The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) says it has formally requested a title modification for the film “A Very Dirty Christmas” from its producers.

Shaibu Husseini, the board’s executive director/CEO, said this in an interview with journalists on Friday in Abuja.

The title of the family drama, produced by ace Nollywood actress Ini Edo and released in cinemas on December 16, has attracted public backlash and a complaint from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

CAN, in a press statement, said the title is “offensive and a mockery” of the Christian faith, adding that it associates a sacred season with the term “dirty” and diminishes its spiritual meaning.

CAN also expressed concerns that the film title passed through the official scrutiny and approval of the NFVCB, the regulatory body of the nation’s motion picture industry, for public exhibition.

However, the NFVCB helmsman told journalists that approval of the film’s title was based on the fact that it is an act of “fictional and creative expression.”

Mr Husseini said the board actually received, approved, and classified the film in line with its extant laws and guidelines.

“So, we approved this film based on the content and the context of the production, and when we were watching the film, it had nothing to do with Christianity or whatever.

“However, in light of the concerns raised by CAN, and in the spirit of responsiveness and dialogue, NFVCB has formally engaged the producers of the film and requested a modification of the title.

“This is to avoid interpretations that may be considered offensive to Christian sensibilities and to prevent any unnecessary religious tension,” he said.

He said the decision is in line with Section 39(1), which empowers the Film Censorship Committee to order the withdrawal of a film from exhibition for further review where such action is considered necessary in the public interest.

Mr Husseini said that although there was no formal communication from CAN to NFVCB, the board was responding to issues raised in the media.

He reassured the Christian community and the general public that the NFVCB holds religious sensitivity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence as core considerations in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.

“The NFVCB remains open to continued engagement with CAN, faith-based organisations, industry stakeholders, and the general public.

“It will always take appropriate steps to ensure that films exhibited in Nigeria promote understanding, respect for religious diversity, and national unity, while also supporting responsible creativity and artistic expression,” he said.

The plot of “A Very Dirty Christmas,” directed by Akay Mason, centres on a family Christmas reunion that descends into emotional conflict as long-buried secrets and past traumas resurface.

The revelations about the couple’s dirty past turned what should have been a happy yuletide into a tense, dramatic holiday.

The ensemble cast of the film included Eucharia Anunobi, Femi Branch, IK Ogbonna, Lateef Adedimeji, Nancy Isime, Taye Arimoro, Josephina Otabor, and Wumi Toriola, among others.

(NAN)