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Tag: Nollywood

  • Nollywood at 20

    Nollywood at 20

    Despite obvious drawbacks, a cultural phenomenon slowly comes of age

    As the burgeoning Nigerian film industry christened “Nollywood” attains its twentieth year, there can be no doubt that it has many achievements that it can look back on with justified pride. Building on the pre-existing 35mm movie tradition in the country but adopting a business model and production techniques radically different from it, Nollywood has attained global renown and cultural significance. It has resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs, spawned international superstars, and endowed the country’s often-quarrelsome ethnic groups with a unifying reference point.

    Perhaps more than any other cultural artefact, the Nollywood phenomenon represents Nigeria’s most determined attempt to engage its bewildering contemporary reality. The stories crafted by its writers, organised by its directors and given life by its actors are characteristically Nigerian: the triumph of good over evil, the overcoming of cruelty by kindness, the vanquishing of despair by hope. Nollywood does not have time for the sophisticated meaninglessness of many European art films, nor does it glory in the pyrotechnic shallowness of some American blockbusters. What it seeks to do is to tell the Nigerian story in a manner reflective of its peoples’ distinctive view of the world, and it can generally be agreed that it has done this quite successfully.

    In spite of a less-than-ideal operating environment characterised by institutional indifference, the paucity of finance, the inadequacy of working tools and the shortage of technical expertise, Nollywood has been able to demonstrate the enormous potential waiting to be unleashed if its basic shortcomings are put right.

    Those shortcomings are simply too formidable to be ignored, and have clearly prevented Nollywood from attaining its true heights. The industry’s humble beginnings in value-added video cassettes have resulted in a stubbornly materialistic mindset that afflicts many producers who often take decisions that negatively impact the creative input of writers, directors and actors. The incredibly short production times of many Nollywood films have led to ludicrous errors which do little to enhance the credibility of an industry that needs to be taken more seriously by the rest of the world. Plotting, characterisation and the interpretation of roles are uneven, and can range from very good to extremely poor. Films are produced on an industrial scale, flooding the market and defying all attempts at quality control. There is a worrying tendency to go for stories which pander to the basest instincts of the audience: ritualistic obsessions, violent melodramas, viciously amoral thrillers.

    These challenges conspire to taint Nollywood’s reputation and hinder attempts to make the industry better-known beyond its acknowledged African and black-diaspora audiences. Poor sub-titling makes it difficult for indigenous-language and Anglophone films to be properly understood; the reluctance to explore new cinematic techniques and film genres makes it easy to pigeonhole many films and dismiss them as lazy, unflattering imitations of one another; there has been a surprising absence of co-production, both within and outside the industry.

    In spite of these difficulties, Nollywood’s roaring popularity across a wide range of cultures, preferences and attitudes is a simultaneous testimony to what it has achieved and the heights it is capable of attaining. Thanks to the hard work, dedication and commitment of those who pioneered it, as well as the talent and self-belief of those who came after them, Nollywood has become a genuine national brand, encapsulating much that is good about the Nigerian character: dogged persistence, creativity, innovation, optimism.

    If the Nigerian film industry is to move to the next level, it will require a comprehensive programme of assistance designed to leverage its strengths and minimise its weaknesses. Institutional support is perhaps the most pressing need. Governments and financial institutions will have to develop innovative ways of providing film-makers with the funds that they must have if they are to climb to greater heights of technical and artistic sophistication. It is not simply a question of throwing money at the industry: the failure of similar attempts in the past has shown that it is not a viable strategy. Producers will have to make themselves more open to financing options that allow outside financing to have greater control over how money is spent. Film distribution systems will have to become more efficient. An increased emphasis on professionalism will make it easier for the industry to attract talented and ambitious individuals whose efforts will in turn raise standards.

    Relevant government ministries and parastatals like the ministries of information, youth, sports and culture, as well as the National Orientation Agency must engage Nollywood in a more considered way than has hitherto been displayed. It is not enough to praise the film industry’s achievements as a national image-maker; there must be an attempt to see how the interests of these bodies and those of Nollywood coincide, and what can be done to ensure that their activities complement one another.

    Like all truly great art forms, Nollywood is the joint creation of several distinguished Nigerians whose contributions should never be forgotten: Zack and Fred Amata, Zeb and Chico Ejiro, Kenneth Nnebue, Amaka Igwe, Tunde Kelani, Tunji Bamishigbin, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Olu Jacobs, Jim Iyke, Emeka Ike, Joke Sylva, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde are just a few of the more prominent names. The massive outpouring of sympathy which greeted the deaths of Sam-Loco Efe, Enebeli Elebuwa and Justus Esiri is a confirmation of the deep affection in which the industry is held. May it witness many more fruitful years of creativity.

  • Nollywood: Filmmakers tackle finance woes

    Nollywood: Filmmakers tackle finance woes

    Film-making takes dreams, hard-work, and perseverance. The filmmaker, most times takes toil, time, and creativity to make a movie. Joe Agbro Jr. who was at the 100th CORA Art Stampede where film-makers talked about their financial stress and reports

    Discussing funding of films in Nigeria could be unnerving venture for film-makers. Hence, when some Nigerian film-makers gathered to discuss funding in the industry, it was with filled emotions that hey spewed out their challenges. And it was to re-evaluate this funding challenge that the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) dedicates the 100th edition of its regular session, tagged Art Stampede.

    The event, which held last Sunday at the Kongi Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos was anchored by Shuaibu Hussein, a film critic and journalist, and had as discussants film producers such as Francis Onwuchie, Mahmoud Ali-Balogun, Tunde Kelani, Charles Novia and Director of Eko Film Festival, Hope Opara. The Stampede also comprised a motley crowd comprising veterans, participants, and friends of the Nigerian movie industry.

    To Hussein, “no developing country can survive without grants.” He continued, saying the Nigerian experience was such that: “There has been a lot of talk but no action.”

    However, action came two years ago in the form of a $200m intervention fund to the creative industry by President Goodluck Jonathan. And according to Hussein, recently, President Goodluck Jonathan said that “only about N761m has been accessed.” At the same forum, Hussein said the president also announced a three billion naira Nollywood Project grant to be managed by the ministry of finance and the ministry of culture. This was good news for the producers.

    But the frustration as some of them recalled their experiences was far from pleasant. You could hear a pin dropped in the hall when Producer Tunde Kelani of Mainframe fame recalled how during his early years in film-making, he was bogged on a project with four other producers and needed N85, 000 for the movie. He said it was Rasheed Ladoja, former governor of Oyo State that bailed him out. The film was made but Kelani, whose brand of cinema is largely based on Yoruba culture, said he was only able to return N33, 000. But when he decided he wanted more control, he went back to Ladoja and the former governor agreed to invest in him. However, Kelani says his whatever he is today was a result of self-denial. “My primary source of funding is the sacrifice to myself because I delayed everything about my life,” he said. “I said, ‘marriage is out. My first daughter came when I was 40.’”

    He lived with his wife in the studio for ten years and they agreed that their children would attend public school. Kelani said Ladoja had concluded that he wasn’t going to make money. But today, Kelani ranks high amongst Nigerian film-makers. Few of Kelani’s blockbusters include Ti Oluwa ni Ile, Oleku, Thunderbolt, and Arugba.

    Also, speaking on the challenges of funding was Onwuchie, who was able to access funds from the French government. “Getting the fund from Paris,” he said, “was very exciting for me because it allowed for a lot of room to do a lot of things.”

    However, Onwuchie sounded a bit disappointed that the only support he has gotten came from outside. He recalled an experience he had in South Africa. “Prior to that time, I was at a (film) festival in South Africa and I and a fellow producer whom we had a lot of things in common were discussing the film environment in Africa. He was very upset with his organisation because they gave him only about $10, 000 for researching the scripts. He was so furious with the agent and I think a representative of the organisation was telling him that this is to support you to concentrate on this script and research and then you can now come and apply for a grant.”

    To Onwuchie, this sounded to true to be real. He recalled thinking that “with this kind of money, I would develop a film that would compete with whatever he did.”

    He, however, said things are changing in the Nigerian space. “A few of my colleagues,” he said, “have had cause to enjoy some corporate and government support for local film works. So, it is not 100% correct that government or organisations are not supporting.”

    Speaking on whether Nollywood was bankable, Charles Novia, the brain behind November films wouldn’t agree. He said, “I don’t understand what they mean when they say it (Nollywood) is not a bankable project. But, they do know that it is an industry that generates lots of billions. It may not be structured, but they know that independent film producers have accounts. What they mean is they use the template of oil and gas industry to assess the film industry and that is very wrong.” Novia, one of the quartet behind the Project Nollywood, re-enacted what transpired when he was approached by Ecobank in 2006. After drawing up business plans, he, Fred Amata, Chico Ejiro, and Fidelis Dukker got N50m for which four of them raised N10m equity. The bank also asked for a 25% share in the company. According to Novia, there was a unique model which the bank wanted to employ to make sure the films would be sold. This was using about 10, 000 young Nigerian school leavers to be employed across the country by the bank as Direct Sales Agents (DSAs). The plan was to sell direct to the customer. But the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) rule that banks must not engage in non-banking activities would stifle this arrangement. The number of DSAs was reduced to 1, 000. Again, the bank introduced them to an outsourcing company for which they paid five million naira. It was not factored into the N50m loan. But, as the day of release of the movie approached, the (DSAs) were nowhere to be found.

    “Within 48 hours,” Novia said, “we got 60 DSAs of our own, got buses, and entered the streets just to sell the movies.” By the end of the first week, they had raised nearly four million naira.

    But, he said the bankers began harassing. According to Novia, the DSA plan was not the only plan but it was a strategic one. However, Novia who captured what happened in his book, a novel approach was that the security the banks requested from them were the master tapes of their films.

    For Ali-Balogun, he was only able to get funding for his film, ‘Tango With Me’ after it was finished. “I took the risk of putting them (companies that would later fund him) in my movie,” he said. “And the first company that saw it said, ‘this is good.’” The company even wanted more corporate presence in the movie and this was extra bargaining chip for Mahmoud.

    As the artistes rounded up, the crux of the parley remained that the country’s film industry definitely needs an intervention. And citing the example of the South African Film and Video Foundation, Shaibu said, “the government of that country has recognised film as one weapon that they can use to project South Africa. And they have provided different levels of funding that film-makers can apply for.” Nigerian film-makers no doubt believe that the Nigerian government can do better for its film-makers.

    The Art Stampede is a quarterly CORA-organised event whereby a confrontational style discourse is held on issues bordering on the arts. The very first Art Stampede was held in Festac Town, Lagos on June 2, 1991 and had as its theme: What is Literature.

  • Nollywood: Exuberance @ 20 (3)

    TO say that Nollywood @ 20 is capable of being run in sequels, seemingly unending as a season movie, would not be a hyperbole. In 20 years that the phenomenon called Nollywood has been with us, the rights could be said to be moving in arithmetic progression, while the wrongs are geometric. Reasons are not farfetched: Nigerian government has not been meticulous, and this is talking about all the sectors. But perhaps the entertainment industry is among the worst hit.

    Entertainment from time immemorial has been largely regarded as a ‘play thing’. Nigerian parents, in the early days of musical and theatrical evolution didn’t want their children to take up entertainment as a career. Children who chose to toe that line were regarded as outcasts of a sort. The singers were not considered better than town criers. Same for members of the moving theatres who survived by entertaining kings while living on the generosities of the clapping crowd at village squares. Parents may love to be entertained, but they’d rather watch the children of others mount the stage. This brings to my mind, a Yoruba proverb that states that “a madman’s folly excites, but not when the madman is your child.”

    Our parents, some of whom were government people carried this sentiment into public office. They never saw entertainment as business. No matter how you want them to look at it, entertainment is leisure, it is relaxation, it is playtime event; it is not work, it is not a serious thing, and so should not be taken seriously. It is supposed to be a service rendered freely by those who don’t work, to those who work. Entertainment to the ignorant is that massage that a full-time house wife gives to her husband after a hard day’s job. But the one who renders these services cannot continue to be a low life. Even housewives today have become breadwinners.

    This is the ugly picture that we reflect as Nigerians as far as art and entertainment is concerned. The situation may be better than in times past, but our strides are slow. Our parents’ attitudes are merely changing passively; so is government’s attitude to entertainment. Its entire phenomenon remains ‘play’ which is what entertainment is in English; ‘Wasa’ that it is in Hausa, ‘Ere’ that it is in Yoruba and ‘Egwuregwu’ in Igbo.

    I am worried that our independence from the colonial masters was not total. We just knew that we wanted to rule ourselves; we were not moved by the passion to develop and give ourselves the self esteem that we thought the white man denied us. You would recall that the medium of film was a propaganda tool for the colonial masters. It was a medium of mass education on government policies. And that perhaps, is the reason that by accident, the film industry still remains under the Information Ministry where propaganda strives. But after the liberalization of the mass media, it appears that government is still struggling with its defeat, that it does not think that the film industry should be evacuated from its fortuitous spot. They look at the film industry from one perspective; a tool for international diplomacy, forgetting that on the flip side of the coin, Nollywood, is also a vehicle of cultural exportation.

    I have thought of two major reasons why the film industry cannot function effectively under the Information Ministry. One; ‘Information’ is such a large sector that endears the Ministry to areas of quick fund, like the telecommunications sector and other private media establishments that give government direct revenue. Two; the Information Minister, in our usual political complexity is too busy defending government’s wrongdoings, to have quality time for the entertainment industry. Yet, they have refused to let the industry go to where it may find succor.

    A strong but subtle statement was made about who the real ‘parent’ of the entertainment industry is, when recently, President Goodluck Jonathan announced a proposed grant of N3 billion naira for Nollywood, putting the fund under the management of Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The fund, which Mr. President said will be unveiled in the first week of April, is in solidarity with the industry which was said to have clocked 20 this year, judging from the acclaimed first video film production in Nigeria called Living in Bondage.

    If this is a gradual method of making the ‘parent’ get familiar with a child in shelter, say to the child, “I’m sorry for abandoning you as a kid,” and evolve strategies to bring him back home, to this, I say, kudos to Mr. President.

    But perhaps for the sake of emphasis, we need to knock ourselves real hard. The motion picture industry is the only sector in Art, Culture and Entertainment that is under the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication. In other civilizations, most of which we emulate as a country, the entertainment sectors are put under the Ministry of Culture. The situation, as it is in Nigeria, has caused a major disconnect between the movie industry and other sectors in the art.

    Apart from the fact that honchos at the Information Ministry are not by calling, trained to understand the heartbeat of a people’s culture wholesomely, their ‘unholy alliance’ with the entertainment industry is the reason for its stunted growth. One among which is the fact that only the Ministry of Culture is empowered to sign international treaties which are very needed for the continued growth of the industry.

    Of what use therefore is a father, who cannot contribute positively to his child, especially when it has to do with deciding the child’s promising future. Let the Information Ministry, a surrogate parent, who merely took custody of the child from an accidental scene created by the colonial masters relinquish the child to its original parent; the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

    But if this is a riddle, let’s see how government intends to solve it: let’s see what the composition of the committee on the N3 billion will look like. Will the agencies dedicated to the film industry, even though they run the mandate of Information Minister, be co-opted into the scheme by the Culture and Tourism Ministry? Or will they be made to watch the game from the sideline?

  • Nollywood: Exuberance @ 20 (2)

    Nollywood: Exuberance @ 20 (2)

    I share the sentiment of my colleague, Shaibu Husseini of The Guardian newspaper who posited that: “practitioners of the Nigerian motion picture industry ought to consider themselves lucky for having President Goodluck Jonathan, who has demonstrated considerable admiration and disposition towards them. The President proved his admiration for the industry and showed that he was somewhat a Nollywood practitioner by inclination, when he again, announced the provision of funds for the development of the industry. President Jonathan had on Saturday, March 3, at a presidential dinner to celebrate the home video industry at 20, announced the provision of a N3 billion grant for the development of Nollywood under a scheme the President said will be called ‘Project Nollywood’.”

    No doubt, the magic works for the entertainment industry, in such a way that each time Nollywood practitioners meet with the President, he makes promises of some funds for the filmmakers. As praiseworthy as this may be, it gets me worried, considering that this incidental benefits tend to displace the industry from a position of rights to that of favours. Little wonder the filmmakers saw Mr. President’s utterance about Living in Bondage as a mere joke. Jonathan had said metaphorically that the film industry is under repression by pirates, probably because the acclaimed first Nollywood movie; Living in Bandage carried a derogatory title. I think this is not a statement that any deep thinking practitioner should swallow hook line and sinker.

    Indeed, an uncle who gives you proceeds from your late father’s property forgets in a minute that it’s your right and not a privilege with three billion naira being dangled before the face of a 20 year old, they could denounce their parents, let alone their name. Such was an expensive joke, if you ask me; that the industry’s woes should be judged by a mere movie title. Perhaps the thought could have achieved a balance, if Mr. President had also added that some Ministry, meant to help protect intellectual property does exist but has failed. Perhaps, he could have said, in like manner, that the failure of this Ministry is also a problem of nomenclature. And perhaps, we should have had a Nigerian Copyright Fighter instead of Nigerian Copyright Commission?

    My drift is that the industry is being taken for a ride, and practitioners are either too blind to see or too weak to act. The Nigerian Film Policy is embedded with everything that the motion picture industry should have, including intervention funds, grants, film village etc. You do not need a presidential dinner to bring all these to fruition. The practitioners should push for things that will give them some level of autonomy. Only the constitution gives such leverage.

    I cannot but recall the largest convergence of artistes through their various associations on Monday, March 21, 2011at the Eko Hotel & Suites, and the comprehensive communiqué passed on to the president by each association, detailing how they can function well. Unfortunately, not a significant aspect of these demands has been met by government. A sensitive and proactive government does not make its subject to look beggarly before doing the right things. If government truly believes that the entertainment industry means so much to the country as a potentially viable non-oil sector, then now is the time to begin to prepare for an alternative source of income – even if oil, that has sunk our groundnut pyramid and turned our cocoa plantations to grave yards will never dry up.

    When I see what a country like The Gambia is doing with sun and beaches, I get certain that the culture of wastages in Nigeria is a hundred percent.

    Did they not say that a house without a solid foundation is precarious? What do we think that Nollywood can achieve with all the grants in the world, if it is still lacking in basic structures? The industry has argued for and against Motion Picture Practitioners Council (MOPPICON) which Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, boasted during Zuma Film Festival in Abuja last year that it will be actualized in three months. That turned out to be another political statement. Whether or not MOPPICON will work, I am of the opinion that it can only make the industry learn when it makes some attempts and fails. A society cannot continue to live in assumptions it must act.

    Sadly, Maku did not live to his promises, and to imagine that people had clapped for him when he made that pronouncement. He had even talked about the much anticipated National Film Fund. It was heart-warming to hear Maku say that he was pushed to ensure a quick consideration of the film fund policy by the Federal Executive Council, and I thought that, that made President Jonathan’s administration proactive to issues of the film industry. But could the latest three billion naira be the fund we are talking about?

    Mr. Minister, I recall your light joke that night, saying that journalists do not usually write unless the issue is meant to criticise government. To that, I had personally led a group of entertainment writers to re-evaluate the disposition of the Jonathan led government to the plight of the entertainment industry ever since beneficiaries of the $200 million intervention fund were unveiled, and I think the government will get even more of positive reviews when it begins to see itself as truly needing the film industry to boost nation income, rather than seeing the industry as dependant of government largess.

    Next week, we shall take a look at the complexity of the Information Ministry and whether the film industry is not a victim of inattention. It will also be interesting to know who the real parent of the motion picture industry is, if indeed, like some say, the Information Ministry is just a surrogate father.

  • Jonathan, ministers laud Africa Magic awards

    Jonathan, ministers laud Africa Magic awards

    President Goodluck Jonathan has described the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) which held Saturday in Lagos  as  cultural liberation for Africa.

    Jonathan, who was represented at the event by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke recalled that before the advent of Nollywood 20 years ago, Nigeria had relied on other countries for television and video dramas, but noted that the reverse is now the case.

    Two other  Ministers, Edem Duke of Culture and Tourism and Olusegun Aganga, Trade & Investment also graced the event.

    Jonathan noted that following the independence of most African countries in the 60s and 70s, the first thing on the mind of African leaders was political liberation. He said they nurtured political unity through the Organisation of African Unity, now known as African Union (AU), and on the economic side, through Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    “Africa recognised the fact that irrespective of the artificial boundaries that separate us, our needs and aspirations had no borders, ” he said adding  that celebrating African films through an awards scheme like the AMVCA was a cultural liberation of the continent from the western world.

    Aganga  who was full of praise for the award , analyzed the underlying economic potentials of the entertainment industry in the continent.

    He noted that Africa is described everywhere today as the last frontier. “Why because every of the largest and fastest growing economy are in Africa – last frontiers because when you invest in an industry like this, your minimum return is 20 to 30 percent; so Africa today, is a testimony for high growth, high return and value,” he said.

     

  • Nollywood: Exuberance @ 20 (1)

    JUST 20 years more to confirm the folly of an industry called Nollywood. It is two decades since the acclaimed first video film, Living in Bondage was made, and indeed, the industry may have passed its formative stages but maturity is still far in sight. And unless another cliché is born to measure the 21st century man, one cannot but make do with the ‘Fool at Forty’ chestnut and see what the next 20 years holds for this notable industry of film quantum in the world.

    If the psychological progression of the human person is anything to go by, then age 20 finds succor in the traits of youthful exuberance. Nollywood can be said to be in that equation at the moment. Therefore, if celebrating Nollywood at 20 comes with so much drinking and getting drunk, some rapping and unwanted pregnancies, as well as some tall dreams with little vision, it is indeed understandable.

    However, telling a young chap about the dynamics of life and making him see the likely consequences of his actions is the justification left for an elder who must not fail in his responsibilities. Or didn’t they say that what an old man sees sitting, a young man does not see, even when he stands? Nollywood practitioners are too divided to be united. Everyone is pursuing a personal agenda and posterity is watching.

    Series of meetings had taken place between President Goodluck Jonathan and representatives of the film industry. By representatives, I mean, few, select members of Nollywood – theoretical and practicing filmmakers. In all of these get-togethers, including those convened by representatives of the president, hardly can one find heads of the regulatory agencies in attendance. Not even the Minister of Information and Communications under whose Ministry the film industry resides.

    While it may seem exciting that we can reach the president without going through their appointees (regulatory agencies), it also negates the principles representation, due process and proper structure that the filmmakers have been crying about. This alienation of key officers in an acclaimed business, that is meant to decide the destiny of an industry, is merely reduced to a tea party if you ask me. Otherwise, who took the notes at the last Presidential dinner with Nollywood in Lagos last Saturday? Who will pursue or remind Mr. President of the promises he made that night? Will the industry need another dinner with the president to reiterate what they asked last week? When will another opportunity come for such meeting with Mr. President? Has the president or the presidency done anything on the more articulate, consultative and widely representative parley held with various art and entertainment associations on Monday March 21, 2011 at Eko Hotel & Suites?

    At the risk of sounding judgmental, I think the industry people have continued to fuel that perception that has made people to look at them as mere entertainers rather than Showbiz minded men. Hypocrisy is one aspect of what makes politics a dirty game. Therefore, when filmmakers (in our case) ask for an audience with the government, it is for government to watch a shoddy remix of their political antics and get amused than entertained. Worst still, for an unwilling government, divide and rule is just made easy when the filmmakers continue in the disarray and animosity that they are presently in. The guilds are obviously divided. Personal interests are placed above collective goals. It is pitiable when individuals, rather than associations continue to drive the process of engagement between government and the industry. How official can that be? But why will such not happen when the association heads have assumed a political rather than technocratic position? When the leadership fights members over whose right it is to organize Nollywood @ 20, it only fuels the embers of division rather than building bridges.

    This Nollywood @ 20 is a series film, and this script will go on for as long as possible. With so many flashbacks in the offing, we shall look at the mud that this 20 year-old boy called Nollywood has brought to present times from his toddling stage. But just before we close this episode, last Saturday, President Goodluck Jonathan at a presidential dinner to celebrate the film industry at 20, promised a N3 billion package to help the movie industry. The event took place at State House, Marina, Lagos.

    The president said the package, to be launched as “Project Nollywood”, will include grants for the best film scripts, capacity building and infrastructural development. He said the scheme will be launched in the first week of April, and will be managed by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Jonathan noted that he had invited the private sector to the dinner because he believes that they can also support efforts to further develop the creative industry.

    On the previous revolving loan scheme of $200 million (N32 billion), announced by the president in 2010, Jonathan said only N766 million of the money has been accessed by practitioners. He said he has asked NEXIM Bank and the Bank of Industry to redouble their efforts in assisting the industry to access loans.

    … To be continued

  • ‘Tango With Me’ on screen in Aberdeen

    ‘Tango With Me’ on screen in Aberdeen

    Tango With Me, an award winning Nollywood film by Mahmood Ali-Balogun and  Femi Kayode will be on screen in Aberdeen, United Kingdom on February 15 to mark this year’s Valentine celebration.

    The exclusive Aberdeen event according to a press release by Resource Director of TrendyPR/WeddingTrendy, Timi Badejo  will be screened  at the Belmont Picture House, Aberdeen from 1030pm.

    ‘Tango With Me’ addresses issues that are often not discussed effectively or constructively in the African/wider community and this has seen the end of some marriages and relationships.

    “The presentation of the film is top-class production, enlightening yet entertaining. It is therefore no wonder it has been nominated and even won 5 awards at the African Movie Academy Awards with excellent reviews from film critics and the media” Badejo noted.

    Persons interested in watching the film should call 0790 44 77 811 for tickets and event details or email info@trendypr.com

  • Nollywood condoles with Jonathan

    Nollywood condoles with Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has described Nollywood as the nation’s greatest ambassador.

    He said the sector is positively marketing the country to the world.

    The President spoke when some artistes known as G-20, led by Kanayo O. Kanayo, came to condole with him on the death of his brother, Meni.

    Jonathan said Nollywood has brought hope and good reputation to the country.

    Kanayo said: “As practitioners in a veritable compartment of the creative industry, known as Nollywood, we are at one with your Excellency, family and all people of goodwill, within and beyond the shores of this land, in this time of grief.”

    Other members of the delegation were Onyeka Onwenu, Stephanie Okereke-Idahosa, Teco Benson, Bukky Wright, Rita Dominic, Wale Adenuga, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Jide Kosoko, Bob Manuel, Sanji Danja, Emem Isong among others.

  • Who is afraid of Nkiru Sylvanus?

    Who is afraid of Nkiru Sylvanus?

    Recently, the crying baby of Nollywood and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State, Nkeiruka Sylvanus has been embattled. The sultry actress who was catapulted to stardom in her epic movie A Cry for Help now seems to be in need of that help she sought for a long time ago. Known and appreciated for her emotional outbursts with tears rolling down her beautiful cheeks, making her look defenseless and vulnerable, Nkiru appears to have fallen prey to real life tormentors this time around.

    Her special talent evident in the effortless interpretation of her roles has brought along with it friends and foes alike, but Nkiru Sylvanus has had a way of always evading scandals and controversies. Try hard as she may these twin evils that haunt successful movie stars continue to stalk her like a shadow. Her first baptism of mischievous gossip sought to question her academic attainments but she was able to shake them off convincingly and conclusively to the chagrin of her foes and the admiration of her fans.

    Then she got enmeshed in a romantic rumpus with one Asha, a musician who was later found to be using her name to further his musical career by posing in a friendly photograph with her and making claims of a relationship. Following Nkiru’s shrill protests, further investigations led to an apology to her by the medium that published the malicious story. In a similar vein, another tabloid cast similar aspersions on her with an aide of the vice president but the junk editors were also made to swallow their sleaze with due apologies to the thespian.

    Nkiru Sylvanus herself has made enough efforts to explain her relationship with her boss whom she refers to as a father figure but in our own peculiar way of prejudiced denunciation nobody seems to be paying her any attention, instead romantic tales keep flying around her and Rochas Okorocha, all in a bid to make her a recluse.

    Now another tabloid, in its recent edition, concocted a story suggesting that the actress had parted ways with her boss and has accordingly being relieved of her appointment supposedly due to persistence of the Imo State First Lady, still purporting the existence of a romantic relationship. The magazine went further to cast aspersions on her intellectual capacity apparently in a manner as to render her insignificant and out of reckoning among her peers. As if that was not enough, a blogger Linda Ikeji went ahead with the same sponsored story without ascribing any source to it. The defamers of innocent character who seem to take an insatiable delight in mudslinging and name smearing have targeted Nkiru Sylvanus with sadistic zeal.

    Obviously, being human, it was wise for her to rise to the occasion to effectively defend her name and set the records straight. But it was not surprising that her true friends were quick to decipher the malicious objective of such stories which were mere tall tales crafted by those crouching in the shadows of Nkiru’s trail blazing successes in career and reputation that had illuminated the movie and entertainment arena.

    On her FACEBOOK page and to some of her friends in other social media networks, Nkiru Sylvanus wrote thus:

    “I am aware that one fake jobless blogger (names withheld) has been peddling news about me saying I lost my appointment with Imo State government. For the records, I was the Lagos Liaison Officer, Senior Special Assistant on Lagos Affairs which I handed over to Lisa Asugha and I am now Senior Special Assistant Public Affairs and this happened five months ago when there was a cabinet reshuffle. To my fans, who still love and believe in me, God will always be faithful. For those who want my downfall, sorry, I am the wrong person because I stand tall and strong”.

    Evidently those who were after her were not aware of this development and when her absence from Lagos was noticed they jumped to their jaundiced conclusion that she must have been relieved of her appointment. They failed to observe the elementary rule of journalism which is to hear from the appropriate authority on the authenticity of the story. They choose to go to Press with a story that suited their thinking and perceptions, typical of charlatans in the trade.

    As her fans who believe in the shining stature of the celebrity, we are confident that she has all it takes to serve the good people of Imo State and much more. We salute the courage of Governor Okorocha for playing down indigeneship sentiments while building the Ndigbo nation through the effective utilisation of responsive and responsible people in his government. This gives rise to the cross-fertilization of ideas. Nkiru Sylvanus is not the only non-Imolite in his administration, the celebrated soccer star Kanu Nwankwo is also one of them. We are convinced that a leader should look out for competence, loyalty and intellectual capacity to help him run his government and drift away from parochial sentiments that seem to divide us instead of uniting us. States like Lagos and Kaduna have demonstrated such commendable initiatives.

    Nkiru Sylvanus is the cat with nine lives, one that has exonerated herself from the plots and machinations of her adversaries. We urge you to continue to keep the flag flying. As a detribalised Nigerian with the appeal and charm of Cinderella, the machinations of your adversaries should not deter, rather they should spur you to greatness. Those who are afraid of you shall continue to be behind you while you make your expected leap unto the future with showers of blessings and amazing successes.

     

    •Jonathan Iwu writes from Maitama- Abuja

  • Nollywood films have no market boundary —Mike Abiola

    Nollywood films have no market boundary —Mike Abiola

    Mike Abiola is the Publisher of African Voice Newspapers UK and the Convener of the Afro Hollywood Awards recently rechristened African Film Awards, an award ceremony that seeks to celebrate and reward artistes who have distinguished themselves in their fields. With 17 editions on the tow, he speaks with Entertainment Editor, VICTOR AKANDE on Nollywood and its attendant issues, among other things.

     

    WHAT are the goals of the Afro Hollywood Awards that have been accomplished?

    From the inception of the awards in the UK, one of its aims as an organisation has been to contribute to the global growth of film and arts in Nigeria by giving international exposure to the talent that abounds in the industry. The Afro Hollywood Awards serves to promote and advance the dynamic growth of African film and arts in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom. With the popularity of Nollywood in the world currently, it would not be immodest to claim that Afro Hollywood has played a significant role to the growth of the Nigerian movie industry. The organisation has played a major role in promoting Nigeria’s film industry and its practitioners in Europe.

    How much impact would you say the award has had on the industry?

    Since 1996, when the maiden event was hosted in the UK, the Afro Hollywood Awards, which we have now rechristened African Film Awards, has unarguably remained the most prestigious recognition of the African film industry. To the industry practitioners, receiving our award is a true reflection of hard work, dedication and exceptional performance among Nigerians and other African artistes. A large number of the recipients have ended up as ambassadors for corporate brands, some of them have earned international roles while others have found family commitment in Europe.

    Considering the new fad where movies shot in Nigeria are being premiered and shown in London cinemas, would you say there is a market for sales and distribution of Nigerian films in UK?

    Just like music, films have no market boundary. A good movie will succeed anywhere in the world, if made professionally and backed with an adequate marketing budget. Recently, Tango with Me by Mahmud Balogun opened in cinemas around the United Kingdom and it is expected to make good box office returns. The UK is the biggest foreign market for Nigerian films. If Nigeria had an astute government agency, Nollywood would by now be earning more foreign exchange for Nigeria. People talk about Nollywood being the greatest Nigerian export today but agencies like the NFVCB have not tried hard enough to promote Nigerian films or support the international distribution of films made in Nigeria.

    Are there prospects of having actors from the mainstream British film industry take part in Nollywood movies, especially those of Nigerian descent?

    Collaboration work between British Nigerian producers and actors from both countries has great potential. This has started happening with the recently concluded film based on Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. More will happen in the very near future as the industry continues to grow. International producers are monitoring developments in Nollywood and, once the right framework is in place, more cross country production will happen.

    How were you able to get state governments in Nigeria to key into the awards by hosting the nominees’ night?

    Any Nigerian state with genuine interest in promoting its tourism can leverage on the global acceptance of Nollywood and the popularity of Afro Hollywood to market the state as a tourist destination. This is because the Afro Hollywood Awards has served very well as an effective platform for companies seeking to deepen relations and gain greater exposure for their products with British Africans and friends of Africa.

    So far, where have you received support from?

    The Government of Osun State played a pioneering role when the state’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture hosted the official Nomination Awards last October. Nigerian recipients of African Film Awards visited the famous Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls and recorded a documentary for international broadcast. This year, Ondo State hosted the official Nomination Awards.

    A number of awards celebrating Nollywood are held in the UK these days. What does this portend for the industry?

    A lot of copycat awards have sprung up all over Europe and America since the inauguration and success of the Afro Hollywood Awards in the UK. One organisation even went as far as far as naming theirs ‘Afro Hollywood Awards in America’ without clearance from the original copyright owners. Quite a number of them have not been consistent and some have fallen by the wayside. Obviously those without a genuine purpose or original ideas will not last long. However, on the other hand, additional awards with a genuine purpose will help the Nigerian film industry grow in bounds.

    What would you say has kept the African Film Awards going outside Nigeria since its inception?

    The African Film Awards event or Afro Hollywood Awards as it was formerly known has grown due to its credibility and reputation over the years for delivering on what it promises to its ever growing audience of film and arts enthusiasts. At a time when many did not recognise the potential of the film industry in Nigeria at the beginning in 1992, Afro Hollywood started a magazine dedicated to what became known as Nollywood. Nigerian Videos was first published in 1993 and gave birth to the Awards in 1996.

    What are your expectations for the next Awards?

    The 17th annual African Film Awards, which will be celebrating excellence in Nollywood and the best of African cinema, will be held in London on Saturday 3rd November at the historic Old Stratford Town Hall. It is expected to be the largest gathering of influential British Africans yet. The awards event usually attracts high net worth British Africans with an interest in encouraging the growth of Africa’s film industry.