Two Nigerian films, Steve Gukas’ ‘93 Days’ and Kunle Afoloyan’s ‘The Bridge’ are billed to be screened at two of Hollywood’s most illustrious institutions in an event tagged ‘Nollywood in Hollywood’.
Scheduled for March 23 and 24, the event will be co-presented by leading film program, the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and Hollywood’s screening venue, the Egyptian Theater.
Speaking on the programme, Gukas expressed excitement not only for ‘93 Days’ but for Nollywood as a whole.
“The pedigree of the organizations putting this together tells me this is a unique opportunity for our film, myself and the industry. The thought of my film screening at the world famous Egyptian Theatre is mind blowing. I believe this is a unique opportunity that Nollywood can leverage on to showcase itself and attract the needed support and partnerships necessary for its continued growth,” he said.
Also reacting, Afolayan adds; “I believe the Nollywood in Hollywood event is a course in the right direction. I’m glad that The Bridge will be screening as part of the programs and I also look forward to mutual exploration between the two worlds.”
Those expected at the event include the Hollywood film industry, the foreign media, political, economic and civic leaders in California, celebrities and Nigerians in the Diaspora. The screenings will be free of charge.
“Africa’s most populous country is home to one of the world’s most prosperous film industries, but Nigerian cinema still has a relatively low profile in the U.S. The American Cinematheque’s mission to present the full range of motion pictures to the widest possible audience already includes annual programs devoted to new films from Spain, Germany, Italy, Argentina and other countries, so the chance to bring “Nollywood” to Hollywood for a night made perfect sense,” says John Hagelston of the American Cinematheque, operators of the Egyptian Theater.
It will be the first official event on the Hollywood cinema calendar after the 2017 calendar ended the Academy Awards. It is the first time Nigerian films will be presented to the Hollywood industry at an event designed solely for Nigeria.
