TELEVISION/FILM EXPERIENCE

BFA had exhibited sentimental attachment to television/film media; and he found ways to go to the Community Viewing Centre in Agbarho, when the then Mid-West Television Service started operations. He was also a regular commuter from Agbarho to Warri, just to watch films in cinema houses like Delta Cinema, New Rex Cinema, Odeon Cinema, and so on. While in Lagos in the late 1970s, he was enthralled with the acting of Comish Ekiye, Melville Obriango and Solomon Ayagere, all of Ijaw background, who featured in Segun Olusola’s Village Headmaster and some other Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) drama programmes. Consequently, his desire to act was so strong that he had the vision of appearing on television one day. This vision made him to always go to NTA Channel 10, Victoria Island, Lagos, for live audience participation programmes. It was the impetus that made him opt for Theatre Arts, as a course of study, at the University of Calabar.

The first step towards the realisation of his dream to feature on television was playing the role of Orok in The Concubine, a one-off television drama, written, produced and directed by Jumoke Kalejaiye for NTA Calabar. This was taken a step further in 1982, when he went to NTA Port Harcourt to interview Abraham Aimakhu, then producer/director of a drama serial, Inside Out, as part of his final year long essay project. Coincidentally, Abraham Aimaku was recording an episode of Inside Out that day and he just gave him a role to play alongside Barbara Soky (Rosemary).

BFA’s acting career received a big boost when he played the role of Adonye in Bassey Effiong’s The Fault is not in our Stars, a television drama, produced/directed by Rowland Henshaw for NTA Channel 10, Victoria Island, Lagos. The drama episode enjoyed repeated broadcasts, due largely to the paucity of good quality programmes, which made him to be a popular face in Ajegunle, in the mid-1980s.

           It is pertinent to note that at NTA Enugu, where BFA was posted to for his NYSC primary assignment, he had worked diligently Aniteze Enebeli, who taught him the basic of analogue film editing. This appeared to have prepared him for his job as producer/director at Rivers State Television (RSTV Channel 55 UHF). He was a dependable editor, editing programmes for others, including Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Basi and Company, directed by Uriel Paul-Worika. He was also the pioneer director (and film editor) of Hour of Victory with Dr. Sam Amaga, then produced by Pastor Segun Akinola.

Regarding acting during his RSTV days, BFA played the role of Dr. Abraham in Comish Ekiye’s Rainbow, produced/directed by Abraham Aimakhu, in 1987. He also played the role of Jack in Abraham Aimakhu’s Against the Wind, where he was associate producer as well as film editor. This drama, produced and directed by Abraham Aimakhu in 1989 could have been among the first commercial video films in Nigeria if it had been packaged for home viewing.

Upon his resignation from RSTV, due to the then tense political atmosphere in the establishment, BFA was involved in several private television productions. He was the director (and film editor) of Adonye Omubo-Pepple’s Ifoko (1992), produced by Abraham Aimakhu for Hamchard Productions, Port Harcourt; and Emmanuel Odiofele’s Husbands and Wives (1997), a comedy series produced by Victor Bunting for ATMA Productions, Port Harcourt. He also played the role of Alabo Black Fubara in a Nollywood film, King Jaja of Opobo (1999), produced by Sanctus Okereke and directed by Harry Agina for Stone Cold Productions.

In his days as chief executive of Bayelsa State Council for Arts & Culture, he adapted one of his plays, Castles in the Air, for the screen, as Forty Million Naira Wahala (2003). He was also an executive producer of the film, produced by Okiemute Ezewu and directed by Chuks Oparaocha for Mutez Productions. Furthermore, he produced/directed some musical videos, including, Esuevie Eweri’s Izibeni-Gilimini (2007) and Elder Dempster Tokoni (2008), all for Fountains Productions.

BFA’s love for TV/Film is such that during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, he mobilised staff and students of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT) to produce some comic skits, which went viral on several social media platforms. For nine weeks, he kept audience at home entertained with his Lockdown Series, personally starring in most of them. Most of the comic video skits could be viewed online on the YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/uatbayelsatheatre