The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Femi Odugbemi

  • Odugbemi launches Blackbox

    Odugbemi launches Blackbox

    By Aisha Busari

    Renowned filmmaker and media executive Femi Odugbemi has launched BLACKBox, a pioneering content design, production consultancy, and film/TV training hub located in the heart of Lekki, Lagos.

    BLACKBox is envisioned as a dynamic space for nurturing talent, shaping narratives, and supporting creators across the spectrum of storytelling, spanning television, film, documentary, and branded content. With state-of-the-art facilities and a flexible design, the hub can host up to 50 participants for hands-on workshops, with group breakout areas, meeting rooms, and roundtable discussion spaces to foster creativity and collaboration.

    “BLACKBox is more than just a space,” says Odugbemi. “It’s an ecosystem for shaping compelling African stories with global impact. Our goal is to support creators not just in storytelling craft, but also in the development, structure, and delivery of content that is authentic, innovative, and commercially viable.”

    Read Also: Nigeria, Israel discuss security, counter-terrorism other bilateral issues

    As part of its core offerings, BLACKBox will provide project development consultancy for both emerging and established creators, supporting the journey from concept to screen. The hub will host a series of training intensives, masterclasses, and mentorship programs designed to build capacity in key areas such as script development, production design, directing, and audience engagement.

    In addition, Zuri24 Media, the acclaimed production company behind celebrated television series such as Battleground, Brethren, Covenant, and the award-winning feature films Gidi Blues and The Man Died—will now operate out of the BLACKBox facility. This strategic co-location provides a real-time environment for learning, collaboration, and hands-on industry experience.

    By combining consultancy, content development, and continuous professional training under one roof, BLACKBox is set to become a vital engine in Nigeria’s creative economy, offering a unique blend of artistic mentorship and strategic support.

  • Husseini, Odugbemi, others grace Creative Minds Forum

    Husseini, Odugbemi, others grace Creative Minds Forum

    Filmmaker Femi Odugbemi and NFVCB ED, Dr Shaibu Husseini were some of the dfignitaries that graced the 6th edition of the Nollywood Creative Minds Forum (NCMF) seminar and film screening with the theme; In Pursuit of Better.

    The event, which took place at Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos, also had top players in Nollywood which include Bukky Thomas, Victor Okhai, Carol King, Kingsley Omo-Efe, Joy Akinyeme, Perekeme Odon,  John Jang, Kalu Ikwagwu, Kalu Ikeagwu, Chidi Nwokeabia, Keppy Ekpeyong, Kelechi Decca, Fidelis Duker, Jude Chukwuka among others.

    President of NCMF, Ijeoma Richards welcomed the attendees of the event as she gave her opening remarks.

    In her words, “In our quest for professionalism in the industry, we looked around and discovered that we can do better. And so we set forth and here we are still waxing stronger and better. We are thoroughbred professionals.”

    Read Also: Ice Prince shares harrowing experience in Ikoyi prison

    In his keynote address, Dr. Husseini congratulated the leadership of the forum and urged them to continue to facilitate discussions on industry trends, challenges and opportunities, with a focus on shaping the future of Nollywood.

    He said: “But as we strive for excellence, we must focus on developing a better filmmaking tradition that prioritizes: Quality storytelling, professionalism, innovation and collaboration.

    “Our stories should be authentic, engaging, and reflective of our diverse experiences. We must adhere to industry standards, best practices, and ethical guidelines.We should embrace new technologies, techniques, and ideas to stay ahead of the curve.We must foster a spirit of cooperation, mutual respect, and knowledge-sharing. To achieve this vision, the NFVCB is committed to providing support and resources to filmmakers.”

    Some practitioners received merit awards in recognition of their excellent service and commitment to the creative industry among whom were: Tolulope Odebunmi, Vivian Nicholas, Stella- Maris Nnaji, Chima Nwosu, Lillian Chilli-Kolawole, Ojo Eniola, Kayode Freeman, Emeka Okoye, Chioma Nwosu, Florence Sunday Out, Richard Amaechi, Angekina Ikpe , Juliet Obi-Afemi, Irene Omodara Akinsola, Mastella Mangana. Ijeoma Richards also received a surprise award.

  • ZUMA ’18: Filmmaker Femi Odugbemi bags Lifetime Achievement Award

    The theme, Archiving for Creativity, resonated in all aspects of the just concluded Zuma Film Festival in Abuja, as organisers, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) etched the names of some film industry veterans, including Femi Odugbemi, in its Movie Rock of Fame Award.

    The award ceremony, which held at the International Conference Center, Abuja, was the highpoint of the week-long festival.

    According to the Managing Director of NFC who doubled as chairman of the Zuma Film Festival Planning Committee, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe,  the Lifetime Achievement award was “to recognize and reward excellence and immeasurable contributions towards the growth of the Film industry.”

    Other Rock of Fame honourees include the late first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa; TV veteran actor Chief Chika Okpala; former Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation Professor Hyginius Ekwuazi; Mallam Ali Nuhu and Mallam Yakub Ibn Mohammed.

    For Odugbemi, who, in June was announced a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (organisers of the annual OSCAR awards) in the United States, to being appointed MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Director for West Africa, and now the Movie Rock of Fame Award, 2018 has been a good year so far.

    Between 2002 and 2006, Odugbemi was President of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) where he championed professional training and workshops for the then nascent Nollywood industry. He also led the organisation of the Lagos Forum on Cinema and Video which focused on the business of content marketing and film distribution.

    Odugbemi’s career in the film industry boasts of many milestones. He was the pioneer and three-time Head Judge of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). He has also served as a Head of Jury of the Uganda Film Festival in Kampala for three consecutive years. He is a Co-founder and Executive Director of the popular iREP International Documentary Film Festival which has gathered filmmakers from across the globe to Lagos for the last eight years.

    iREP has provided training and workshop opportunities free of charge to many emerging filmmakers especially those focused on the less glamorous documentary film genre.

    Odugbemi, through iREP, has convened academics, intellectuals, historians and filmmakers under one umbrella to integrate their artistic vision, with thematic explorations of archiving, post-colonial narratives, cultural renaissance, impact of new media and technology on storytelling and many other salient inter-disciplinary approaches to film engagement. Odugbemi himself established his pedigree as a documentarist of international repute with documentary titles like the AMAA-Best Documentary film ‘Bariga Boy’ and many others.

    The general focus of his documentary work has been to preserve our culture as well as use film as an advocacy tool to bring to fore burning issues in the society, as a way of keeping the leaders in check. One of his most celebrated recent documentaries is the award-winning ‘Makoko’ a story on poor primary school education in Makoko, a slum nestled in the Yaba area of Lagos. Makoko brought to light the impoverished state of the community which attracted well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the residents.

    Perhaps where Odugbemi really displayed his ingenuity has been in the television space where he was a founding producer of one of the longest running TV series in Africa, Tinsel. His current production ‘Battleground’ is one of the most watched TV series on Africa Magic channel, attracting millions of viewers to its compelling narrative of love, betrayal and revenge.

  • IMC practitioners urged to adopt local narratives for brand building

    Practitioners and critical stakeholders in the Nigerian marketing industry have been advised on the need to weave local stories into marketing campaigns for lasting effect on the consumers

    Delivering the keynote speech on the Power of Storytelling at the 2018 edition of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) annual awards for Marketing Excellence, renown filmmaker Femi Odugbemi said the act of marketing and storytelling are interwoven as both are working together to tell a captivating story. “A brand must not just tell story, it must speak to things that matter to us, promote education, human growth and development,” Odugbemi noted.

    Winning brands glowed in the euphoria of the night as the 8th edition of the annual awards held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, producing winners across categories and brands. The Ultimate winner, Molfix was followed by Indomie and Power Oil as the first and second runners-up respectively.

    Molfix also carted home three others awards which included winnings in the Experiential category, Digital/Social Media Marketing and in Corporate Social Responsibility category. Hypo bleach won the Innovation category of the award, while TomTom won the Digital/Social Media Marketing category. Other winners at the awards include Power Oil (Corporate Social Responsibility category); Airtel (Campaign of the year); Malta Guinness (Consumer Promotion); and Milo as the winner in the New Brand/Brand Revitalisation category.

    Similarly, Nigerian Breweries’ Heineken won as second runner-up in the digital/social media marketing while Goldberg became second in the Experiential category and “33” Export came third in consumer promo category.

    Earlier in her welcome address, the president of ADVAN, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, said she was happy to see the vision which was birthed 25 years ago wax stronger.

    She added that the awards for marketing excellence which the association has successfully run for eight editions are designed to reward exemplary marketing initiatives and encourage best practices in the industry.

    “Setting of standards and benchmarking exemplary marketing is the principal motive behind the establishment of this award. It is an opportunity for brands to shine and show their marketing successes,” she said.

  • The MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy

    The MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy (MTFA) is a year-long continent-wide, fully funded experiential and training programme designed to upgrade the skills of young Africans in film and television production to ignite the continent’s creative industries and put them on the global stage.

    The MTFA was conceived to address the skill gap of Africans in movie and television production by providing education that will result in the production of highly competent graduates, who are employable and entrepreneurial.

    The Initiative will operate in Lagos, Nigeria (West Africa); Nairobi, Kenya (East Africa); and Lusaka, Zambia (Southern Africa), providing training in cinematography, film editing, audio production and storytelling.

    A total of 60 students, 20 in each academy, will participate in the inaugural edition of the MTFA beginning this month (October).

    They were selected from 3, 100 entries

    The Director of the MTFA Regional Academy for West Africa is Femi Odugbemi

    The West African Regional MTFA has 16 Nigerian students and four from Ghana

    The MTFA is the first of the three touch points that MTF will deliver over the course of the year.

    The others are the MTF Master classes and the MTF Portal.

    MultiChoice will provide academy students with monthly stipends to meet their living expenses. It will also bear the costs of academy-related travels, subject to the approval of the Academy.

  • Oscars: Omotola Jalade, Femi Odugbemi named voting members

    Nigerian actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and filmmaker Femi Odugbemi have been nominated as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, otherwise called the Oscars.

    The two Nigerian celebrities are among the 928 professionals invited to join the Awards body.

    For this year’s invitees which is Oscars’ largest and diverse class ever, the group also has a 14-year-old actress Quvenzhané Wallis, 86-year-old Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, and new members from 59 different countries.

    Other new members include South Korean actress Doona Bae, Algerian actress Sofia Boutella, and Indian actor Ali Fazal, Daniel Kaluuya, Mindy Kaling, Tiffany Haddish, Kumail Nanjiani, Blake Lively, Amy Schumer, Olivia Munn, Kal Penn, Pedro Pascal, Amber Tamblyn, Damon Wayans, Gina Rodriguez, Sarah Silverman, Jada Pinkett Smith and Evan Rachel Wood.

  • Filmmaker calls for Ghana-Naija film collaborations

    NIGERIAN film producer, Femi Odugbemi, has called on stakeholders in the Nollywood and the Ghanaian movie industries to come together to create value for their respective economies.

    Making this known at the MultiChoice Africa Digital Dialogues 2018 Conference in Dubai, Odugbemi, who is the CEO of Zuri24 Media Limited, encouraged collaboration between the two movie industries to improve distribution, production and sharing of ideas for more marketable stories.

    He said such collaboration would reduce unemployment if the various stakeholders including the governments work together.

    “Ghana and Nigeria should work together to grow their respective movie industries and that of the West African sub-region,” he said.

    “This collaboration will contribute greatly to the improvement of the two industries and our countries.”

    He bemoaned the fact that some individuals and institutions worked at denying parties from the two countries to access distribution outlets within their markets.

    The Nigerian movie industry is valued at about $3 billion dollars and is estimated to employ about three hundred thousand people directly.

    According a 2015 report by EY, Nollywood has become the second largest movie industry in the world after that of India.

  • Ted Mukoro was a force for good, says Femi Odugbemi

    Primate of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh, Prophet Theophilus Olubayo, has called on corrupt politicians to desist from their evil ways to avert divine wrath.

    He spoke at the 4th annual Theophilus Olabayo colloquium and 45th church anniversary in Lagos at the weekend.

    The colloquium tagged: The impact of Prophets in biblical days: Lessons for Nigeria attracted church leaders, academia and industrialists, among others.

    It featured music, prayers, lecture series and launching of a new magazine; The Testimony, among others.

    God, Olabayo claimed, told him He will surely judge all evils doers and looters of the treasury.

    He asserted they will face the wrath of God if they don’t repent.

    The popular seer decried the spate of corruption, which according to him, is mind boggling, lamenting politicians steal public funds at will without conscience.

    Olubayo said: “The lesson is that we should believe that hope is not lost yet that God loves Nigeria.

    “People who are hiding under the canopy of god fatherism, many of them if they are not dead, will end up in prison if they do not repent of heir nefarious acts.”

     

    He declared God will not allow corrupt leaders, religious fanatics or homosexuals to rule this nation again.

    He assured young leaders with the fear of God will emerge to replace the old corrupt politicians.

    “They shall take over the governance of this country and rule with the fear of God,” he affirmed.

    He predicted Nigeria will have a new leader who will lead between two to five years and implement the much-clamoured restructuring.

    Nigeria, he further said, will have a loose federation with six to seven regions and vice presidents representing the regions.

    Though the situation will be unbearable, Olabayo said  God told him a “new Nigeria will be born. We shall have a country that every citizen would be proud of.”

    In his lecture, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof Dapo Asaju, called for the emergence of true prophets willing to speak the mind of God for this nation.

    Asaju, the Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University Oyo, noted that the place of the prophet in any generation can never be undermined describing them as fearless, spiritual reformists, writers of oracles, king makers,  champions of moral rebirth and activists who speak against injustice and exploitation of the poor.

    He challenged true prophets in the land to rise and speak truth to power and never allows threats from anyone to deter them from speaking God’s mind.

    “Where are the true prophets who will shout against sin and corruption, call erring public office holders to order and speak God’s mind without any form of sentiments and bias?” he wondered.

    He warned false prophets and teachers to desist from their evil ways because God is ready to expose them.

     

  • Five Nigerian movies listed for 2017 Nollywood Week Paris awards

    Five Nigerian movies have been listed to compete  for the  “People’s Choice Award” at the 2017 edition of  Nollywood Week Paris Film Festival.

    According to the organisers, the movies include award winning ‘76’ directed by  Izu Ojukwu, ‘The Wedding Party’ directed by Kemi Adetiba and ‘Dinner’, a movie directed by Jay -Franklyn Jituboh.

    Others are ‘Gidi Blues’ and ‘Green White Green’ which were directed by Femi Odugbemi and  Abba Makama.

    The prestigious ‘People’s Choice Award’ is sponsored by Angénieux, a leading manufacturers of high quality optic cinema lenses for the broadcast and film industries.

    “Angénieux will gracefully put its optics at the disposal of the winner of the People’s Choice Award, giving them a chance to combine their creativity with French technical know-how during their next shoot.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nollywood Week Paris Film Festival, which started in 2013, is organised by Okada Media, an organisation based in Paris, France.

    It showcases the best of the Nigerian film industry with the aim of finding a larger audience and more sustainable distribution system for quality films.

    The festival offers festival-goers a chance to discover a dozen movies selected by a jury of professionals.

    Nigerian filmmakers are encouraged to submit short films, feature films, animations and Nigerian television series for consideration.

    Musical performances as well as seminars and workshops dedicated to the African cinema industry have been lined up to enrich the annual event.

    The Festival ends with the traditional presentation of the Nollywood Week People’s Choice Award, which rewards some of the best talents of African cinema.

    The festival is scheduled to hold from Thursday May 11 to Sunday May 14 at Cinema l’Arlequin in Paris, France.

  • Femi Odugbemi shoots star-studded series, ‘Battleground’

    Femi Odugbemi shoots star-studded series, ‘Battleground’

    Nollywood producer and Director, Femi Odugbemi is set to hit TV screens with a new soap opera titled ‘Battleground’.

    A collaboration between the filmmaker and Africa Magic, ‘Battleground’ revolves around the controversial and extremely wealthy patriarch of the Badmus family and tells the story of power, love, deceit, and intrigue.

    The hour-long programme features an interesting mix of talents; from theatre thespians to music and of course Nollywood stars.

    Among those featured in the production are Joke Silva, Adebayo Salami, aka Oga Bello, Gbenga Titiloye, Jide Kosoko, Kunle Coker, Ini Dima-Okojie, Yinka Davies, Yeni Kuti, Steve Ogunleye, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, Zara Ejorh, Shaffy, Ozzy, Francis Onwochei, Hauwa Allahbura, Keturah King and others.

    According to information, screen and audio bigwigs will make cameo appearances every week.

    Some of Odugbemi’s notable works include ‘Gidi Blues’, TV movie, ‘Mama Put’ and Tinsel, one of Africa Magic’s longest-running and most consistent television soap opera.

    His latest work, ‘Battleground’ is expected to hit the TV Screens from May 1, 2017.