Veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani popularly known as TK has decried cutting of some of his classic films into short clips and reposted as Facebook reels without approval.

Mr Kelani raised the alarm in a post shared on his social media pages and also attached a photo of the clips.

The filmmaker said cutting films into bits for quick online views and monetary gain amounted to theft.

“This is wrong!” Mr Kelani wrote. “Cutting our films into unauthorized reels and posting them online is not promotion. It is piracy and the destruction of our cultural work.”

Among the films mentioned were “Saworoide,” “Agogo Eewo,” “Ti Oluwa Nile,” and “Tunderbolt (Magun),” productions widely regarded as classics in Nigerian cinema and celebrated for their rich cultural storytelling.

Piracy is the unauthorised copying, sharing, or use of creative works such as films, music, or books. 

In Nigeria, copyright is protected by the Copyright Act of 2004. It gives creators of original works the exclusive right to copy, distribute, perform, or adapt their works. 

Using or sharing someone else’s work without permission is considered copyright infringement or piracy and can result in fines, damages, or imprisonment.

Mr Kelani emphasised that a film is meant to be experienced as a complete body of work, not reduced to scattered snippets for engagement.

“A film is a complete story, not fragments for quick views to make quick money illegally. This is stealing openly,” he said.

The 78-year-old filmmaker further urged the public to desist from the practice, calling it “wickedness” and “criminality,” and appealed to audiences to support creators by watching and sharing films through authorised channels.

Respected for preserving and promoting Yoruba culture through cinema, Mr Kelani is a celebrated cinematographer.