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Tag: Judith Audu

  • KUDOS FOR JUDITH AUDU’S ‘JUST NOT MARRIED’

    KUDOS FOR JUDITH AUDU’S ‘JUST NOT MARRIED’

    WITH the premiere of Nollywood actress, Judith Audu’s debut feature film, Just Not Married drawing close, the actress brought together friends, colleages and well wishers for a private screening recently at the Yacht Club, Marina, Lagos.

    The guests, made up of the Danish Community in Nigeria, members of the Yacht Club, and business associates of the actress, were treated to scenes from the 102-minute flick which culminated in a resounding applause and nods of approval.

    Judith Audu, her husband, Morten Foght, who is Executive Producer as well as an actor in the movie, as well as cast and crew members all received felicitations for a job well done.

    According to Orwi Manny Ameh, an actor and filmmaker, Just Not Married “is a very enjoyable film with lots of laughter. The actors were fantastic. They put up really brilliant acting. I think it’s also a very brilliant story and I am so excited. I am going to see this again.”

    Veteran broadcaster, Femi Sowoolu also had kind words for the filmmaker. “I was captivated from start to finish. The story is magnificent; the acting was brilliant, which doesn’t usually happen. I look at the technical side when I see movies and I think the director did a marvelous job. It was almost like I was in the movie. I recommend it for everywhere they take it all over the world and I encourage the producer to put it in for all the festivals. I think it will do well.  It is a very touching story,” he said.

    Just Not Married, which hits the cinemas May 13, is produced by Judith Audu and directed by Uduak-Obong Patrick with Asurf Oluseyi as Assistant Director.

    The private screening was made possible by Boulos Enterprises, Suzuki Marine, Samsung, Taittinger, Lagos Yacht Club, Universal Careers and Mind Click.

  • JUDITH AUDU CONGRATULATES COLLEAGUES OVER AMVCA WINS

    JUDITH AUDU CONGRATULATES COLLEAGUES OVER AMVCA WINS

    ACTOR, blogger, OAP and now producer, Judith Audu is super excited at how last weekend’s African Movie Viewers’ Choice Award (AMVCA) turned out for two of her associates, Asurf Oluwaseyi, whose short film, A Date With Death won in that category and Chidozie Nzeribe also known as Sambasa, who won the award as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie for his role in Soldier’s Story.

    According to the actress, she’s particularly happy that both talented individuals featured prominently in her recently concluded debut feature film titled Not Just Married. While Asurf played the double roles of Assistant Artistic Director and Editor of the movie, Sambasa plays the role of Bako, an undergraduate who is averse to the way of life of his environment.

    “I am just so very excited that these thorough professionals have received recognition for the work that they did last year. Of course, I pray that their successes will rub off on the film that we did together but now, I just want to congratulate them on the honour well deserved,” she said.

    Written by Lami Aisida and directed by Uduak Obong Patrick, Not Just Married is due for release sometime in April. It is the story of brothers who choose opposite paths. Victor, a recently released ex-convict is trying to piece his life together while Duke is a brilliant undergraduate determined to see his mum live. Duke enlists the help of his two friends in stealing cars by decorating the cars and pretending to be married. The movie is produced by Judith Audu Productions in association with Blacreek Pictures and Asurf Films.

  • Judith Audu releases trailer for Just Not Married

    Judith Audu releases trailer for Just Not Married

    Prequel to the official release of her maiden feature production, Nollywood actress, blogger and OAP, Judith Audu Foght, has released the trailer and poster for her anticipated movie, Just Not Married.

    The actress, who is the CEO of Judith Audu Productions (JAP), producers of the flick, said that the release of the promotional materials is preparatory to the release of the film in the last week of this month (February).

    “The movie, Just Not Married, was shot on location in Lagos last year,” she said.

    “It comes after the production of our award winning short film, Not Right, which was a commentary on domestic violence. Just Not Married is about two brothers who choose opposite paths. Victor, a recently released ex-convict who is trying to piece his life together while Duke is a brilliant undergraduate determined to see his mum live. Duke enlists the help of his two friends in stealing cars by decorating the cars while pretending to be married.”

    The actress also describes the film as a unique offering which would further show the depth of talent available in the country and the enormous potential that Nollywood holds.

    “Our aim is to attract and encourage investors to come in and collaborate with the industry,” Judith adds.

    Produced by Judith Audu-Foght and directed by Uduak-Obong Patrick, Just Not Married was written by Lani Aisida and edited by Asurf Oluseyi. The flick features the likes of Stan Nze, Rotimi Salami, Ijeoma Agu, Obutu Roland, Brutus Richard, Gregory Ojefua, Judith Audu and Perpetua Adefemi.

    It also parades special appearances by Adeniyi Johnson, Sambasa Nzeribe, Morten Foght, Bucci Franklin, Eric Nwanso, L.A.S.E, Seun Afolabi and a host of others. The flick was produced in association with Blacreek Pictures and Asurf Films.

  • JUDITH AUDU: I’ve always craved to be on radio

    JUDITH AUDU: I’ve always craved to be on radio

    Nollywood actress, producer and on-air personality, Judith Audu-Foght, has a lot going for her. Only recently, the award-winning actress wrapped up production for her first feature film, Just Not Married. The iGroove radio presenter also marked her first anniversary of being on radio in a ceremony which brought her fellow artistes together. She speaks with OVWE MEDEME on issues concerning her career and personal life.

    What has the past year been like?         

    It has been an awesome one year. I need to stress the awesome in capital letters. I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth drive, but everything has worked together to make the show, to stand it out. I set out to do a global show because it’s an online radio. It wouldn’t make sense just concentrating on Nigerian actors.

    I wanted to do a global show because it is online. Everybody listens to it around the world. For this one year, I have been able to do that. I’ve been able to touch Europe, I’ve touched the Middle East, I’ve touched almost the whole of Africa and the US. So, I’ll say it has been a successful one year.

    Radio presenting is a new frontier for you. How do you handle it?

    Yes, actually, it is. I love my voice. I love listening to myself talk. Some people love to look at themselves in the mirror. I record my voice and just listen to it and I’ve always craved to be on radio. I’ve tried several times to apply and get proper training for voiceover, because I do that too. I tried to get proper training for it but then, I applied to several radio stations but they want me to be there 24 hours of the day and as a full time actor, I can’t afford to do that.

    Acting is still my first love. The owner of iGroove Radio is a good friend of mine and when he wanted to do this radio station, he told me about it and I told him I would love to have a show on his platform. We kept on going back and forth about it. So, one day, I told him I was serious and he told me it was left to me to decide what I wanted to do. And then I came to the studio and he introduced me to the manager.

    So, I told him I have a blog where I profile actors. I would love to bring that on radio. On my blog, I only talk about up and coming actors, but now, I can talk to anyone who acts, whether veterans or up and coming, from all over the world. So far, I am really glad I made that decision because it has been an awesome ride.

    Does that mean you are putting the blog to rest?

    Not at all; it’s still there. I still profile actors. A lot of people really don’t get to have the visibility online that they need. I’ve actually done a lot of stuff but people don’t really know that.

    Not everybody has the opportunity to be on newspaper and big blogs so I try to use my blog as a platform to help sell them and blow their whistle. That way, people will know what they have done and what they are capable of. I don’t profile just anybody. Anyone I feature on my blog is someone I can beat my chest and say they can bring any character to life.

    What is next on the show?

    We are still a baby. This is just a year and I’m happy the way it turned out. I’m happy everybody turned out to celebrate with me. The show will continue. It will become better and bigger. We will feature more guests. We will touch more countries that we haven’t already touched. We had 48 shows and we featured over 70 actors from around the world. This is just the beginning of the bigger things for us.

    What was your highest moment this last year?

    I can’t really say because sometimes I bring in one actor. I have people I look up to in the industry, people I respect. I get really humbled when they come on the show and they say some really nice stuff about me.

    If I bring in someone my level, people will think it’s easy to say that, but when the likes of Bimbo Manuel, Carol King, Shan Goerge, Patrick Doyle, Ireti Doyle, Segun Arinze, Kunle Afolayan, or Keppy Bassey Ekpeyong say things like that, they motivate me and encourage me to want to forge ahead and even take on bigger things. That has been the highpoint so far; of being able to bring in pioneers of Nollywood to the show.

    You recently wrapped up production of your first feature film. What was the experience like?

    I have been saying this and people think I’m just saying it. This is the smoothest production I’ve ever been in. I wouldn’t say it’s because we did a very excellent pre-production because we made sure everything was in place. We knew we didn’t have the funds to have even one hour extra. So we did a lot of pre-production. We broke everything down and made sure that everything was the way it was supposed to be.

    And everything, thanks to God, went to plan. Even the day it rained, we didn’t let the rain stop us from shooting. We created a scene for the rain, shot inside it and everything worked for us. I am really thankful. I’ve been in some productions that we started and then they had to break sets because they are cash strapped or something happened. I’m so happy that we were able to shoot according to schedule. Everything was good, nobody fell ill. We didn’t shoot at night. It was a very smooth sail and everybody is proud of the work and they are all waiting for it to come out. It’s in post production now. Hopefully, it will be ready to screen in December.

    What are your plans for the film?

    Definitely, we will be taking it to festivals; we will be putting in for awards. It will be showing on big screens. We have a lot of plans for it. We are hoping to penetrate everywhere we can to get the film out there so that everybody can see it. It is a unique story. It is something very simple, but then it has this twist that people don’t see coming. And it’s something that will question you and make you think.

    With all these activities, are you leaving acting for a life behind the camera?

    As I said earlier, acting is my first love. But I see myself being drawn to producing a lot which is funny because a lot of people complain about it. But I love to have the power to be able to break things down and make a script come to life.

    I love the power to be able to choose a script that I want to bring to life. That is what a producer does. When you give a producer a script, the producer decides whether to make it or not to make it. I love that. It gives me the opportunity to be able to tell different stories, to be able to tell a lot of stories that probably I wouldn’t have been able to tell before as an actor. Because as an actor, someone gives me a script and I help them tell a story.

    But as a producer, I now have the power to get a script, tell a writer this is the script I want and then I bring it to life. Of course, we still have the challenge of funding which I think is every producer’s nightmare. Funding is the biggest challenge to me. If I get money, there are lots of things I can do, but funding is a problem.

    Have you tried putting in for the Bank of Industry’s grant?

    Yes, actually, I have applied for it. That is still ongoing because my company is still a baby company. That is why I am hoping when my first feature film comes out, it would be something that will make people have trust in my capability. I already have a lot of people approaching me to co-produce with them.

    So, yes, things are looking good. So I am not abandoning acting. Acting is still my first love, but whatever I do is still within the playground of what I love doing. So even if I can’t be in front of the camera acting, I really don’t mind being behind the camera producing.

    In all of these, how do you find time for yourself and your family?

    I hate being bored. So that’s why I like trying things out. I have a load of books that I’m reading right now. I’m trying to train myself on the proper art of filmmaking and producing because it is a different terrain I’m stepping into. I need to understand what it entails; I need to understand the business of it. If you understand just the creative part and you don’t understand the business part, you will be at a loss. So I’m reading a lot of books. I find time for my family. I find time to chill with my husband. We go out, see movies and eat good food.

    What is your favourite hangout spot?

    That should be the Lagos Yacht Club because of the water. I love being close to nature, just having that natural breeze. It makes the creative mind just run wild.

  • Artistes turn up as Judith Audu marks one year on radio

    Artistes turn up as Judith Audu marks one year on radio

    it was a day of joy for award-winning actress, movie producer and OAP, Judith Audu-Foght as her radio programme, Meet the Actor wit Judith Audu, which airs on iGroove Radio, clocked a year last Saturday.

    To celebrate the day, the actress brought together those who have been featured on the programme in the past one year for an anniversary edition.

    According to the entertainer, “it has been an awesome one year, and I need to stress the awesome in capital letters. I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth drive, but everything has worked together to make the show stand out. I set out to do a global show because it’s an online radio. It wouldn’t make sense just concentrating on Nigerian actors. For this one year, I have been able to do that. I’ve been able to touch Europe, I’ve touched the Middle East, and I’ve touched almost the whole of Africa and the US. So, I’ll say it has been a successful one year.”

    The anniversary edition saw past guests featured on the show fielding questions from the actress as well as from listeners. To mark the day, the actress feted her guests to light refreshment after cutting her anniversary cake.

    Among those present at the ceremony was her fellow actress, Ashionye Raccah who incidentally was the guest of the maiden edition of the show. She had kind words for Judith.

    “I am happy for her. I didn’t even know I was going to be the first guest till I came on the show. She had invited me the day before and I accepted her invitation and came on the show. It was a nice experience. It’s been a beautiful one year because I’ve heard the show a couple of times. For someone who didn’t have formal radio training, she is doing an awesome job and I’m very proud of her,” she said.

    Meet the Actor wit Judith Audu is a radio programme which looks into the lives of actors and what makes them tick.

  • Judith Audu joins Women at the End of the World

    Judith Audu joins Women at the End of the World

    It is looking to be a season of achievements for Nollywood actress, blogger and OAP, Judith Audu Foght. Coming a few days after she released river-themed photos, the actress received an unusual visitor from Poland, Martyna Wojciechowska, an award-winning filmmaker who specialises in documentary.

    According to the actress, Martyna was in Nigeria to shoot a documentary on her as part of her docu-series, Women at the End of the World. Martyna, who has been travelling around the world for the last seven years, making documentary movies about the most inspiring women in the world, described the Nigerian actress as an incredible and energetic person.

    “What was interesting for me was that she decided to do a movie about domestic violence and to fight for women’s rights,” Martyna, who also develops content for National Geographic, said.

    “I think that it is very important to also educate people through movies and Judith definitely is doing that. She is well known, she has a great radio programme which I had an opportunity to take part in and it was unbelievable.”

    Reliving the three days experience, an excited Judith said that it felt surreal.

    “I was selected to be the protagonist for the first Nigerian edition,” Judith said.

    “For three days we were together as they were doing a documentary about me. They spoke to my husband, my mother and my friends. They visited the radio station with me, we were on a movie set together among other things.”

    She also expressed optimism that the documentary, which exposes her to a large part of Europe and some parts of Asia, would be good for her career. “I can’t really say, but I hope it works in my favour. The series will be broadcast in Poland, France, Japan and some other European Countries. I hope it will boost my career in Nigeria and internationally,” she added.

    Women at the End of the World airs on the Polish station, TVN.

  • Judith Audu dedicates May to child actors

    Judith Audu dedicates May to child actors

    Nollywood actress and OAP, Judith Audu has dedicated the month of May to celebrating child actors on her radio show, Meet the Actor with Judith Audu.

    According to the actress, Children’s Day celebration comes up in May and it is only proper to celebrate child actors because they are not showcased as often as they should.

    Her first guest on this special child actors’ edition, which aired on Saturday, May 2, was with multi-award winning child actor, Samuel Ajibola, who started acting at six. Judith also interviewed Festus and Priscilla Ojo, children of her colleage, Iyabo Ojo.

    “It was very interesting having Iyabo Ojo’s children on the show. Her Daughter, Priscilla Ojo, won Best Child Actor at the NMA in 2012 and at BON 2014. Her son, Festus has featured in several movies too. The children are amazing actors with very lovable personality and even though their mother is a star, I believe their talent is what has taken them this far. They love what they do and it was fun having them in the studio,” Judith stated.

    According to the actress, the show, which has been on for the past six months has been an amazing experience as she has learnt a lot of things, spoken to lots of actors from all over the world and met really good friends. “I would say it’s been a very successful six months and the show can only get better. I listened to my first shows the other day and I can feel the difference. I’m more comfortable now hosting the show,” she said.

  • Judith Audu, Tope Tedela, others shine in ‘Plus 234’

    Judith Audu, Tope Tedela, others shine in ‘Plus 234’

    AS the year 2015 enters its second month, it is looking to be an interesting one for the TV entertainment. Joining the list of new productions is an exciting TV series titled Plus 234. With its focus on the upwardly mobile, the new television sitcom prods into the life of working class Nigerians and how they cope with being in an environment with same people for a minimum of eight hours a day, five days a week and every week and every year.

    Explaining the concept behind the movie, writer of the script, Lani Aisidi, says that it is basically about a call centre where they win accounts for corporate brands, especially telecom networks.

    “As different people come together with different personalities and different backgrounds, their personal lives begin to intertwine with the work environment. This naturally creates bonds, conflicts and drama. It breeds love, betrayal, office politics and laughter  all of which is captured in the television series,” he said.

    The drama is created by Lani Aisida and Soji Ogunnaike, and is co-produced by Oje Unuigboje. According to Unuigboje, airing for the 13 episode series begins next quarter.

    Plus 234 features Kiki Omeili, Tope Tedela, Tosyn Bucknor, Anthony Monjaro, Paul Alumona, Whochey Nnadi, Paul Utomi, Judith Audu and Bimbo Ademoye.

  • JUDITH AUDU wins Best Actress award

    JUDITH AUDU wins Best Actress award

    FOR Nollywood actress, producer, model and blogger, Judith Audu, 2014 was an engaging year and, according to her, there is no perfect way to end it than with an award.

    The actress, last week, won the award for Best Actress at the In-Short Film Festival 2014.

    Organised by Victor Okhai and powered by Access Bank, it was a 3-day event, loaded with amazing short films viewing at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.

    It was a big day for Akin Harrison’s Alpha Mom and Ejim Fortune’s Strangers, which won three laurels each, while Eric Aghimien’s Leeway took home two awards.

    An excited Judith said that the award signifies the need to intensify her work. I am grateful for the recognition given to me by In-Short. I will keep working hard especially as I have a lot of personal projects to do. Hopefully in 2015, they will be all come to light. I felt really good after winning the award. It gave me a reassurance that I am doing something right and it has motivated and challenged me to do more. In 2015, I hope to work harder than I did this year and also push my projects and make sure they see the light of day,” she enthused.

  • Judith Audu bags deal with iGroove Radio

    Judith Audu bags deal with iGroove Radio

    NOLLYWOOD actress and blogger, Judith Audu, is currently exploring new frontiers. Beginning from Saturday, November 15 the thespian will be presenting a one-hour personality interview programme on iGroove Radio, an online Radio owned by Tintin Imevbore.

    Audu who recently produced a short film, Not Right, a film said the programme will be titled Meet the Actor with Judith Audu.

    According to the thespian, the idea came from the CEO of the station, and she was only too willing to give it a shot. “I have always loved my voice and dreamt of doing some form of presenting. I spoke to Tintin Imevbore a couple of times and when he brought up the idea again, I just grabbed the opportunity. The programme comes from a segment of my blog and I am very happy and excited am finally doing something on radio and a one that can be listened all over the world,” she enthused.

    The programme, according to Audu, will run from 1pm to 2 pm every Saturday, and will feature actors from everywhere in the world.

    This is not the first time she would be acting as a radio show host, having travelled to Denmark recently, and had the opportunity to co-host a radio show.