The Nation Newspaper

Category: Victor Akande

  • In search of a Sankara

    AS the Nigerian political scene continues to seek the right leadership, notable Nigerian storyteller, Jude Idada, joins the conversation with the production of ‘Sankara’, his second stage play.

    The play which received overwhelming feedbacks after it was staged at the Shell Hall of Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos on Sunday April 22, 2018 shows how in a space of four years, former leader Sankara renamed his country – Burkina Faso – meaning  – The Land of Upright Men, and how singlehandedly rewrote a new anthem, and with the force of his will, vision, courage and integrity, transformed the country from a dusty Sahel wasteland of want and deprivation into a bustling self-reliant economy that was brimming with cultural, social and historical renaissance.

    “… It was like Sankara himself had risen from the grave and was right there on stage,” said Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, just as another member of the audience, Marvelous Dominion, noted: “I learnt a whole lot last night from this performance, a whole lot I can’t begin to express it all. I left that hall with food for thought. I only wish great men of this country would pick a thing or two from Thomas Sankara’s story during his reign as President of Burkina Faso.”

    The audience laughed and cried at other moments. They stayed after the show for a while, taking pictures and sharing more information about the life of Thomas Sankara.

    ‘Sankara’ – the play is a pulsing dramatic thriller about the last 100 hours in the life of a great African patriot and recreates the cumulative events that led to his assassination by his best friend and deputy, Captain Blaise Compáore, in collusion with local conspirators and foreign governments. It also espouses his vision for a new Africa and his hope that one day, Africa will rise from the ashes of its past into the magnificence of its glorious future.

    It is a story of vision, faith, patriotism, treachery, betrayal and one man’s indefatigable love for his country and continent.

    Starring Patrick Diabuah as Captain Thomas Sankara; Kelvinmary Ndukwe as Captain Blaise Compàore; Chris Iheuwa/Austine Onouha as Captain Gilbert Diendéré; Deola Gimbiya as Mariam Sankara; Charles Etubiebi/Abiodun Kazeem as Traore Alouna; and Sarah Boulos as Valerie Giroud, the play, according to its playwright/director, Jude Idada, was inspired by “the true-life events that led to the end of the life of a great revolutionary hero and an icon to the students union political movement in Nigeria.”

    The play is an adaptation of Idada’s book of the same title published by Parresia Books under their Origami Imprint and available in bookstores and online.

    According to Idada, “It was also inspired by the need to show Nigerians what true leadership really looks like because we are living in an age where the common man on the street and even the elite cannot identify what a great leader should look like, hence they end up voting in or fighting for lesser crooks to replace bigger crooks when as Sankara had shown through his exemplary life, a good leader must not be a crook in the first place.

    “In addition to that, it was inspired by the need to show a vision of a prosperous, self-reliant, proud, effective and law-abiding society which Sankara had. A vision hinged on the notion that first and foremost, Africa must be for Africans, with the belief that it was the only way towards true success, in the ilk of the Asian tigers.”

    The play has Winifred Adufe Dibie and Nnamani Tochukwu as producers; Achalugo Ezekobe as co-producer; Bayo Sodiq as production manager; Dotun Olagbadebo as stage manager; Gloria Teshi Biachi as costume designer; and Cynthia Isaiah as the make-up artiste.

    As guests at the show continued to give their positive remarks, Kinabuti says, “…this play has inspired me and given me a purpose, to be a better person…”

    Anthony Effiong says: “… Fabulous show. Was transported and inspired all at the same time.”

    According to Femi Olayiwole., “… I kept wondering if Sankara wasn’t killed, maybe Burkina Faso will be Wakanda,” just as Chikaodili Louis Okoye opined: “… Please this play must go on tour. The government should also buy copies of the play and share it to all citizens. It is so powerfully written and shares so many messages and teaches so many lessons. I can see it again and again and again.”

    For Pricilla Nwikpo: “… What a great way to end my birthday. Wow is all I can say. And the actor that played Sankara, my God! He is awesome. Yes, Sankara is truly the greatest president Africa never had.”

    Indeed, Jude Idada makes a bold statement with ‘Sankara’ stage play as Nigerians hope for the best leadership.

  • Resetting our default mawkishness over criticism

    SHE wrote me a stinker, saying it was her way of getting it off her heart. But the hatred for my gut tells it all. I could ‘hear’ it in her ‘voice’. I am more worried because she claimed to be an American. I’d thought sentiment, in its crude form, was a developing world preserve. But as a Nigeria-born that she is, I am worried still that some seasons of winter that may have led to her second citizenship could not freeze such default mawkishness in her head into reset mode.

    Her words: “God has given you such a great gift with words but you seem to use it for negativity…or for fear of sounding like you (use it for EVIL)….I didn’t know about your writing until recently then I decided to look for more just to see if you are unbiased and approach your opinions from practical and realistic angles but to my dismay, I noticed you have one tone which is to always break things down from a negative perspective.  Amidst all the great news and positivity there is always your voice of opposition, full of spite, resentment and extreme revolt. This leads me to believe that your gift with words is from a highly deviant perspective and not such a gift after all.

    Unfortunately, I am not a psychologist to diagnose you with any emotional, personality or mental disorder but I definitely feel you need to be evaluated because your perspective is definitely warped. When the world sees blue, you see red. As an American, I believe we have the right to exercise freedom of speech so you are welcome to your opinions however f…d up. As a Nigerian, it would be great if you don’t single-handedly take down the few good that comes out of the country or that is recognized, all in an effort to maintain the tarnished image the country bears in so many regards or your narcissistic case just to satisfy your mental perversion.”

    The above was at the instance of my perceived negative review of ‘Royal Hibiscus Hotel’, produced by Mo Abudu. I got to know this after researching her and finding out she was one of the promoters of Mo Abudu’s works.

    When, by accident, I found myself among the A-list guests at the premiere of Mo Abudu’s most recent film, ‘Chief Daddy’, I decided to wait to see how others will perceive the film, without necessarily influencing their thoughts.

    Now, I can confirm to myself that I am not a pervert, as described by my assailant in the above Facebook message. And if it takes the owners and promoters of ‘Chief Daddy’, mostly, to score the film high, then the many Nigerians, home and abroad and Africans in Diaspora who have criticised the film for stereotype, weak plot, overcasting and cheap comedy will need to join me in seeing a psychologist to diagnose us with any ’emotional, personality or mental disorder’ as claimed in that Facebook attack.

    We live in a sentimental society that leaves little or no room for criticism. But I dare say that if we shy away from telling ourselves the home truth, outsiders will someday say it to us in the most embarrassing manner.

    This is exactly the bashing ‘Chief Daddy’ is now receiving, after it was released on Netflix, the battalion of actors which is one of the selling points, notwithstanding.

    I have been maligned, insulted, ostracized and recently, escaped an attack for what I suspect is related to expressing my thoughts as a journalist. But it is my hope that someday, criticism will be taken, not only in good faith (usually resign to fate) but also seen as a necessary check and balance measure for business development.

    I shy away from making friends in the entertainment industry to enable me do my work without fear or favour, because I understand that treachery is dining with someone the previous night and knocking them hard in the morning.

    My claims to what a ‘good’ film is have often been punctured by the commercial success of the films under review, forgetting that there is a word called classic, and this word is in the family of standard, model and everything good and definitive.

    Those who think that Nigerians are all for cheap comedy will soon come to the realization that, fad are short-lived. And whereas a houseful of A-list stars may have done the magic before, it will not only become boredom, but dim the gleam of the stars with passing time.

    Whereas nothing is wrong with comedy, as the Nigerian audience we choose not to ‘school’ but to ‘spoon-feed’ are crazy about foreign dramas, I like to wrap this up with a quote from a friend who says: “Hollywood comedy is always about the witty lines. Nollywood comedy, we always want act funny.”

  • Cinema exhibitors parley Censors Board on standard

    ONE year after incorporation as an association, cinema owners and operators in Nigeria, otherwise called Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) have begun to represent its members on issues of common interest.

    A recent meeting of the association with the Executive Director of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Mr. Adedayo Thomas, reveals some issues of standard and restructuring they considered necessary, not just for their personal businesses, but for enhanced revenue streams to filmmakers, and to the federal government through relevant taxation.

    Led by CEAN Chairman, Mr. Patrick Lee of Ozone Cinemas Ltd, the meeting which held at the NFVCB Ikoyi office on Tuesday March 28, 2019, had other members, including Mr. Kene Okwuosa, CEO Filmhouse Cinemas; Mr. Michael Ndiomu, MD/CEO Marturion Cinemas and Chioma Eboh, Film Booking Team Lead at Genesis Cinemas, among others.

    Lee who tabled some of the concerns of CEAN seeks the association’s partnership with NFVCB and relevant agencies of government for the benefit of all.

    According to him, there was the need for an appropriate definition of cinema in the proposed amendment act, ‘so that people will not use the opportunity of not properly defining what a standard cinema should be to open exhibition centers and call them cinemas.’

    This was just as members touched on piracy, in the context of individuals who buy DVD contents on the street only to show same at their viewing centers without the consent of the film owners and assigned distributors.

    While expressing gratitude to the NFVCB boss, saying its members have not, in the last two years, had any problem with Censors Board, CEAN says it feels more comfortable with the word Classification than Censorship as the agency’s name appears to indicate.

    They also urged the Thomas to look into the issue of multiple taxations on exhibited contents. This was against the backdrop of the fact that states like Lagos and Kano maintain a Censorship Board or Film Office through which they tax cinema operators.

    There was also the issue of online piracy which according to CEAN is a revenue drain for the federal government as well. Members say they desire to work with the NFVCB and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) on the possibility of blocking some sites, notorious for enabling free movie downloads. The cited an example of how such internet restrictive measure has worked in China.

    CEAN also seeks a media information partnership with NFVCB, NCC and relevant agencies on film literacy and campaign against piracy and other vices, using the theatre screens to disseminate such information.

    It was an interactive session whereby Thomas, in his usual camaraderie disclosed some of the challenges of working in a civil service setting, but assured the visitors of his utmost cooperation, saying the Board was established to serve stakeholders and not to boss over them.

    He said the word Censorship in the Board’s name was a harmless semantic, but as a way of putting the role of the NFVCB in perspective; efforts are already ongoing to change the word to Classification in the amendment bill.

    “We’re only working to create an enabling environment for the film industry,” said Thomas who requested that the CEAN articulate its position on the variances between Standard Cinema and Exhibition Center, as well as the blockage of sites known to promote online piracy, promising to introduce same in the proposed amendment bill.

    On piracy, he disclosed that the agency is working towards introducing security seal to curb unwholesome movie contents, saying, “We also need community policing of our works for which I will rely on stakeholders for relevant information. We are presently working with all security agencies in the country to checkmate the activities of pirates through unlicensed and unclassified movies.”

    Recall that in January this year, the need by the NFVCB to sanitise the film industry of unclassified film and video works was driven through a three-day workshop of about 156 participants, including security agencies such as the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigrations Service (NIS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    Thomas, who said the issue of double taxations will be looked into, decried the incidents of proliferation of guilds and associations in the film industry, urging CEAN to remain united and ensure it resolves internal crisis that may arise, rather than having aggrieved members form parallel association.

    Incorporated by CAC on February 13, 2018, CEAN which boasts of 170 screens across the country currently, is registered with the Global Cinema Federation, and is on their advisory committee. The association is also a member of National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO).

  • WOMEN IN FILM: THOUGHTS FROM ZUFF 2018

    AS more and more women continue to make significant impact in the male-dominated motion picture industry in Nigeria, there are indications their potentials are boundless, if limitations are eschewed.

    This was the position of discussants during a ‘Women in Film’ panel, at the last ZUMA Film Festival in Abuja.

    The forum with the theme, ‘African Women Telling Their Stories: The Challenges and Prospects’ was one of the most interactive sessions at the festival, as young and older women shared experiences on how their beauty is either placed above their brains, or how they are considered too weak a sex to take the front seat.

    The session had Spanish filmmaker Carbelleira Arantxa Aguirre as Keynote Speaker, and Dcns. Grace Gekpe, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture as Special Guest of Honour, while panelists include notable broadcaster, Moji Makanjuola, filmmakers Edima Otuokon and Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, Cameroonian actress Kocabelle Mini, and actress Augusta Isaac.

    According to the Guest Speaker who represented former Vice President of Spain at the event: “Women are often seen in second positions which always puts them at a disadvantage.”

    Following the enthusiastic discussions thereafter, Aguirre asserted that the stories of gender bias are not peculiar to Africa, as women in the creative industry in Spain are faced with similar challenges.

    She urged women to ignore the limitations and focus on their goals in life, believing that consistency and ability to ignore distractions is key.

    Relating her experiences, Hajiya Fatima who said she developed interest in film right from secondary school, disclosed that, coming off her challenges, she had focused on lifting other women in the Kannywood film industry.

    She recalled that it was difficult in the past to get women to feature in her movies because actresses were either regarded as outcasts or prostitutes.

    The dream of Kocabelle of becoming an actress was achieved in Nigeria, having faced difficulties with the male folks in Cameroon. The ‘The Johnsons’ actress disclosed that she left Cameroon in 2012 where she was creative director in an advertising agency. She attempted being a writer in the Cameroon film industry, but said whenever she entered any of the offices, especially where men were the bosses, the conversations usually shifted to romance.

    She expressed regret that men she met were unable to look beyond her physical attributes as a woman, and see what could come out of her intellect.

    While in Nigeria, she decided to embrace acting, attended series of auditions and got her break in ‘Hotel Majestic’, purely on merit.

    Makanjuola also changed the narrative for herself as the only woman in the newsroom in her days as a young journalist.

    “Often times we speak to the limitations that women in film, broadcasting face. But i think we should dwell more on the strength and capabilities of women.”

    She recalled that back in the day, as the only woman in the newsroom, she used to be given women stories to write until she declined, saying she wanted to report politics, business, etc like her male counterparts.

    “As a result of this, I had been on donkeys, on my feet, in canoes to report events and places like other men. Women must find a way to showcase their capabilities. Until we start crossing the bridge for investment, we may not have women in the scheme of things. Until we begin to put out money where our mouth is, we may not move forward,” said Makanjuola who advocated for a consortium of women in the film industry to startup businesses and support other women.

    Makanjuola who partook in FESTAC 77 performances said, it is the strength, by women, to move forward that can salvage the gender imbalance. “There must be a deliberate move where people can invest voluntarily in women career interests,” she said.

    Emina spoke about the dearth of films by women at film festivals and the need to train more women creatives and invest in filmmaking.

    “Being the only woman in the room is an embarrassment in the 21st century,” she said, adding that her group is in talks with the Nigerian Film Corporation over an academy that is strictly focused on women, with a curriculum developed at the international level in areas of production, cinematography, animation etcetera.

    An actress, Augusta Isaac brought a fresh dimension to the discussion when she said some women throw themselves cheaply to the men, seeking undue favour, as most actresses now want to have it easy instead of working hard.

    Despite the criticism against men, there are indications that some male folks are working to correct the seeming imbalance.

    Reacting to the discussion, Chuks Mordi who runs a film festival abroad disclosed that 66 percent of films in his festival are by African women.

    “African renaissance is being spearheaded by women, and we must not continue to do things the same way,” he said.

  • When actors pay for movie roles….

    IT is usually the other way round but with the clamour for the glamour of the silver screens, this dynamism in business of filmmaking points to degradation in the creative sector, and as this may be peculiar to Nigeria, it is high time we cried foul before it gets endemic.

    Why? We cannot move one step forward and two steps backward and claim that our industry is growing.

    In a business that feeds the GDP of other nations, how can we evolve when a trend that erodes quality is the order of the day?

    When an employee credits the bank account of their supposed employer to get monthly pay slips that give the impression that they are employed, that’s asserting that bribery is not the same thing as corruption.

    An actor is an employee of the producer who in turn empowers the most senior employee; the film director to take the captain’s seat.

    If the saying that, he who pays the piper dictates the tune is anything to go by, then the organogram of the movie production line is disrupted.

    For example, how does a director chides an actor over their shortcomings on set? What does the contract even look like in the event that the actor is buying his space in the movie production? Tell me how such an actor won’t dictate to their supposed boss, either directly or indirectly.

    I figure that an actor who pays to get a role demands a lead role, depending on how much is in context. I figure also that an actor who chooses to buy his space is either not a professional in the business or not talented enough to get a role on merit. This is bound to tell on the outcome of the production, in a negative way too.

    I imagine that if the trend is not discouraged, and very soon too, we may begin to see productions in which the entire cast are self-employed, and invariably, co-owners of the film project. Can you imagine a battalion of charlatans interpreting roles in a movie? There is no gainsaying that not only will ethics be eroded, creative license which is already an ‘ass’, will be so glaringly insulted that play will amount to child’s play.

    I had written against communal form of filmmaking among some Yoruba filmmakers who, in this century, have chosen to carry on the model of the old theatre practice whereby actors reciprocate gestures by performing free of charge. This current trend of paying filmmakers for a role is even worse for business.

    How did we get here? There had been stories of sex for roles in Nollywood, and no doubt, some of the actresses we see today may have used such gratifications to get to limelight. Perhaps when the scene became more competitive with many willing to gratify the filmmaker in ‘kind’, cash became a more veritable offering, either in total or in addition to ‘kind’.

    Ever since cash became an option, it probably got the male wannabes thinking that this is fair ground for all.

    Notable comic actor and director, Charles Inojie, offered a perspective recently while criticising this trend. His thoughts on the issue were captured below:

    “In those days, people had more discipline in the industry. Discipline has been eroded in the movie industry. For example, in the past, when someone was called a director, it would be obvious that the person had earned the name, but these days anybody just assumes that role.

    “There are many people who do not really want a career; they just want to use Nollywood as a springboard for them to promote their other businesses. When there is no discipline and order, it trickles down the line. In those days, when an actor came on set, their first question would be: who is the director? If it was a name they couldn’t risk connecting their reputation with, they would leave the job.

    “I think people should be trained, I even hear they pay for roles these days; which should be the other way round. These things have affected the quality of movies in the industry. The solution to this problem is to strengthen the guild to function; they should be able to reprimand their members when they err. The guild should be empowered to organise training but the government also has a role to play in this,” Charles Inojie said.

    Whether we like it or not, the trend is a rot. It is not healthy for the business aspect of the show in the creative space.

    If the guilds and associations are getting livid due to internal politics, and cannot uphold ethics as they used to do, perhaps the time is now, more than ever, for the much proposed Motion Pictures Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPPICON) to step in.

  • That T.H.E.S.E may continue in Lagos…

    Why should any State in Nigeria want to beat Lagos State to tourism power? Has any in France beaten Paris to the game? Has any in Italy beaten Milan to it? Why should small fries take advantage of the advantages that Lagos has failed to harness to fake a leap to lead spots in tourism and entertainment?

    For decades, Paris, a trendy city in the heart of France has maintained its identity as the art and fashion hub of Europe and a leading tourist destinations in the world; so is Rio, the pride of Brazil which is described as the most visited city in the southern hemisphere, known for its natural settings and carnivals, while Dubai remains the business and cultural hub of the Middle East of modern appeal.

    A comedian while wooing his crowd in Calabar last December said to them: “I’m now getting popular in Lagos oo.” Such is the spirit – you are yet to start for real as an entertainer if you have not been ‘bathed in the Lagos waters’. The State remains the entertainment hub, not just for music artistes who have fought their way to stardom, coming from far away Jos, Abuja, Enugu, Bayelsa, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Uyo, Warri, Kaduna and other parts of the country, but also for the Nigerian motion picture industry called Nollywood. Therefore, if Lagos is where the success of music and film start and end, what there is left for rivals to latch upon?

    The Gambian economy is predominantly dependent on tourism. But what does the country sell other than beach resorts that thrive on serene environment, clean waters, scorching sun and security for revelers. Lagos has more, with potential even for more when you consider its entertainment centers, historical sites, cultural events, natural landscape and topography traversed by sea and lagoon waters, enormous beaches and waterfronts, sea foods and other numerous delicacies that define a true metropolitan city.

    However, the missing gap has been the inability of leaders to harness these beauties for the all-important social and economic benefits, thereby letting these unique materials to continue to beg for a messiah – now we have one.

    For the first time, a strategic programme of action was pronounced as part of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s entertainment and tourism agenda for Lagos State. It was called T.H.E.S.E, an acronym quite pungent in harnessing the creative sector’s variables that are capable of stimulating the economy through alternative IGRs, even empowering the youths and making Lagos a fun city desirable by all.

    T.H.E.S.E – a Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment/Arts Sports for Excellence project took off with a new romance being extended to players in the entertainment industry. Shortly after takeoff, the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), for example, had a different experience in Lagos, hosting filmmakers and enthusiasts from Africa and the Diaspora, who explored as many entertainment centers as possible. Also, with the support given to EbonyLife’s Fifty movie by the Lagos State Government and its Ministry of Culture and Tourism, entrepreneurs who had sought succor for their projects in States other than Lagos appear to be returning to base.

    One major event for which Ambode’s government has walked the talk was the One Lagos Fiesta, a five-day concert staged across Lagos communities annually.

    The event which used to hold solely at the Bar Beach water front, probably partly for security reasons was first test run in five communities, including Ikorodu, Epe, Agege, Badagry and Lagos Island, without a single case of violence. Interestingly, Lagos is fast restoring the confidence of revelers in line with Ambode’s campaign promises. No doubt, the level of commercial activities at the One Lagos Fiesta environs is what the traders would wish a monthly affair, even as the success story remains an attraction and sense of belonging to visitors and tourists alike.

    It is not enough that Lagos was the former capital of Nigeria. The will to keep the aquatic state at the forefront of socio-political and economic relevance in the West African sub region has been a major factor of its success, and the prerogative of visionary leaderships that have continued to play the big brother to other states of the federation and the FCT.

    Situations at last year’s edition of the annual Festival de Cannes in France lent credence to this position, with Lagos playing Nigeria at the festival. The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture had, at the festival, promoted Lagos as Nigeria’s most vibrant city and gateway to the world of cinema.

    Pavilion 210 at the Panteiro-Side of the International Village was home for Nigerian delegates, led by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Steve Ayorinde who, as a film festival veteran led the new Lagos-Cannes narrative for the second time in a row.

    Recall that like a technocrat worthy of his onions, Ayorinde took the first shot barely one year into his former appointment as Commissioner for Information and Strategy, when he led a similar delegation to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2016 where eight films representing Lagos were showcased as part of the city-to-city focus programme of the festival.

    But for a tourism and arts loving governor in Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, these brilliant propositions may not have seen the light of the day. Hence, in the absence of a Federal Government’s articulated and sustainable blue print for cultural showcase at such global platforms, it is important for filmmakers to seek ways of tapping into this big brother goodwill.

    It is in this regard that I want T.H.E.S.E thing to continue in Lagos…

     

  • MIPTV HONOURS: All hail Mo, three others

    DURING the week, notable international market for TV content development and distribution (MIPTV), France, unveiled 2019 MÉDAILLES D’HONNEUR (Honour Medals) for four personalities, considered for their unique talent, leadership acumen, positive contribution and passion for the world of television and the development of the international TV community.

    Interestingly, of the four people to receive this prestigious diadem, is Nigeria’s Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Media.

    The MIPTV Médailles d’Honneur which will hold at a cocktail and awards ceremony in Cannes, France, at the InterContinental Carlton Hotel on Monday, April 8, as part of the market holding from April 8 to April 11, 2019, will also be bestowed on Ilene Chaiken, Writer, Showrunner and Producer (USA); Stéphane Courbit, Chairman, Banijay Group (France); and Jane Millichip, Managing Director, Sky Vision (United Kingdom).

    MIPTV recalls that Mo Abudu was described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman”.

    Touted as one of the most prolific producers in Africa, Abudu, Nigerian broadcaster and producer, launched EbonyLife TV, in 2013, producing over 1,000 hours of original programming each year.

    According to MIPTV, “Abudu took the plunge into filmmaking, with the creation of EbonyLife Films. She is the Executive Producer of Fifty, the no.1 Nigerian film of 2015; The Wedding Party (2016), the most successful Nollywood film ever at the Nigerian box office; The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai (2017), the highest grossing Nollywood film of all time; and Chief Daddy (2018), the third-highest grossing Nigerian film.”

    In March 2018, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced a three project deal with EbonyLifeTV, the first of its kind between SPT and a Nigerian television company.

    Ilene Chaiken on the other hand is best known for creating the Showtime series “The L Word,”, receiving an Emmy, among many other awards, for Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”  She was the showrunner for the first four seasons of the Golden Globe-nominated Fox series “Empire,” and serves as Executive Producer of “The L Word” reboot, which was recently picked up by Showtime.

    Chaiken recently renewed her multi-year producing deal with 20th Century Fox Television, where she is actively developing several new projects for broadcast, cable and television streaming services. Prior to that, she produced the docu-dramas “The Real L Word” and “The Real L Word Mississippi” for Showtime, which won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary. She also executive-produced pilots for Jerry Bruckheimer, McG and Joel Silver, and served as showrunner of the ABC drama series “Black Box.”

    Stéphane Courbit is a French entrepreneur and Chairman of Banijay Group. He started his career as a producer for Coyote and in 1994, he formed a partnership with TV producer and host Arthur to create Case Productions, later called ASP Productions. In 1998, Endemol merged with ASP Productions to form Endemol France and Courbit was appointed CEO. In 2006, he sold his shares before leaving the group in 2007 to create LOV Group, which would concentrate investment in growing markets such as audiovisual production, luxury hotels, the Internet and energy sectors.

    In January 2008, Courbit created Banijay Group, and in 2016, he triggered the merger between Banijay Group and Zodiak Media, creating the world’s largest independent production and distribution company (one billion euro business), responsible for global hit brands including “Temptation Island,” “Survivor,” “Wife Swap” and “Versailles.”

    Jane Millichip is the Managing Director of Sky Vision. Since 2013, she has spearheaded Sky’s investment in nine UK and US production companies; and expanded the distribution business into high-end dramas and primetime factual, delivering 2000% growth, through smart development, deficit-funding and co-production.

    Previously, Jane was MD of Zodiak Rights, COO of RDF Rights, Senior Commissioning Editor at Living TV; and MD of South Pacific Pictures in New Zealand, where she was also Executive Producer for entertainment and factual.

    “It is a great honour to recognise these four exceptional industry figures, who have each, in their own way, made and continue to make major contributions to the international entertainment content sector, and whose vision and leadership set the standards in their respective fields,” said Laurine Garaude, Director, TV Division, Reed MIDEM, which organises MIPTV.

  • Creative, tourism industries’ vote of expectation

    THE Nigerian creative sector has been greatly underrated; a reality which is fast hitting stakeholders to the degree that, this election season, they have somewhat showed their disdain for handouts.

    Therefore, as some of them vote today across the country, irrespective of political party affiliations, one thing is clear – an enabling environment for creative enterprise.

    There is no gainsaying that the ‘song’ about the creative industry developing on individuals’ efforts is still rife. Thus, government needs to be awake to the plight of the stakeholders, not just for the sake of the latter, but for the common good of the Nigerian economy, if government’s agenda of economy diversification from oil is anything to go by.

    Indeed, there is the need to re-position the creative sector for auditable structure and optimal returns. A cursory look at some of the pending issues include a few bills proposed to the National Assembly. They include, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) and the Tourism Development Fund.

    Wherein the NEA is expected to stem a situation under which artistes access funds at high interest rates, MOPICON, on the other hand, is expected to provide a self-regulatory framework to guide and standardise the activities of the nation’s movie industry, while the Tourism Development Fund is to provide funds for training and project development.

    On the aspect of return on investment, piracy being the common threat is still ubiquitous. This is just as a palliative called Private Copy Levy is a form of royalty that musicians and audio-visual entrepreneurs earnestly desire.

    At a recent workshop in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Professor Olu Obafemi made reference to how much oil has hindered development of Nigeria’s creative industry.

    Obafemi, a Professor of English at the University of Ilorin who stated this during an empowerment programme for young filmmakers, noted that oil has stopped Nigeria from developing its rich creative industry, as against the much talked about economic diversification.

    “We are too dependent on oil, and this has made authorities not to give attention to the development of our cultural economy,” he said, adding that, “All over the world, culture has become a major source of revenue as nations package their cultures in films and export them.”

    On what it takes to attain alternative source of national income, he identified Nollywood as Nigeria’s key representation on the stage of global economy.

    On what an enabling environment entails, he identified piracy, insecurity and lack of adequate infrastructure as some of the banes, making it unattractive to both local and foreign investors, while urging government at all levels to show political will to develop the creative sector.

    “I believe that if the enabling environment is created and the right policies are there, the sector will strive,” he said.

    “If our roads are not usable and the environment is not secure, how do you expect filmmakers to go to shooting locations? The industry is capital intensive, and to produce very good films, you will need millions of dollars, and this is where funding becomes a major setback to the Nigerian filmmakers.”

    Stakeholders in the creative industry continue to seek a way each election year. This season is not different, as they have met with some candidates from the different political parties.

    So much has been said about how successive governments in Nigeria have used entertainers as political campaign tools to ‘win’ elections; how their best had been seen and treated synonymously to the glamour of their profession; and how, when it comes to leadership positions, they are not considered fit, because such managerial positions appear to be purely political.

    So much was said about how filmmakers, especially, cannot even be bosses of their art in the face of intellectual property thieves who, ironically, are lords in the business, smiling to the bank at the expense of rights owners.

    So much was said about enabling environment from government in forms of security at film locations; import waivers, especially for capital equipment and support for trade-related initiatives; transformative policies around access to finance and distribution.

    Personally, I do not know where they got it wrong, but these creative people are some of the most brilliant people I have known across all professions in the world. These attributes, they often exhibit before the politicians, who, obviously will agree to every demand but bow to whatever superior interests when the ‘stew’ is done.

    Today, as these stakeholders vote out of expectation, it is hoped that the potential winners will meet their expectations.

  • Shefiu Alao sings for dons

    A 2017 report put Shefiu Adekunle Alao as the seventh richest Fuji musician alive, but as I sat for about four hours under the sound of his voice this week, I saw a man whose wealth traverses monetary value.

    Alao, popularly called ‘Omo-Oko’ (Village Boy) came across as a studious, thoughtful, thought-provoking and creative engineer of lyrics which he combines fluidly with sounds that are devoid of the exuberances associated with some of today’s local music.

    Obviously, he is not the run of the mill musician; neither is he a new kid on the block. Schooling in Abeokuta, Ogun State back in the day, where I used to listen to some of his earlier songs, the pristine mien is still fresh in my mind. And, considering what usually happen to ambitious people with the passing of time, my recent live performance encounter with the musician was a testimony of a man with consistent musical ideology.

    The Shefiu Alao whose performance I witnessed Wednesday night in Ijebu-Ode combines the attributes of a cultural promoter, social educator, thought-provoker and modest entertainer, and this is the reason four university dons – Professor Olu Obafemi of the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, University of Ilorin; Professor Shola Fosudo of the Department of Theatre and Music, Lagos State University; Professor Rasaki Ojo-Bakare of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; and Professor Tunji Azeez of the Department of Theatre and Music, Lagos State University – were motivated, not only to stay awake listening to his song, not only to be moved to dance to it, but also doling out cash to appreciate good music. Even Professor Ayo Akinwale of the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, University of Ilorin, who did not move to the stage was doing it seated. And as he sang their praise, Alao wondered too that professors could dance and ‘spray’ a musician. “I have never seen a professor dance like this… I have never seen a professor dance this well…” he sang and sang and sang into the night.

    But these men are not just professors; they are teachers of the art, culture promoters and men with a great sense of art appreciation. And how best could they live this appreciation than to dance and ‘spray’, or as the case was, ‘stick’ their donations on the singer.

    Thus, irrespective of the questionable image some Fuji musicians may have given the genre, here was an image maker who makes you see that a good music and good musician is not defined by genre.

    The uniqueness of Alao’s music is such that he picks the flow like one doing foundation for a building, lays the blocks, inserts rods where necessary, casts the concrete mix where applicable, and takes it to the roof in a befitting climax.

    When he mounted the stage, it was to pay homage to legends of music from the pre-Fuji era, calling such names as Ayinla Omowura, Dauda Epo-Akara, Kayode Fashola, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, etcetera. Next, it was some thought-provoking tales about life garnished in idioms and proverbs. He then dwelled on the power of music and films, singing around the subject of an earlier empowerment workshop facilitated by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), the after-party for which he was invited to perform.

    Alao did not leave the youth empowerment talks to the dons alone, as he too had something to add, thereby taking the seminar further, albeit through entertainment. He had a word for parents on the importance of education. No doubt, his words sank in the people’s minds as it did mine.

    It was at this point that he moved to eulogizing the professors, not just for their feat in the academia, but also for the knowledge they impacted on the youths in Ijebu-Ode Central Federal Constituency, who were part of the empowerment workshop.

    Alao, who was not physically present at the seminar, had facilitated a video recording which he played back ahead of his performance. And with a musical rapporteur he rendered off the seminar, his show was mind blowing.

    Professor Obafemi who spoke on ‘Why Film is Key Aspect of Development’ advocated infrastructural and resource development of the industry, urging government to take seriously, its economic diversification agenda by enabling the creative industry to the degree of providing 30 percent of the country’s workforce.

    This was just as Professor Ojo-Bakare while speaking on ‘Exploring Dance and Music for a More Effective Film Industry in Nigeria,’ spoke on the need to use more kinetic energy to generate interest of film lovers, averring that verbal narratives, being a cultural attitude, is the problem of most Nigerian films. He decried situations whereby dialogues override actions, just as soundtracks also break suspense, adding that dance and music, could be injected to break unnecessary dialogues in our movies, using the Bollywood example.

    Professor Ayo Akinwale whose talk at the event was more of motivation spoke on: ‘Film and My Life.’ The veteran artiste who disclosed that his children and cousins are also doing well in the film industry, noted that he had maintained passion and self-discipline on the job. He urged beneficiaries of the NFVCB grant to utilize the fund judiciously.

    The seminar which had Professor Tunji Azeez as Master of Ceremonies was also attended by Mr. Adewale Elesho and president of Theatre Art and Movie Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Mr. Bolaji Amusan, aka Mr. Latin as rapporteur.

    Mr. Latin, who was full of praise for the Executive Director of NFVCB, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, wanted the seminar extended to film associations, confessing that he learnt new things from the session, and that he was not ashamed to admit this despite his years of experience in the film industry.

    The summary of this session was what Shefiu Alao made the subject of his musical entertainment that night without losing the serious substance of the event.

    Lest I forget, Alao goes by another moniker: ‘Agbara Orin’ (Power of music)… I could not agree less.

  • Stephanie Linus gets new recognition for DRY

    Nollywood producer and directed Stephanie Linus has bagged a new recognition for her film, Dry, having been selected to screen for the second time at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles, USA this February.

    As a prelude to the festival, the notable female director was recognized at the first ever Blacks In Cinema presentation at the Los Angeles City Council Chambers.

    Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson kicked off the Black History Month by honoring the actors and filmmakers who paved the way for people all walks of life to be represented in film. With the help of some legendary African-American actors and filmmakers, the day was officially proclaimed #BlacksInCinema in Los Angeles.

    Recall that Dry won Best Narrative Feature at the PAFF in 2016. It screens again on February 9th, 13th, and 18th with an interactive session after the opening night. The movie has made immense positive impact across the world in changing the narrative concerning child marriage and other forms of social injustice. It was recalled to the festival this year due to its world-class production quality and continuous importance in global human rights advocacy.