NOLLYWIRE STORY
Producer Chinonso Arubayi’s Evolution from Television to Film Production
From television production and acting to her feature-film debut with 'I Am Nazzy', Chinonso Arubayi has expanded her work across different sides of Nigeria’s screen industry.
Chinonso Arubayi has built her career across acting, television and film production, gaining experience on both sides of the camera. Her transition into feature filmmaking reflects an expansion of her work in Nigeria’s screen industry, with 'I Am Nazzy' marking her feature-film production debut. Arubayi began developing her media experience at Consolidated Media Associates, the group associated with platforms including Soundcity, Trybe TV and Spice TV. During this period, she worked on television programmes such as 'On the Couch', 'Project Swan' and 'You’ve Got Issues', gaining practical exposure to content creation and television production. Her television experience provided a foundation for exploring the business of feature filmmaking. In 2018, she undertook an Executive Programme on the Business of Film for Film Producers at the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University. The programme offered further exposure to the commercial and organisational considerations involved in developing and producing films. That experience preceded 'I Am Nazzy', which opened in Nigerian cinemas on 1 April 2022. Directed by Kayode Peters and written by Pearl Agwu, the romantic comedy was produced by Arubayi and Oluchi Nkiruka Nsofor under the Film City Studios banner, with Blue Pictures Entertainment associated with its release. The film follows Nazzy, a rising music artiste whose life takes an unexpected turn when she switches places with her doppelgänger. The resulting confusion explores identity, personal wellbeing and the contrast between public image and private experience. Its comic premise also engages with questions surrounding anxiety and mental health. The production features a cast including Arubayi, Jide Kene Achufusi, Jimmy Odukoya, Denrele Edun, IK Ogbonna and Ada Jesus. Its cinema release marked a new stage in Arubayi’s career, extending her experience in television and acting into the production of a feature film for theatrical audiences. Unlike acting, which centres on interpreting a character, producing requires involvement in the wider process of bringing a project to the screen. This can include coordinating creative teams, overseeing production requirements and navigating the practical considerations involved in completing and releasing a film. Through 'I Am Nazzy', Arubayi took on responsibilities associated with this broader production process. Her screen credits also include 'It’s Complicated' (2022), 'Loving Belinda' (2023) and 'Out of Breath' (2024), alongside her television work. These projects reflect her continued involvement in Nigerian screen productions across different formats and roles. Arubayi’s career illustrates one route through the screen industry: building experience in television and acting before taking on feature-film production. Her background in media, supplemented by formal training in the business of film, provides context for her move into producing. With 'I Am Nazzy' as a significant milestone in that transition, Arubayi’s career brings together on-screen performance, television experience and work behind the scenes. Her professional trajectory highlights the different ways practitioners can build on existing experience while taking on new responsibilities within Nollywood.