Nigerian author and filmmaker Arese Ugwu has opened up about a devastating setback she experienced in her filmmaking journey when streaming giant Netflix rejected her proposal for a larger-scale partnership.
Ugwu, known for her groundbreaking series “The Smart Money Woman,” revealed that despite the success of the show’s first season on Netflix and Africa Magic, her hopes of expanding the project were met with a crushing refusal.
“We were able to produce Season 1 of The Smart Money Woman and got a fantastic reception on Africa Magic and Netflix,” Ugwu recalled.
“We were in the top 10 for 13 weeks on Netflix. I then approached Netflix for sponsorship to make the project bigger and better, and shockingly, they turned me down. That rejection almost broke me.”
For Ugwu, the rejection was not just a missed opportunity but a profound emotional blow. Having poured her heart and vision into the series, she had believed that the show’s success on Netflix would naturally pave the way for greater support.
But instead of encouragement, she was met with a door slammed shut. “It felt like a punch in the gut,” she admitted. “Here I was, thinking I had proven myself, that I had shown what African women can do on a global platform. But I was wrong.”
Despite the setback, Ugwu refused to let the rejection define her. Instead, it became a turning point, a moment that fueled her determination to establish herself as a filmmaker beyond her identity as an author.
“I want to establish myself as a filmmaker,” she declared firmly. “I feel like some people still see me as the girl who wrote a book and the book was turned into a TV series. But I am so much more than that.”
Ugwu’s journey from author to filmmaker has been one of resilience and reinvention. Her initial success with “The Smart Money Woman”—a book that was not only a bestseller but also adapted into a successful TV series—should have been a springboard for more significant opportunities.
Yet, the Netflix rejection served as a harsh reminder of the challenges African creators often face in the global entertainment industry.
Rather than being discouraged, Ugwu turned the painful experience into a lesson. “Rejection is a part of the journey,” she reflected.
“But I have learned that when one door closes, you don’t just stand there crying—you build your own door. And that’s what I’m doing. I am committed to creating more stories, to proving that African women can be storytellers, producers, and filmmakers on a world stage.”
Looking ahead, Ugwu is determined to keep pushing boundaries and telling African stories that resonate both locally and globally.
“This is just the beginning,” she declared with a newfound sense of purpose. “I won’t let one rejection stop me. I’m here to build a legacy, to inspire other African women to dream bigger, and to show the world what we can do.”
