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Tag: Onye Ozi

  • Igbo films rebound with Onye Ozi 

    Igbo films rebound with Onye Ozi 

    With the release of Onye Ozi, there appears to be a remarkable return of films in Igbo language, long after the popular Nollywood starters such as Living in Bondage and Nneka the Pretty Serpent.

    A comedy film, Onye Ozi, which has just been released on DVD, is according to pundits, a welcome development, and one which might reverse the long lost culture of indigenous language movie by filmmakers of Igbo extraction.

    Already, the movie, whose English subtitle is The Messenger, has won 12 awards at local and international events, since its cinema debut last year.

    Produced and directed by Obi Emelonye, the man behind Last Flight to Abuja and Mirror Boy, the film is expected to “set a pace and ignite the passion in fellow producers, who erroneously think that it is only in English language that filmmakers can make lasting statements,” said Emelonye.

    “From now on, I will make sure I shoot one film in Igbo language every now and then. And I will put in as much technical expertise as I would put into any other film. Honestly, the time has come for us to lift our language because nobody would do it for us. I have many friends who are really passionate scholars of the Igbo language in London and they have been reminding me, with regards to Igbo language, of the small power we have as international filmmakers to influence trends and set public agenda. I am also one of those parents who are both Igbo but whose children cannot speak the language well. I am passionately Nigerian and proudly Igbo. So I decided to make a script that I had written in English into an Igbo film to make my native language the centre-piece of an international film. The roots of Nollywood can be traced to ‘Living in Bondage’ which is an Igbo film subtitled in English. Onye Ozi is an attempt to revive the telling of African stories in Igbo language,” he explained.

    The film, which explores the issue of economic tourism, features Okey Bakassi, Ngozi Igwebike, Stephen Moriaty, Anthony Aclet, D’Kachy Obi-Emelonye and Adesua Atuanya.

    Speaking on the challenges he faced during the production, Emelonye said: “First, I needed a lead who was a proper leading man: funny, intelligent and with an army of followers. Okey Bakasi ticked all the boxes. But teaching white people Igbo language and getting them to speak it in the film with the right accent was also tough.”

  • Onye Ozi’s grand entrance

    Onye Ozi’s grand entrance

    IT was a night of fun and excitement at Silverbird Ikeja on Friday, November 22 as award-winning director and producer, Obi Emelonye, presented his latest effort and first language movie, Onye Ozi (The Messenger).

    Onye Ozi is a subtitled Igbo language movie featuring the comedian Okey Bakassi, while it introduces screen newcomer, Ngozi Thompson Igwebike, with other new actors like Stephen Moriaty, Anthony Aclet, D’Kachy Obi-Emelonye, Adesua Atuanya and many more.

    Colleagues, friends, media icons, top entertainment personalities and highly placed individuals filled the Hall 2 of Silverbird Galleria to the brim to savour the amazing evening of the delightful movie.

    The movie tells the story of Metumaribe (Okey Bakassi) fresh into London with high expectations and a two-year plan to return to Nigeria a rich man. However, life in London with his new ‘wife’ Mkpurunma (Ngozi Igwebike) does not go according to plan.

    One fateful night, Terry James(Stephen Moriaty), an old English man, is chased by some masked men into a party organised to welcome Metu to London and shot in front of his eyes. As party goers run away, Metu attempts to help the man. The dying man squeezes an envelope and a bunch of keys into Metu’s hand and whispers a message as he takes his last breath.

    From that point on, Metu becomes involved. And no matter how much he runs from it, he knows he must deliver the message as he promised. His two-year plan turns out to become a psychological adventure that changes his life and the lives of those around him forever.

    Emelonye says of the movie; “Onye Ozi (The Messenger) is my humble attempt to contribute my little quota to the preservation of the Igbo language and to take Nollywood back to its roots.”

    In attendance were Okey Bakassi, Tee Y Mix, Gbenga Adeyinka, Halimat Aitsegame, 2shot, Femi Davies, to mention but a few.

  • Onye Ozi reawakens Igbo language movie

    Onye Ozi reawakens Igbo language movie

    SILVERBIRD Cinema, in the popular Ikeja City Mall was full to the brim on Tuesday, November 12, when multiple award-winning movie Director, Obi Emelonye unveiled his latest work, Onye Ozi (The Messenger) to the press. It is his first comic Igbo language film.

    The movie could be aptly described as another attempt to reawaken the Igbo language genre. The movie has men and women with painted bodies and fabric wrapped across their waists and chests, dictating the unique style the filmmaker has put into the work.

    The Director revealed how it was possible for the white men he featured in the movie to learn how to speak the Igbo language. “It took a lot of time for us to introduce our language to them and to get a good result at the end. My son, who played Osita, was also taught the language within a short period of time, to be able to fit into the role. I discovered that I may want to speak to my son in a public place in a language that I do not want people to understand what we are communicating,” he stated.

    Asked why he decided to use just one A-list star, Emelonye explained; “the movie is actually a small project that along the line became a big one. I did Mirror Boy and Last Flight to Abuja and used A-listers. But it will be fulfilling for me, for someone to look back tomorrow and say I got known through Obi Emelonye’s movie Onye Ozi.

    “Ngozi Igwebike, the lady who played the lead role is someone I didn’t know from anywhere. She came for the audition and got the role, likewise all the other people including the whites,” he added.

    The movie was first screened on October 18, 2013 at The Lighthouse in London. And according to reports, it was awash with glamour, fun, Nollywood stars and huge laughs as Okey Bakassi worked his on-screen magic and showed once again why he is one of Nigeria’s biggest comics.

    With the cinema and online premiere happening simultaneously, this appears a good business for the Director who is working in partnership with Iroko TV, Ibaka TV and Afrinolly, three leading Nollywood online/mobile film distributors.

    Emelonye also stated that, over 60 countries were able to take part in the online premiere with surprisingly Saudi Arabia proving to be the 2nd most popular country for the online premiere after the United Kingdom. As Onye Ozi continues to rack up online sales since the premiere, many are saying this is the future for Nollywood and international world cinema.

    Subtitled in English, the psychological comedy thriller tells the story of an immigrant fresh into London with high expectations and a two-year plan to return to Nigeria a rich man. He gets caught up in an unexpected set of circumstances that changes his life forever. The film stars British lawyer turned actor Stephen Moriaty and Da’Kachy Ob-Emelonye, the first son of the director.

    Onye Ozi is produced by emerging UK based film producer Emmanuella Ngozi Ideh alongside Obi Emelonye on behalf of The Nollywood Factory with support from Nollywood Movies, M-Net Africa and Screen Nation Pictures.

  • Onye Ozi reawakens Igbo language film

    Silverbird Cinema, in the popular Ikeja City Mall was filled up on Tuesday, November 12, when multiple award-winning movie director Obi Emelonye unveiled his latest work, Onye Ozi (The Messenger) to the press. It was his first comic Igbo language film.

    The movie could be aptly described as another attempt to reawaken the Igbo language genre. The movie has men and women with painted bodies and fabric wrapped across their waists and chests, dictating the unique style the filmmaker has put into the work.

    The director revealed how it was possible for the white men he featured in the movie to learn how to speak the Igbo language. “It took a lot of time for us to introduce our language to them and to get a good result at the end. My son, who played Osita, was also taught the language within a short period of time, to be able to fit into the role. I discovered that I may want to speak to my son in a public place in a language that I do not want people to understand what we are communicating,” he stated.

    Asked why he decided to use just one A-list star, Emelonye explained, “the movie is actually a small project that along the line became a big one. I did Mirror Boy and Last Flight to Abuja and used A-list stars.