By Adeniyi Adewoyin,The Nation
Copyright thenationonlineng
Filmmaker Stellamaris Duru has expressed gratitude after clinching two awards at the recently held Nigerian Electronic Media Content Exhibition and Awards, where she was recognised as Best Actor (Female) and Best Producer in the Broad Category TV/Web Drama Series for her debut production, We Happy People.
Reacting to the honour, Duru said she was overwhelmed by the recognition. “Ecstatic, elated, emotional, overwhelmed, surprised, or should I say shocked? I am speechless, but in all, I am super, super grateful to God for this privilege and recognition. I am grateful to my family for their support, prayers and encouragement, particularly my hubby. I am grateful to have a godly mentor and industry mentors who are there to guide and offer advice. Honestly, I lack words. It’s my first production and it got recognition as the best producer for a TV drama series… oh my God.”
She also extended appreciation to her cast and crew. “The cast and crew of We Happy People put in sweat and blood. I am grateful for them, especially my director, line producer and production manager… those guys had my back.”
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On being nominated alongside senior colleagues in the industry, Duru maintained that the recognition was humbling. “First, I would like to say to my senior colleagues, thank you, thank you all so very much. This award is for you for setting the pace for us and leading the pathway for us to follow. I am humbled and grateful. One lesson for me is to stay humble.”
Looking ahead, the actress-producer revealed that she is already working on fresh projects. “The reward for work is more work. This award will be a constant reminder that we have more work to do. We just launched StellamarisDuruTV on YouTube — a home of authentic Nollywood premium movies and series. Kindly subscribe and support me to watch our series. More productions are in the book. There is no stopping now. It’s back-to-back premium, relatable, educating, and entertaining content,” she said.
She also used the opportunity to acknowledge veterans who featured in her award-winning project, including Jide Kosoko, Chinyere Wilfred and Eric Obinna, alongside younger acts such as Hydra Aneme, Tracy Dera, Otimiyin Luke Thorpe, Favour Nchezor, Zikky Aloy, and Silvia Ebere.
According to her, Chuchin Ultimate Productions Ltd, her production company, remains open to collaborations. “As the name implies, Chuchin Ultimate Productions is a production company, so we are open to producing movies and series for TV stations, media houses, private owners, and the government. We are open for business,” she added.
