For now, that’s the only way I market my series. But what I can say on the local market is that it is still tight and small.

How would you rate Rwanda’s film industry?Rwanda’s film industry is still young but growing .It has many passionate and talented people ready to work and develop it, it’s only more effort that is needed to see it go to the next level.

What are some of the challenges that have held back the growth of this industry?The biggest challenge in our industry is piracy which is like a virus that is killing this market. I can also say that the lack of skills, funds, small market for our films are still a hindrance. editorial@newtimes.co.rw