Michelle Bello

Michelle Aisha Bello (30 September 1982) is a British Nigerian film director and film producer. She is also CEO of a Nigerian-based entertainment and publishing company, Blu Star Entertainment Limited.

Quotes

 * It was tough especially not knowing many people in an industry that is dominated by the menfolk. I am so passionate about films that my determination helped and a lot of perseverance and learning about how things work here. How I learnt abroad and how it is done here, is very different. So you have to learn, ask questions, and work with other people to  gather experience. But when I came to my own productions, I had very high standard for myself even as a producer/ director.


 * I like to learn from each project that I do what I can do better. I’ve always pushed myself to the next level. So I naturally expect high standard from everybody; actors, crew and everyone that I work with. I am tired of people telling me this is the way it is done in Nigeria. For me, mediocre is not an excuse. I understand that there are certain limitations we have but for me, with passion, determination and with God on your side, you can achieve anything. I am a testimony to that.
 * "We need to start telling our stories differently-Michelle Bello Vanguard(19 January 2013)


 * A lot of people are getting married for the wrong reasons: money, family pressure. A lot of people are trapped in their marriages and they do all kinds of things including adultery. So Flower Girl is about a young girl Kemi, who dreams about getting married to her boyfriend because that is what a lot of the women do. They dream about the wedding and never think about the marriage itself which is a lifelong commitment.
 * "We need to start telling our stories differently-Michelle Bello Vanguard(19 January 2013)


 * I’d just want to encourage other young people who want to get into the movie industry that they should not give up hope and that they should continue to be passionate about what they want to do whether it is directing, producing or acting. They could start by reading online about their craft. Buy books and attach themselves to a producer for a while so that they can learn about the business and how things work. I’d just encourage them not to give up because I know how hard it can be because I’ve been there myself.
 * "We need to start telling our stories differently-Michelle Bello Vanguard(19 January 2013)