The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Film

‘Tatu’: Another BoI-support film premieres in style

Despite the heavy downpour in Lagos last Saturday, fans of filmmaker Don Omope defied the rains to attend the premiere of his latest offering, an epic titled ‘Tatu’ which held at the Eko Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos.

‘Tatu’, an adaptation from a book written by the prolific author, Dr. Abraham E. Nwankwo, the recently retired Director General, Debt Management Office, will be released in cinemas on September 15, 2017.

In attendance were movie enthusiasts, business leaders, members of the dimplomatic corps as well as Nollywood stars.

Powered by Bank of Industry under the NollyFund loan scheme managed by the bank’s Creative Industry Group unit, the film explores the contemporary side of conflicts arising from a mother’s quest to have a child and all the complications that follows.

The cast of the epic movie included Segun Arinze, Desmond Elliott, Toyin Aimakhu-Abraham, Gabriel Afolayan, Rahama Sadau, Sambaza Nzeribe, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Hafiz Oyetoro (Saka) and Frank Dunga and a host of others

Not surprising, ‘Tatu’ attracted a great applause, given Omope’s records with award-winning and box office earners like ‘Taxi Driver’ (Oko Ashewo) and ‘The Wedding Party’.

Speaking at the event, Group Head, Creative Industry Group at the Bank of Industry, Mrs. Cynthia Nwuka reiterated her bank’s commitment for the development of Nollywood and the creative industry in general.

Nwuka said that ‘Tatu’ is the sixth in the series of films supported by BoI’s NollyFund that have been released so far.

Others, she said include ‘The CEO’, ‘Ayamma’, ‘When Love Happens Again’, ‘Isoken’, and ‘Three Wise Men’.

Guests at the event predicted that ‘Tatu,’ a collaboration of Bank of Industry and Patriarch Technologies in conjunction with FilmOne Production and FilmOne Distribution, is another prospective box office hit.

July 27, 2017
Police to join fight against film, music piracy

The Nigeria Police is to set up anti-piracy unit in all the 36 states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory to combat the piracy of intellectual property in the country, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, announced in Abuja on Monday.

He made the announcement following a request from the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who led a delegation of Creative Industry stakeholders on a courtesy visit to his office.

The I.G nominated three senior police officers, including two Deputies Inspector-General of Police, Force CID and Operations, to work with the Ministry of Information and Culture as well as the stakeholders to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the renewed and sustained battle against piracy.

”The time for talk is over, we should go into action,” Mr. Idris said.

Earlier, the Minister said he led the creme de la creme, movers and shakers of the Creative Industry to meet with the Inspector-General to solicit his support for a sustained fight against piracy, which is preventing the practitioners from reaping the rewards of their labour.

”I want to thank the police for helping us to combat piracy and to solicit for more cooperation in the fight against piracy,” he said.

”Piracy is a crime. You cannot take the sweat, labour and intellectual work of an individual, reproduce and sell it without his or her consent.”

Alhaji Mohammed extolled the contribution of the Creative Industry to the nation’s development, saying it contributes 1.42% of the GDP, employs millions of people and puts Nigeria on the global map.

”The works of actors, actresses, musicians, fashion designers, etc, have travelled widely and they (practitioners) are good Ambassadors of Nigeria. However, their industry is under threat and we must find a way to save it,” he said.

The Minister said he recently hosted Creative Industry stakeholders at a roundtable and a conference, and that the biggest complaint from both meetings was the negative impact of the activities of piracy on the industry.

Alhaji Mohammed said the stakeholders in the Creative Industry have resolved to support the police to achieve the goal of stamping out piracy.

The Minister was accompanied by the Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr. Yusuf Abdallah, Prof. Shyllon Folarin, a Consultant with UNESCO, Mr. Tony Okoroji, Chairman of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Abdullahi Maikano Usman, President, Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPAN), the Umbrella body of film makers in the North, MOPAN’s immediate past President Sani Muazu, Prof. Bankole Sodipo of Babcock University, Ms Tundun Aderibigbe of the House of Tara, Ms Eunice Omole of Ebony Life TV as well as officials from Nollywood and Inview Technologies.

July 25, 2017
Royal Prince Film Academy gears up for new production

Royal Prince Film Academy, one of Nigeria’s production power houses, is set to hit the cinemas with the untold story of slavery, drug abuse, human trafficking and child abuse.

The film on human trafficking touches on all agencies of antihuman trafficking both local and international, according to the director and producer of this media trending film Prince Cres Ugo (AMP, DGN).

“The academy film which stars actors like Sam Dede, Jerry Amilo, Gentle Jack, Hary B and many others is a global call to end human trafficking using the Nigerian art and the Royal prince film academy as the research center,” Ugo stated.

The movie, he said, will be a blockbuster which, it is hoped, would shed light on the crimes and after consequences of the ills led by these gangs of criminals. He further revealed that the flick would make rounds at the cinema upon its release.

July 13, 2017
New BoI-support film gets glamorous Lagos premiere

IT was an A-class event last Sunday, as the latest Bank of Industry-support film, Isoken, premiered at the Landmark Center, Oniru, Lagos, amidst pomp.

The highly anticipated romantic comedy by Jadesola Osiberu, which is currently showing in cinemas made a loud impression on the crème of guest that witnessed the stylish private screening, tagged ‘African Royalty Grand Premiere’.

Present at the opulent event were cast of the movie, notable celebrities and society’s bigwigs such as Professor Wole Soyinka, Oba Adewale Osiberu, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, Dr. Victor Uwaifo, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka and Mrs Uche Nwuka, Group Head, Creative Industry Desk at the Bank of Industry.

Speaking to journalists at the event, Nwuka expressed optimism that the film will yield expected Return on Investment (RoI), even from its first week in Nigerian cinemas.

“We expect a huge Return on Investment. I expect to have my money back in one week. We put in a lot into the film and Jadesola has put in her best into this film as well and we can see the quality of production and storyline. I salute her courage. So I actually expect the best of Return on Investment on this great film,” Nwuka said.

The movie had earlier premiered at the West End’s Cineworld in London where it sold out to the audience.

According to Nwuka, BoI decided to support ‘Isoken’ owing to its strong storyline, and the fact that the producer is a promising young and upcoming filmmaker.

“At BoI, we are very passionate about working with young filmmakers and Jadesola was the first of such. With BoI buying into her passion and commitment to story-telling through film, we are happy with what we’ve seen today and equally proud to be affiliated with this project,” she said.

Jadesola, a Harvard Business School alumnus and former head of Ndani TV, is popular for her web drama series, Gidi Up. She wrote, produced and directed the rave-of-the-moment flick, ‘Isoken’.

Starring Dakore Akande, Funke Akindele, Marc Rhys, Bolanle Olukanni, Joseph Benjamin, Tina Mba, Damilola Attoh, Nedu, Lydia Forson and Patrick Doyle among others, the film takes the audience on a romantic and hilarious journey, exploring cultural expectations, racial stereotypes and bonds that unite families.

Serenading guests at the premiere, Uwaifor performed some of his hits, including ‘Joromi’, setting the tone for the Benin setting of the film.

June 17, 2017
New BoI-support film gets glamorous Lagos premiere

It was an A-class event last Sunday, as the latest Bank of Industry-support film, Isoken, premiered at the Landmark Center, Oniru, Lagos, amidst pomp.

The highly anticipated romantic comedy by Jadesola Osiberu, which is currently showing in cinemas made a loud impression on the crème of guest that witnessed the stylish private screening, tagged ‘African Royalty Grand Premiere’.

Present at the opulent event were cast of the movie, notable celebrities and society’s bigwigs such as Professor Wole Soyinka, Oba Adewale Osiberu, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, Dr. Victor Uwaifo, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka and Mrs Uche Nwuka, Group Head, Creative Industry Desk at the Bank of Industry.

Speaking to journalists at the event, Nwuka expressed optimism that the film will yield expected Return on Investment (RoI), even from its first week in Nigerian cinemas.

“We expect a huge Return on Investment. I expect to have my money back in one week. We put in a lot into the film and Jadesola has put in her best into this film as well and we can see the quality of production and storyline. I salute her courage. So I actually expect the best of Return on Investment on this great film,” Nwuka said.

The movie had earlier premiered at the West End’s Cineworld in London where it sold out to the audience.

According to Nwuka, BoI decided to support ‘Isoken’ owing to its strong storyline, and the fact that the producer is a promising young and upcoming filmmaker.

“At BoI, we are very passionate about working with young filmmakers and Jadesola was the first of such. With BoI buying into her passion and commitment to story-telling through film, we are happy with what we’ve seen today and equally proud to be affiliated with this project,” she said.

Jadesola, a Harvard Business School alumnus and former head of Ndani TV, is popular for her web drama series, Gidi Up. She wrote, produced and directed the rave-of-the-moment flick, ‘Isoken’.

Starring Dakore Akande, Funke Akindele, Marc Rhys, Bolanle Olukanni, Joseph Benjamin, Tina Mba, Damilola Attoh, Nedu, Lydia Forson and Patrick Doyle among others, the film takes the audience on a romantic and hilarious journey, exploring cultural expectations, racial stereotypes and bonds that unite families.

Serenading guests at the premiere, Uwaifor performed some of his hits, including ‘Joromi’, setting the tone for the Benin setting of the film.

June 16, 2017
‘The Quartet’ moots film industry development fund

Four major groups; The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Nigerian Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), under the umbrella of ‘The Quartet’, have endorsed the establishment the National Film Development Fund (NFDF).

The move, according to information, is to enable the nation deal urgently with the dearth of funding for film production activities, and investment opportunities yet untapped in the Nigerian film industry.

According to the four federal government agencies whose mandates and activities directly and remotely rub on the Nigerian creative economy, the nation’s film industry was in dire need of access to funding, support and assistance to enable it up its contribution to the GDP of Nigerian from just over 1.5% to between 10% – 15% within two years.

To achieve this feat, the industry which has thrived on the resilience and private windows of funding would require the institutionalisation of a funding regime for the country.

The fight against piracy, intellectual property theft, effective distribution, sustainable marketing framework, digitisation and content development also topped discussions at the meeting which was held in Abuja last week.

In a remark at the meeting, NFC’s Managing Director, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe commended other members of The Quartet for their resolve to push for the realisation of it objectives. He said that more than before, the nation requires the commitment of government agencies to deliver on their mandates, through attractive programmes and projects with positive impacts.

The Nigerian film industry, he further said has the obvious trappings to provide job opportunities for Nigerians. The resilience and investment of those in the business of film making, Maduekwe said should be protected always to guarantee return on investment as well as incentives for new entrants.

The Director General of NFVCB, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas with Cornel Agim, Director of Operations (NFVCB), Bunmi Cole, Director Broadcast Monitoring (NBC), Bitrus Dauda, Deputy Controller (PRS) of NCC, Ahaji Sanusi Sambo, Director Finance & Accounts (NFC), Mrs. Halima Oyelade Zonal Head, NFC Abuja, attended the meeting.

The Quartet which was established in 2006 also decided to develop a robust plan of action that will promote the training of filmmakers and other stakeholders in both the art and business of film making. The group also engaged in talks to ensure that Nigeria’s creative economy is fully integrated into the diversification agenda of the federal government.

May 25, 2017
Film Censors Board to block illegal film-trade routes in Katsina

•As ED commends state over creation on film department

Executive Director of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Mr. Adedayo Thomas has proposed a joint border patrol with relevant authorities to checkmate the inflow and outflow of films in Katsina State.

He made this known during a courtesy call on the Emir of Katsina, Alh. (Dr.) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, as part of his familiarization visits to stakeholders in the film industry, noting that Katsina State serves as a route through which films are either imported or exported.

Thomas who averred that the Nigeria film industry has the potentials to redefine sound education, moral values and an increased GDP, decried the use of the State as a sales medium for uncensored and unclassified movies, saying that most foreign films are directly translated into the local language without authorisation of the Board. Such act, he said, is capable of jeopardising the moral values of the state, while the Board and the State are also denied accruable revenues.

The NFVCB chief who also met with the Katsina State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Home Affairs, Alhaji Hamza Muhammad Brodo, commended the State for creating a department of film in the Ministry, in recognition of the paramount role the film industry plays in shaping the society and its attendant socio-economic benefits, which according to him, accounts for about 1.5% contribution to the GDP.

He promised to partner the State on enlightenment campaigns, capacity building, disclosing that the NFVCB has opened an operations center in the State, located at the Federal Secretariat.

The Emir, who urged the NFVCB to ensure that moral standards of each region are put into consideration when censoring and classifying films, pledged the support of the Emirate towards the Board’s activities.

On his part, the State Commissioner for Information disclosed that the State has so far collaborated with local and international bodies to project the image and potentials of the Katsina through documentaries, jingles and films, and promised to present a position to the State Executive Council on the need to create the Katsina State Film and Video Censors Board.

Also present at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Musa Rabi’u Mahuta, and the Director of Films at the Ministry, Alhaji Habib Bello Usman, who noted that the Katsina State Film and Video Censors Board, if created, will complement the activities of NFVCB, provide job opportunities and improve on the State’s revenue base.

The NFVCB boss later proceeded to Katsina State Television where he was hosted on a programme tagged “Guest Moment”. He urged parents to ensure that they censor what their children watch, emphasizing the dangers of uncensored and unclassified movies.

May 18, 2017
NFC, Kano State partner on film training

Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Dr. Chidia Maduekwe has said that the Corporation, under him, has reached an agreement with the Kano State government to train 450 youths from across the 44 local government areas of the state in film production and entrepreneurship.

The programme is expected to be delivered by the film industry development agency through its training arms; the National Film Institute and Media Arts Studies (NAFIMAS).

Maduekwe who appeared to have hit the ground running shortly after his appointment as new head of the NFC, said his team has developed a template based on the agreement with the Kano State Government to market this special film training programme to other states of the federation.

“It is expected that at the end of the special film training, participants will not only be self-employed but employers of labour in their own right,” said the NFC chief.

The programme, according to Maduekwe, “will massively reduce youth unemployment across the country in keeping with the present administration vision of job creation and diversify the economy by exploiting the potentials of the non- oil sector of the Nigerian economy.”

Praising the initiative during the interactive forum between the NFC and the film industry stakeholders in Northern Nigeria and swearing-in of new executives of Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) on Sunday, May 7, 2017 at the Tropical Hotel, Kano, Director General, Kano State Film and Video Censor Board (KSFVCB), Mallam Ismail Na’aba described it as a welcome development.

May 12, 2017
NFC chief: my plan for film corporation

The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) was established in 1979 to help in the development of the film industry and offer training for professionals in the area of production and post production. TONY AKOWE who visited the NFC recently reports the problems that have bogged down the institution.

The appointment of Dr. Chidia Maduekwe as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) no doubt came as a big relief to staff of the corporation. Many of them have complained secretly, of the handling of the organisation by the management who did little or nothing to better the lot of the place and harness the potential available in the industry to turn film-making in the country into a great employment potential.

Not even the training aspect of the corporation was adequately utilized to empower the youths to boost the entertainment industry in the country.

Interestingly, the corporation which is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring quality film production in the country has had to grapple with series of problems over the years. These problems, it seems, have hampered the corporation which also has a training arm by not playing the role it is expected to play in the nation’s movie industry. Former Managing Director of the NFC, Danjuma Dadu said the major problem facing the establishment has been lack of synergy between the corporation and stakeholders in the industry and the lack of money to provide the needed facilities for movie production in the country. Dadu lamented the lack of harmony in the film industry saying that disagreement among key players in the industry cannot move the industry forward.

He attributed the lack of visibility of the corporation to lack of funds, pointing out that before 2015, the capital budget for the corporation was only N25 million which has however risen to N500million. He told the new Managing Director that one of the issues he must deal with is attracting people to the Nigerian film festivals, saying “we attend film festivals, but nobody attends our own.”

A tour of the corporation revealed that despite the vast hectares of land available to it as a film village, the corporation is far from achieving its potential due to what many of the staff described as total lack of initiative by the Dadu-led management. At the proposed film village which is supposed to serve as the permanent site of the corporation, farming activities thrive on their land. The old structures on the land are begging for attention while two blocks of hostels have just been constructed by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) through collaboration with the University of Jos, while another structure being constructed is said to be a constituency project. The Nation observed that there was nothing on ground at the site to suggest that the place will be put to use soon.

Maduekwe is however optimistic that something good can still come out of the place. He told The Nation that he intends to work with stakeholders in the industry to reposition the place to perform the role it was set up to perform. Though a medical doctor, he said he was coming into the industry with what he described as “medicine for movie”.

He said he was conscious of the fact that nobody can tell the Nigerian story more than Nigerians, hence the need to harness the potential in the industry. He also told the staff members that for the corporation to achieve its mandate, they must change their attitude to work. He said his plan was to make the industry fashionable to be able to attract investors, saying “if it is fashionable to farm now, why can’t it be fashionable to make movies. I am not here to think that things are bad and so, we cannot move forward.

I am here to tell you that the NFC will work and surpass what the agriculture revolution has achieved in the country. We shall seek collaboration with professionals in the industry, stakeholders, relevant government agencies and investors, with a view to synergising appropriately and create the needed impetus to propel the industry to greater height.

We will aspire to lead the industry from the vantage position of a government agency and use the platform as an enabler in a globally competitive industry. This way, film-making shall become a professionally rewarding calling and a profitable investment, impressive enough to attract credible foreign investments.”

April 20, 2017
Kunle Afolayan’s new comedy film, ‘Omugwo’ premieres with pomp

After a series of breathtaking premieres with his pan-African movie, ‘The CEO’, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan pooled another glamorous crowd on Wednesday, with a special screening of his new comedy film, ‘Omugwo’, starring Ayo Adesanya, Patience Ozokwor, Omowunmi Dada, Ken Erics, and Christian Paul among others.

Present at the private screening which held at Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos, are representatives of Bank of Industry, sponsors of the movie, Africa Magic; distribution company, Silverbird Distribution; and stakeholders in the film industry such as the Founder/CEO of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Ms. Chioma Ude; filmmaker and former Chairman of Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun; filmmaker Chris Ekejimbe; foremost actress, Kate Henshaw; film entrepreneur, Mr. Seun Shoyinka; actors Yomi Fash-Lanso and Funsho Adeolu as well as cast members of the movie – Omowunmi Dada, Ayo Adesanya and Henry Alabi, aka Old Skool.

Addressing guests shortly before the screening of the movie, Afolayan noted that ‘Omugwo’ is an Africa Magic-commissioned film in partnership with his company, Golden Effects Productions. “We were commissioned to do three films,” he said, “and this is one of them. After this, we are going to unveil ‘Roti’ and ‘Tribunal’.”

He said he is particularly excited about the film “because it’s meant to be a small-budget television drama, but by the time you see it, you may want to ask what differentiates a low budget film from a high budget film, because this is just like any of Kunle Afolayan’s productions.”

According to the filmmaker, the film is a slight departure from his usual style of story-telling, going by its comic nature. “It’s a comedy. Because people perceive most of my works as being serious, so I had this watered down. This film is releasing this Friday and this is the first public screening.”

Written by Kemi Adesoye, ‘Omugwo’ tells the story of Omotunde, a young civil engineer, married to Raymond, an OAP who have just had a baby. Coloured by their different cultural backgrounds, their mothers-in-law forcefully move in with the couple to perform the Igbo childcare rite called Omugwo. But instead of relieving their children of the burden of childcare, the mothers’ rivalry complicates life for the young couple to comical effects.

In this highly inspiring film, Afolayan marries a serious subject matter of motherhood with lots of hilarious moments. An ‘edutainment’ movie, ‘Omugwo’ portrays two characteristics of motherhood and gives kudos to the African tradition, while on the other hand, it attempts to prefer solution to some of the challenges faced by young couples especially after the arrival of their first child. Ozorkwo and Adesanya leave viewers with catchy phrases that follow the viewers home and help the story to linger on.

Afolayan used the opportunity of the premiere to introduce his new client, Tecno Mobile, a company he said he will be doing a lot more with, going forward.

This is adding to his list of such companies as Air France, Adron Homes, and Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), among others that he represents as brand ambassador.

April 7, 2017