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Lights, Camera, Action! Kemi Lala Akindoju shines on Accelerate TV’s ‘The Cover’
Actor, Producer and Casting Director, Kemi Lala Akindoju, who was also the project manager for The Accelerate Filmmaker Project, is on the cover of the newest issue of Accelerate TV’s magazine The Cover.
In the interview following the cover feature, she speaks on her journey, how she has managed to stay relevant and her greatest achievement of 2017.
Read excerpts below:
On how her work as a filmmaker affects her style: Fashion and film are very related because in filmmaking, you’re telling stories and in these stories, the characters have a sense of fashion. When you see a character on your screen, you already have a sense of who they are. Fashion helps the story, fashion pushes the character forward, and fashion even situates the plot many times. So fashion and filmmaking go hand in hand.
On her last-minute fashion solution: My last-minute fashion solution would be a jumpsuit. Dress it up, dress it down, jumpsuits.
On how she has remained relevant in an ever-changing industry: Staying relevant in an ever-changing industry is part of the job; doing something every day. For me, it’s the reason why I work in different capacities in the industry because sometimes our work is seasonal.
So sometimes you can go three months and not actually perform (act) in front of a camera or be on stage. What happens in those three months? What do you do to stay relevant; to stay in the press; for people to keep seeing you? For me, I work as a producer, I work as a casting director. These things also help me just keep working in the industry and it helps me grow as well.
On her greatest achievement in 2017: I think there are two in particular. First of all, I co-produced a short film called “Still Water Runs Deep,” with two other people Abbesi Akhamie and Melissa Adeyemo. We haven’t even met and we made this film and we got into the official selection at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The other thing that I would call an achievement for me this year would be the “Accelerate Filmmaker Project”. It’s been a long time coming, from conversations with the accelerate team and AFRIFF and now, just seeing it happen. For me, I find that I’m very drawn to helping other people achieve their dreams because I know that I got where I am by people helping me, people being there for me. But, I find that some people may not have that drive. So I am very passionate about teaching. I am also very passionate about letting people know how I did it and maybe they can learn one or two things. I think that’s how I find myself in the Accelerate Filmmaker Project.
Credit:
Photography: Kelvin Oladiran
Creative Directing and Styling: Tokyo James
Assistant: Eromosele Patrick Eidusi
Outfit: Tokyo James SS 18 for Tecno Mobile
