Allison Precious Emmanuel has always wanted to make films. So when his online videos began gaining traction, he made the unusual decision to step away from it all and dedicate himself to filmmaking instead. Today, the 24-year-old self-taught filmmaker from Bonny Island, Rivers State, has become the youngest filmmaker and producer to premiere a film in Nigerian cinemas. Piggyvest spoke to Allison about bringing his first feature film to life, navigating the realities of Nollywood, and how he’s building generational wealth.
What first drew you to acting?
I was inspired by watching Mercy Johnson. She was my favourite actress growing up. I liked how she was able to evoke emotion in me through both her comedic and tragic roles, and I wanted to evoke similar emotions in others.
I’ve been making content since I was 16, before I even knew what the word ‘content creator’ meant. But when my videos started gaining traction, I had to choose between being known as a content creator or as an actor. I’m really good at content creation, but that’s not what I wanted for myself despite all the benefits that came with it.
How did you go from content creation to becoming a professional actor?
I channelled that energy and passion for connecting with audiences into learning the basics of filmmaking, including writing, acting, directing, editing, costuming, sound and set design. When I returned to posting online, I transitioned from making topical content to making short films.
It is practically unheard of in Nollywood for a 23-year-old filmmaker to attempt a feature-length film. What made you so confident you could do it?
First of all, God, and calling. From the very first day I picked up my phone to make a short film, I knew I could make a feature film. I just didn’t have the resources to pursue that dream at the time. I am self-taught, and a lot of what I have learnt is because I am aligned with my calling and have the help of the Holy Spirit.
I also think the years I spent making short films, where I had to work on every part of the film, including writing, directing, editing, sound design, colour grading, post-production, and even costuming, prepared me for the challenge of making a feature. All of my short films, minus one, have won awards in the festivals I have submitted them to. All those individual moments built my confidence in my capacity as a filmmaker.
How long did it take to make this film?
Altogether, it took about a year.
I wrote The Boy Who Gave over the span of seven months. It is the longest I have ever written anything, but it took that long because I was unemployed and using that free time to work on it in bits. A scene here, a page there.
Shooting took 20 days, and post-production took 4 months, only because I wanted to be involved in every part of the post-production process. I live far from the studio, and I went to the studio every day to oversee every aspect of the final cut. You don’t write a film for seven months without knowing how you want each scene to look, sound, and feel.
Financing an independent film as a 24-year-old rising actor is incredibly difficult. How did you manage it?
I didn’t even know how I was going to shoot the script once I was done writing, but fortunately for me, partners came on to the project and backed it with funding.
Producing a film requires you to wear many hats. How did you juggle the administrative work of producing with the creative work of acting and directing on the same project?
I hate producing honestly. But I know that if I want to take over the African film and television industry, I have to learn to become an excellent producer. Producing my own projects was a way to gain that valuable knowledge, even though it is really stressful.
To ease my stress, I brought a line producer and a production manager on board to assist me and handle the logistics of principal photography, so I could focus on being creative. But I handled pre-production and post-production.
How much did you spend making the film?
I can’t give exact figures, but we didn’t spend more than ₦50 million shooting The Boy Who Gave.
Independent films often struggle with budget constraints. How did you keep the cost of the film under control?
A lot of that was possible because I wrote, produced, directed, handled production design for the film, and I played the lead character.
These were all aspects of the film that I could save costs on. I also had collaborators I had built a relationship with from working on my short films, who gave me discounts and alternative agreements to make this film.
What was the most expensive part of making your film?
Sourcing equipment was the most expensive part of making my film. We had a collaboration with a production company to get discounts, but even with that, it was still the most expensive line item during production.
What was the most rewarding part of making ‘The Boy Who Gave’ for you?
I’ve liked my performances in other productions, but until now, I haven’t starred in any film as good as The Boy Who Gave. I am more about quality than quantity as an actor, and I want to star in projects that transcend me. I think I gave a performance that will keep me and the film in conversation for a long time. And I believe if I don’t star in any project for the next ten years, I’ll be good.
Your film explores the complexities of black tax. Why did you want to tell this story?
It was an important story to tell, and I had the first experience to tell it properly. I had friends who never got the opportunity to go to university because they had younger siblings to take care of. Even my father is the first son of his family, and I saw how much responsibility he had to deal with. I wanted to show people that these sacrifices are not always appreciated.
It was also the story I could tell with the budget I had. When I was writing The Boy Who Gave, I was writing other screenplays. When the time came to make my first project, one of my considerations was choosing a screenplay that could work with the amount of money we had at the time. It was also easier than the other screenplays I have written, screenplays that are so honest they could possibly get me cancelled.
What part of black tax do you feel is most misunderstood?
In African homes, sacrifices like that are expected to be 100% selfless, but I feel like we should give without losing ourselves in the process.
With a cinema run, the focus of a film shifts from creativity and ideas to numbers. How did you prepare yourself for that scrutiny?
From the very first day we decided to take The Boy Who Gave to the cinemas, I had zero expectations. I decided in my heart that whether the film makes ₦1 million or not, I have won. I am a very secure person, so I don’t really try to control the outcomes of situations, as long as I have done my best. The only time I might have doubts is if I didn’t do something that was within my power to get the best results.
I believe I did everything possible to make the best film I was capable of at the time, and I am very proud of the work that we made. I am a creative, so I really don’t put too much weight on the opinions of others. People who have walked this path I am walking now know how difficult it is to make a film.
That my film is in cinemas is a win for me.
Most people assume people in the front-facing part of the film industry are ‘rich’, but you’ve been very transparent about the true cost of being in this industry. How do you navigate perception vs reality, especially when it comes to finances?
We shot this project in Bonny Island, where I grew up, and the crew got to visit the community. They were really surprised that I had grown up in a place with so much lack, yet I was so ‘polished’. I am very proud of my history and how much I have achieved to get here. I really don’t know how to be anything other than who I am.
I live in my truth, and this extends to my finances. I have been invited to the AMVCAs three times, but I have turned them down until this year because, despite its importance, industry events with all their glamour and opportunities for networking are expenses that I can’t really justify. I prioritise and put my finances towards the things that matter to me, and fame is not one of those things.
Did coming to Lagos and becoming part of an industry that is wildly different with precise expectations on how people look, dress and behave, especially among your peers, give you some sort of culture shock?
Not really. I lived in Bonny Island, but I was an avid consumer of Nollywood and TV, so I knew there were people in different circumstances with far better lives than mine. No matter how wealthy I become, there will always be someone wealthier. So I have defined what I want, and I use that to guide how I live my life.
I want to be a creative with substantial work that outlives me, and if that comes with fame, great! But I’m fine with not having that. I’m always trying to improve my financial life for myself and my family.
I moved to Lagos in 2024, and I was jobless for most of that year. I cried every day, but no one knew. It was just me and my God. I had the opportunity to do certain things for money, but there is no amount of money that can equate the value I have and the potential ahead of me. Everything works for my good because that period of unemployment gave me time to write my film and have this milestone of being the youngest filmmaker to have a film in Nigerian cinemas.
As an actor, you don’t have a regular salary. How do you make your money last between gigs?
I know how to stay hungry in the service of my goals. Here’s an example: when I got admission to university, it was for a course I didn’t want, so I decided to delay for a year. There was a resource centre in Bonny with a lot of artistic programmes, and I spent a lot of time there. My mother tried to discourage me from going there, but I didn’t listen, even if it meant I didn’t get dinner when I got home. It taught me a tolerance of hunger.
Thankfully, I am now in a place where I can monetise all the skills I learnt from pursuing my dreams: I supervise people’s projects, I act, I direct for others, and I take on other jobs in the film industry.
How do you manage the money you earn? Are you a saver or an investor?
I prioritise important expenses like rent. When I get a paycheck, I set aside rent first and give it to my mother for safekeeping. She is my bank, and whatever money I give her doesn’t come out unless it is for the thing I budgeted it for. Then I handle all my essentials like groceries and set aside petty change for emergencies before saving the rest.
I try not to go to places or do things I haven’t budgeted for. No impromptu events unless the person inviting me is paying and handling all the associated costs. I’m very strict about my budget.
You’ve mentioned your mom is your ‘bank’ and your model for financial discipline. Can you tell us how she has helped shape your relationship with money?
My dad would always say my mom doesn’t know how to enjoy life because she is always saving. That habit saved me so many times, even through university. Because of her obsession with saving, she always had money, even though she wasn’t working. She is always encouraging me to save, and I try, even though money is never enough in Lagos.
Now that you are in this new space as a filmmaker. How are you thinking about planning and financing your future projects?
For The Boy Who Gave, I didn’t really explore collaborations with institutions or sponsorships from brands. I just made do with the funding I had from private investors. But going forward, I am looking forward to working with more brands whose priorities align with the projects I am working on. Product placements, brand sponsorships, I’m open to it all.
With private investors come expectations. Private investors want to make a profit alongside funding a good project. How have you managed their expectations along this journey?
I try to be transparent and not exaggerate possible results just because I want investment. Brands and private investors expect very different outcomes, and I have to manage those expectations differently. Private investors want profit, brands want visibility and share of the market.
I respond by being transparent, building trust with them by showing my previous work, and making modest projections about what is possible. If they are convinced, we proceed. If they aren’t, no hard feelings.
Are there any financial mistakes you have made over the course of your career that you’d like to share?
Not having a promotional or marketing budget for our cinema run. I don’t think I will do that again for future projects.
Are there any financial decisions you have made over the course of your career that you are very proud of?
I am really proud that we didn’t exceed our budget for the film, especially because a few days before the shoot, I realised the money we had wouldn’t cover our initial plan to shoot for 30 days. We had to cut our shoot days down to 20 and cram more scenes into them.
As a director, I wanted more days to have time to reshoot scenes as needed and get them perfect, but as a producer, I knew doing that would force us to find extra funding at the last minute without the necessary negotiating leverage. I’m glad I made the decision, and I’m glad with the film I have.
What financial tips would you like to share with young filmmakers who want to strike out on their own and start independent film projects?
The things in your budget that you can’t quite afford may not always require upfront payment. For people who bring substantial value to the project, consider alternative arrangements, such as profit-sharing agreements. I did that with The Boy Who Gave and got great results. Because everyone had a stake in the film’s success, they were much more invested in the project and its promotion.
Now back to you. You have referenced generational wealth as one of your goals as a filmmaker. How are you thinking of generational wealth as someone in your 20s, and what are you putting in place to ensure your 60s and thereafter are soft?
First of all, everyone will be fine; let me take care of myself first. But seriously, I am building an entertainment empire one step at a time. I also hope to venture into skincare and own a skincare manufacturing company. I am looking to monetise a lot of my skills and gifts.
You’ve hit a lot of your core milestones in your career, such as acting, editing, directing, producing and partnering with a cinema distributor well before 25. What are your big goals for the future?
I want to be able to announce a project, and the world stops. I want to be able to put out a poster without a trailer, and the world stops. I want to have the trust of the globe, that the name Allison Precious Emmanuel is synonymous with excellence, and my name alone is enough to sell out tickets.
I want that kind of reputation.
