The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Feature

  • Animation filmmaker Ebele Okoye goes feature

    Animation filmmaker Ebele Okoye goes feature

    From The Lunatic which she made in 2008, to The Legacy of Rubies, a Germany/Nigeria/USA production produced last year, Nigerian animation filmmaker, Ebele Okoye, is moving on, satisfactorily, from short films into a feature length production.

    Okoye who first won the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) prize in 2008 for her film, The Lunatic, continued her exploit in 2015 with another AMAA prize for The Legacy of Rubies, a short which also won her the animation laurel category at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) last November.

    Asked what further plans she has for the The Legacy of Rubies, Okoye noted that although the film is still open for acquisition and distribution, her major focus is now on the feature animation film, which she wouldn’t disclose its title just yet.

    She however revealed that it is “a 60 minutes 2D animation set in a fantasy planet rich with the rare mineral ‘Atumi’, inhabited by two warring species and controlled by the mystical sacred eagle,” adding that, “… it is like Chronicles of Narnia and Pocahontas put together.”

    According to the leading African animation entrepreneur, with the emphasis on bridging the cultural gap between Africa and the rest of the world through productions, the feature which will be produced by Shrinkfish Ltd Abuja, Nigeria, will predominantly have an African team.Reacting to fact that African resources are hardly made available for animation production, Okoye hinted that she is exploring co-productions opportunities with other countries, just as she is very positive that 2016 will bring a remarkable change in the face of African animation.

    She disclosed that although she was seven years old when she knew she wanted to become an animation filmmaker, it took her about 30 years before she could realise her dream.

    Interestingly, from the moment The Legacy of Rubies’ script was finished, ARTE, the biggest cultural channel of Europe acquired the first screening rights for the film.

    The film which was part of the Focus Features Africa First Short Film Programme also boasts to be the first ever Nigerian/German Animation co-production. In a short festival run period after production, “Rubies” has also won the best Animation at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), while The Lunatic also made history in 2008 as the first ever Animation to be entered for the AMAAs.

    Okoye has been active as an independent animator since 2006, consistently pushing animation both in Europe and Africa. Within and outside of the film festival constellations, her works in Animation have also received prizes such as ”The Robert Bosch Promotional Prize for Animation” for the self led German/Bulgarian co-production “Anna Blume” which won numerous prizes including the Ritter Sport Award at the 2010 Zebra Poetry Film Festival; “The DEFA research prize for animation”, for a co-operation between Germany and Estonia; ”Recognition for outstanding media work in human rights issues” by “Redefreiheit”, an arm of Amnesty International and “Certificate of special recognition of outstanding service” by the United States Congress. This was also given twice by the California State Legislature.

    Founder and CEO of Shrinkfish Media Lab (smedLAB), an audio visual training initiative for talents from the Sub Saharan African region, Okoye also founded The Animation Club Africa, dedicated to Animation coaching and mentoring.

  • Stephanie Okereke to feature in Hollywood movie

    Stephanie Okereke to feature in Hollywood movie

    one of the exciting gists from Nollywood is the report that star actress Stephanie Okereke-Linus has been cast for a role in a Hollywood flick entitled Boonville Redemption. Fans, most of whom have been congratulating her via the various social media, described this feat as a giant stride for the actress’ career.

    Stephanie, who made history as the first Nollywood producer to screen her movie, Through the Glass, at Silverbird cinemas, shared the good news via Instagram page. “Hey fab people, yours truly will be featuring in an American western epic movie “Boonville Redemption” .I will keep you all posted,” she stated.

    Speaking to The Nation on how she got the role, the actress, who is presently in the United States, said: “My agent got me the role. He asked me if I was interested and he sent me the script. After seeing the script, I said yes, I’m game for it. What I find fascinating about the script, apart from the fact that it’s a Western Hollywood flick, is that the role is different from what I’ve done in the past.”

    The film tells the story of a 13-year-old Melinda, who is angry about the hand life has dealt her. Being born out of wedlock and scorned by many, she struggles to find out who she is in this world.

    Melinda desperately wants to know what happened to her real father. Determined to do all within her power to find her father, Melinda’s bravery compels some of the townspeople to reveal the dark secrets that they have kept to themselves for years.

    Her example gives them strength to bring the truth to light and ultimately to find forgiveness and redemption. Along with Boonville’s residents, Melinda learns that when you look for the truth, that’s where you’ll find grace.

     

  • P-Square to feature T.I in new song

    P-Square to feature T.I in new song

    It appears that what started as a rumour a few weeks back has gained credence as singing duo, P-Square, a few days ago, released behind-the-scenes photographs of the video shoot they had with one of the biggest American rapper, T.I.

    The duo of Peter and Paul Okoye (P-Square) are said to be in Atlanta shooting the video with the rapper.

    It will be recalled that P-Square featured Maybach Music’s front man, Rick Ross, in Beautiful Onyinye (remix) in 2012.

  • Youth Alive to feature in DStv/Men’s Basketball ceremonial match

    Youth Alive to feature in DStv/Men’s Basketball ceremonial match

    Selected male players in the Youth Alive Community Basketball League in Lagos will feature in the opening ceremony of the 2013/2014 DStv/ Premiere League Basketball on Feb. 28. The event will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

    Gbade Olatona, the Coordinator of the league, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that their participation was part of events scheduled for the dunking-off of the season. Olatona said that the players, now grouped in two teams, were selected from the 12 teams featuring in the league.

    “The players are a carefully selected elite U-14 male players the league can boast of. It will be an exciting development for our junior players to feature in a ceremonial match of that status. The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has done well for providing this platform.

    “The future of our senior league and the quality of players we want to develop depends on the opportunity we provided for them to believe in themselves and in the game. It’s a laudable exposure for our players and basically, the youths will feel well appreciated for the time they have dedicated to train and develop themselves in the league,’’ he said.

    He added that the ceremonial match would be followed by another match between Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan and Police Baton of Lagos.

    Olatona added: “We are delighted about this because it adds more value to our youth programmes and it gives us the acknowledgment that NBBF is solidly behind us. We have also placed an invitation to the youth’s parents to come and watch their children perform, while their fellow mates will also be encouraged.’’

    NAN reports that the junior league is organised by the Lagos State Basketball Association (LSBA) for boys and girls in the U-14 and in the U-18 category.

     

  • Cocaine pushers bag 20- year sentence

    Cocaine pushers bag 20- year sentence

    Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, on Friday sentenced two cocaine traffickers, Gabriel Obi and Godfrey Ugwu, to 20 years imprisonment each, over illicit drug deals in Lagos.

    Justice Okeke held that the prosecution had discharged its burden of proof by proving its case beyond reasonable doubt.

    “I do not believe the testimonies of the accused, when they alleged that they were business associates.

    “The accused did not lead any evidence to substantiate the claims that they were actually partners doing genuine business.

    “The accused are hereby convicted as charged.

    “On count one, the accused are sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, while on counts two they are sentenced to five years imprisonment.

    “The terms of imprisonment are to run concurrently,” Okeke ruled.

    He added that the sentence of the first convict, Obi, would start running from the date of conviction, while he ordered the sentence of Ugwu to start running from March 3, 2011 when they were first arraigned.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned the convicts, on a two-count charge of unlawful importation of 165 Kilogrammes of Cocaine from Bolivia into Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Agency arraigned the convicts on March 3, 2011, before the court.

    They were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport by the NDLEA, in January 2011, during clearance of passengers and the drugs recovered from them.

     

  • ‘Boko Haram members using fake military camouflage’

    ‘Boko Haram members using fake military camouflage’

    The Nigerian Army on Friday in Abuja decried the rate at which the Boko Haram insurgents have been using fake military camouflage to attack civilians.

    Maj.-Gen. Mobolaji Koleoso, the Chief of Civil- Military Affairs in the Nigerian Army, said this while briefing journalists on the security situation in the country.

    He said the Army had observed with dismay the illegal possession and abuse of military camouflage by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    “This trend is indeed worrisome, hence the need to enlighten the public to be cautious and report suspicious persons using illegal camouflage to relevant security agencies.

    “A recent exchange of gun fire with the insurgents in the North Eastern part of the country which resulted in a large number of causalities on their side showed that the insurgents were dressed in fake military camouflage.

    “For the unsuspecting populace, these insurgents would have been misconstrued as soldiers of the Nigerian Army,’’ he added.

    Koleoso explained that the army had been erroneously accused of heinous crimes on innocent citizens, “not knowing that the Boko Haram insurgents have been the perpetrators of this dastardly act.’’

    On the Daura attack in Katsina State, Koleoso said that the 35 Battalion of the Nigerian Army received a distress call at about 10 p.m. on Thursday and the troops moved into Daura to take charge of the situation.

    He said that in the ensuing firefight, two soldiers were killed and an officer was shot and wounded.

    According to him, two Boko Haram terrorist were killed, while three escaped with their vehicle but had an accident and died.

    “Some quantities of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered, while the two Golf cars used by the terrorists, 10 AK47 riffles and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Army chief as saying on Friday.

    Koeloso said that some of the terrorists escaped with gun shots wounds and appealed to the public to report to the nearest security agency any person with bullet wounds.