Rita Dominic’s The Meeting scales N17 million marks

Who would have predicted that a movie with small publicity budget, hinged on up and coming stars, Linda Ejiofor and Femi Jacobs (both of Tinsel) and guest appearances from established acts would become a box-office hit and rub shoulders with heavyweights like Last Flight to Abuja and Phone Swap?

This is not taking anything away from The Meeting, a movie which has continued to generate interest in and out of the industry, however many things would have made The Meeting, one of the ‘wannabes’ movies at the cinema.

Firstly, the movie was scheduled to be release on October 19, 2012 a time dimmed more favourable (at the cinema) but days to the grand premiere, the computer where edited copy was filed crashed. The one used for the premiered was a hurriedly put together material.

Secondly, after expending personal money and not getting corporate sponsors, Audrey Silva, the company that produced the movie had to rely on skeletal publicity with limited funds.

So, it is a bit of a surprise that the movie jointly produced by Rita Dominic and her manager, Mildred Okwo has defied all odds and went on to become one of the few box-office success movies with over N17 million in sales where average earnings are between N4 million and N8 million.

‘We are surprised at the turnout so far. Yes, we made a very engaging movie but timing and publicity budget hampered us. The cinema audience has shown us love by continuing to go see the movie again and again and telling others about it; we didn’t even know that the movie is that good. We are humbled and grateful’ Mildred Okwo, the director of the movie said.

‘The Meeting’, which has been in cinema since November 23, 2012 is still showing in over six cinemas making it one of the longest running movies in cinema.

Rita Dominic started her career in 1998 in the movie, “A Time to Kill” after a degree from University of Port Harcourt and has starred in over 100 movies. The Meeting is her first as a producer and if box-office figure is the yardstick to judge, she has most definitely made her mark.

BY: SAMUEL OLATUNJI