The Nation Newspaper

Tag: premiere

  • Furious 7’s Abu Dhabi premiere cancelled for Vin Diesel

    Furious 7’s Abu Dhabi premiere cancelled for Vin Diesel

    Furious 7 star, Vin Diesel’s daddy duties have put the brakes on a planned Abu Dhabi premiere for the next instalment in the popular street-racing action franchise.

    Diesel and his partner, Paloma Jimenez, are expecting their third child, and so could not leave that to chance.

    The notoriously private actor, 47, already has daughter Hania and son Vincent, but has never publicly announced that he and Jimenez are expecting another child.

    The new baby likely will arrive around the same time that Diesel’s next film, Furious 7, hits theatres April 3. But the news has forced Universal to cancel a splashy world premiere March 10 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, one of the film’s locations, because Diesel (also a producer on the pic) is opting not to go.

    “He wants to be with his family at the birth; it’s a beautiful thing,” says a source. “What human being wouldn’t?”

    A rep for Diesel couldn’t be reached, but a source adds that the premiere now will be April 1 in Los Angeles. According to a studio source, Universal is “happy to premiere the film in L.A., birthplace of the franchise, where a core fan base exists.”

    Diesel is known to keep details of his personal life closely guarded. He never made a formal birth announcement for either of his children. On Aug. 26, 2013, he made the only public appearance with his partner and their kids, stepping out to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

    Diesel is very much the face of the Fast & Furious franchise, which centre son his character, Dominic Toretto, and Paul Walker’s cop-turned-street racer Brian O’Conner. Walker’s tragic death in a car crash in November 2013 delayed production on Furious 7 and pushed the release date from July 2014 to April 2015. Furious 7 also stars Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibsonand Ludacris.

    The Fast & Furious franchise has earned a stellar $2.38 billion worldwide since launching with the first film in 2001. The most recent instalment, Fast & Furious 6, earned $788.7 million worldwide.

  • Stars at First Cut’s premiere

    Stars at First Cut’s premiere

    LISA OMORODION held a premiere of her movie, First Cut, on Friday, January 23, at Silverbird Cinema in Lagos. It was a very exciting event that brought together a number of stars in unique outfits. Monalisa Chinda, Yvonne Ekewere, Orisa Femi, Lancelot Imasuen, Enyinna Nwigwe, Azuka Ogujuiba, Igos, among others, were around.
    Everyone had a unique dress sense that could not be ignored, and they looked radiant and attractive. The highlight of the event was when Monalisa Chinda stepped in, wearing a black flared dress matched with black and gold bracelets. Looking ravishing and elegant, the star became the cynosure of all eyes, and she stole the show in style.

  • Banned Singaporean filmmaker takes world premiere to Toronto

    Banned Singaporean filmmaker takes world premiere to Toronto

    Provocative Singaporean filmmaker Ken Kwek, whose last film project was banned in his homeland, staged a world premiere of his first feature film, Unlucky Plaza, at the opening of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), yesterday.

    Unlucky Plaza is a black comedy about a down-on-his-luck Filipino immigrant who takes a group of prominent Singaporeans hostage in an upscale home after being scammed by a mysterious femme fatale.

    The crime caper is Kwek’s follow-up to his acclaimed but controversial 2013 satirical anthology Sex. Violence. Family Values. The collection was featured at several international film festivals, but was banned by Singapore’s Board of Film Censors and by the Malaysian government.

    However, public outrage, along with worldwide news attention forced Singapore’s censors to reverse their decision, but only after compelling the filmmaker to edit parts of the film.

    Unlucky Plaza stars acclaimed Filipino actor Epy Quizon (Pinoy Sunday), Singapore’s Adrian Pang (The Blue Mansion) and stage and TV actress Judee Tan, here making her feature film debut. The film was written and directed by Kwek, who also served as a producer along with Leon Tong and Kat Goh.

    “After the ban on Sex.Violence.FamilyValues, I’m naturally diffident about the film being passed – or passed clean – by Singapore’s censors,” Kwek said, adding that, “There’s every chance the film will not be screened in my own country, which makes the screenings in Toronto even more special and encouraging. TIFF has gifted to me a sense of freedom as an artiste that I don’t enjoy back home.”

    Unlucky Plaza premiered at Scotiabank Theatre 13, and although no entry from Nigeria at the festival this year, additional screenings have been scheduled as part of the festival’s “Discovery” programme, which spotlights new and upcoming directors in world cinema. The film, along with 38 others will compete for The Discovery Award, chosen by members of the International Federation of Film Critics.

  • Human trafficking: Nigerians premiere film in London

    Human trafficking: Nigerians premiere film in London

    A movie re-enactment of the endemic human trafficking vice, among Africans, has opened at the popular Odeon Cinema, London.

    The flick, St. Mary, provides another insight into capital flight, forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation. The film could have been positioned as a subtle campaign for Nigerians and other Africans in the Diaspora.

    Produced by Obi Osotule and directed by Matthias Obahiagbon, the 110-minute movie follows the story of Tejiri, who uncovers a massive web of conspiracy on human trafficking and crime on board    St.           Mary, an oil vessel on voyage bound for Amsterdam. The movie also narrates the story of Nonye who gets lured by a Facebook confidant and friend into a seeming breakthrough in her singing career. Her excitement banishes caution and her world is thrown into a spiralling string of turmoil and disaster. She lands in a cabal’s dragnet stripping her away from the safety of family and imposing a terrifying adventure amidst her pleas for survival.

    The movie also exposes the exploits of Don Daddy, an epitome of success whose massive business empire is built on extraction and sales of human organs. His tentacles spread out to the frontiers of establishment and he lives his fairy tale life in all the perks of comfort with a consortium of agents luring young girls with a promise of better life in Europe until he attracts the petit framed daughter of Prof. Ojukwu whose search pulls Don Daddy’s empire down.

    Featuring some of Nollywood’s top-rated actors such as Zack Orji, Ekpeyong Bassey-Inyang, Frank Dallas, Benjamin Joseph, Scott Roberts, Benita Nzeribe, Paul Obazele and Ibinabo Fiberesima, the Executive Producer of the movie Darlington Agha disclosed that the movie will premiered in the United States and Australia after the London premiere. He also disclosed plans to have the movie premiered in Kenya and Uganda before a grand premiere in Nigeria.

    ‘Human trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon, so it is not out of place to embark on a world tour with the movie so that people can learn from the narrative. So we will take it round and then hold a grand premiere in Nigeria where the movie was shot’’ Agha said.

  • K.D. Aubert to storm Nigeria for Turning Point premiere

    FOLLOWING months of post production and preparation for its release, the management of Hekcentric Films has announced Friday, May 24 as date for the premiere of its anticipated flick, Turning Point at the Silverbird Galleria.

    Produced by Hekcentric Films and Directed by Niyi Towolawi, the movie got two AMAA nominations at the recently concluded awards ceremony which held in Bayelsa State. According to Towolawi, the premiere will be attended by movie lovers, corporate players, representatives of the Lagos State Government, celebrities and cast of the film which includes Patience Ozokwor, Jackie Appiah, Igoni Achibong to name a few.

    To add flavour to the premiere, he said, K.D. Aubert who played the lead actress in the movie will be in Nigeria to share the experience with the Nigerian cast and other invited guests.

    “Apart from being part of the premiere, K.D. Aubert and other cast members will be doing a special autograph signing session for fans at a yet to be confirmed location. This special autograph signing event is being in other to give a wider range of fans an opportunity to interact with the cast of the movie,” Towolawi said.

    The film tells the story of complacence, karma, moral justifications and redemption as it follows the life of Ade (Igoni Archibong), a playboy Nigerian-American investment dating a keen-to-marry African-American Stacey (KD Aubert). Her family (Ernie Hudson, Cynda Williams) had been cautious of this “African” but begins to warm to him due to his professional success and charm.

    The event which is being put together to herald the release of the movie in Nigerian Cinemas, according to Towolawi, will be filled with lots of glitz, pomp razzmatazz as the guests are treated to what he termed a cinematic masterpiece.

  • ‘My Life My Damage’ gets new premiere date

    THE premiere of My Life My Damage, the much awaited flick set to launch sultry actress, Tonto Dike’s box office experience at the cinema in February 1st 2013, has been rescheduled for March 1st 2013.

    According to reports, the change was said to be due to logistic problems and also the partnering corporate organizations demand for more time for effective planning.

    Produced by Uche Jombo Rodriguez, the movie which features Tonto Dike as the lead act, also parades the likes of Bukky Wright, Kalu Ikeagwu, Biola Williams, James Tucker, and Bobby Obobo. The Damage trilogy is a movie collection of three distinct but interwoven stories aimed at advocacy for social issues; each story addresses important problems affecting individuals, families and societies at large.

    The movie tries to address the issue of reckless use of drug among the youths and its attendant negative consequence. It is about a young lady who travelled abroad and exposed herself to drugs use and eventually got infected with the dreaded disease called HIV/AIDS.

    The producer cum actress, Uche Jombo is also a script writer who has been in the Nigerian industry for a while. She has acted in so many blockbuster movies and has written several movies including The Celebrity, Games Men Play, Holding Hope, Girls in the Hood, A Time to Love, Be My Wife, Perfect Planner, Price of Fame to mention but a few.

  • September 28 for Single and Married premiere

    FOLLOWING a successful showing of the movie, Single and Married in Ghana last weekend, sultry Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson has said that come Friday, September 28, the flick, her debut production, will be premiered at the Silverbird Galleria. According to the actress, it will be a blend of Ghanaian and Nigerian stars as they come together to grace a red carpet reception preceding the premiere.

    Yvonne described the movie as one loaded with excitement which movie enthusiasts should look out for. Among the lineup of cast in the flick are Yvonne Nelson herself, Chris Attoh, Nadia Buari, Afro neo-soul singer, Efya, hip life rapper, Tiffany, Kofi Adjorlolo, Kweku Elliot, Eddie Watson and Anita Erskine alongside Nigerian TV Presenter turned actress, Tana Adelana and a host of others.

    The flick was produced by Media GH in partnership with Yvonne Nelson Productions. Among Nigerian artistes expected at the premiere include Nyanya, DJ Jimmy Jatt and a host of others.

    Told in a narrative form with Anita Erskine as the narrator, the movie centres on the drama, the intrigue and the dirty little secrets of three male friends, their sex lives, marital status and the whole works. Single and Married stars Yvonne Nelson, Nadia Buari and Chris Attoh all playing lead roles.