Sunday, June 30, 2013

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 10th Abuja International Film Festival in Nigeria


This is an official Call for Entries for the 10th Abuja International Film Festival scheduled for the 24th-27th September 2013 at the Silverbird Cinemas Abuja, Nigeria.

The festival will screen over 60 indigenous and foreign movies in the following genres: Short, Feature, Animation, Documentary and Experimental. All entries must have been produced within the past 24 months and you can download the entry form from our website: www.abujafilmfestng.org.

The festival shall give awards in the following categories:

1. Best Feature Film

2. Best Short Film

3. Most Outstanding Male Act

4. Most Outstanding Female Act

5. Best Experimental Film

6. Best Animation Film

7. Best Documentary Film

8. Golden Jury Award

All entries should be submitted in DVD FORMAT. Deadline for submission of entries is July 31st, 2013.

For further enquiries you can call 08023217673, 07055773560 or 08023260448



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Happy Birthday Uncle Jimi Solanke!

"Take me away from performance and in a week I'll be sick -- and I've never been sick because I've been performing all the time.

I feel I am doing what God has asked me in life -- am I doing it well, I want to do it better still, I'm trying. I feel fulfilled when it comes to performing in front of audiences.

 ~ Jimi Solanke. 

Uncle Jimi Solanke is 71 today and Nigerians Report Online is thanking our Almighty God JEHIVAH for his beautiful and wonderful life as celebrated on stage, press, TV, film and radio over the decades and his interview on CNN's African Voices is worth seeing again and again.

It was a great honour that he came with my mentor Dame Taiwo Ajai-Lycett to celebrate with us at the maiden launching of our Screen Naija One Village, One Cinema Project, that will be the biggest and largest cinema venture in Africa before 2016.

We wish uncle Jimi Solanke many more happier returns of the day and may God grant him more grace to continue to shine wherever he goes as a blessing to us.


 Faithfully,
 Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Publisher/Editor, Nigerians Report Online
Founder, Eko International Film Festival
Founder/CEO, Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema  
A member of the Projection Foundation



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Vote for Our Sweetheart Meg Masha On D'Bats Reality TV Show


VOTE FOR OUR SWEETHEART MEG MASHA ON http://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=251362704989038&id=209511312507511

Just Like her photo on https://www.facebook.com/DbatsTvRealityShow



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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Cinema Boosts Effectiveness of Ad Campaigns By Delivering Three-Fold Revenue Return On Media Investment



Carlsberg stunt in Belgium with 148 bikers in a movie theater. Some innocent couples want to take their seat, but the room is filled with not-so- friendly looking bikers. How will they react, see for yourself. Credits: Ad agency: Duval Guillaume Modem, Brussels Creatives: Koenraad Lefever , Dries De Wilde Production: Monodot, Brussels Director: Cecilia Verheyden Producer: Tatiana Pierre Creative Director: Geoffrey Hantson , Katrien Bottez.


Cinema boosts effectiveness of ad campaigns by delivering three-fold revenue return on media investment


London, 11 September 2012: BrandScience, the business and marketing effectiveness arm of Omnicom Media Group, has shared its findings on the Revenue Return on Investment for cinema media spend across Europe today at an event hosted by the Cinema Advertising Association.

The Europe-wide study, commissioned by Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA) and Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) shows that Cinema advertising outperforms print and outdoor across Europe with a Revenue Return on Investment (RROI) of €3.07 and an overall carryover rate of 48%. This means that if an ad spend of €1000 delivered 100 sales in the first week, it would drive 48 in the second, 23 in the third and 11 in the fourth week following exposure. In the UK, Cinema delivered a £2.84 RROI for every £1 invested and the best carryover rate of all media nationwide at 72% per week.

Case studies from the BrandScience Econometrics Results Vault were used to review how cinema performed across different product categories including FMCG, services, leisure and entertainment.

In the FMCG category, cinema delivered a RROI of €2.88 from just 6% of the total media spend. When used as a secondary medium in this sector, Cinema provides the highest RROI amongst other media, enjoying a 51% carryover, just behind TV.  The FMCG research was further broken down into three subcategories covering Food and Drink, Health and Beauty, as well as impulse purchases.

Cinema was the standout media in the Food and Drink subcategory returning €4.80 and 68% carryover when 7% of the overall media budget was invested in the medium. This was the best performance of all media.

For Health and Beauty, cinema also delivered the highest RROI of all media within its subcategory, delivering €2.97 from a 5% spend, while the 40% carryover rate in this subcategory outperformed both Outdoor and Print.

Cinema spend for Impulse purchases returned €2.12 from a 6% media spend, again higher than both Outdoor and Print, with a 51% carry over, indicating that in this subcategory Cinema works harder than all other secondary media.


In the Service category, Cinema returned €3.43 for every €1 spent from just 3% of the media budget invested in the medium. This is €1.14 higher than Outdoor’s achieved RROI with 12% of the media budget. Cinema’s carryover rate was 43%, also highest behind TV.

The Leisure and Entertainment category delivered €3.08 from a 3% Cinema spend, generating €1.22 more than Outdoor, which represented 7% of media spend.  With a 43% carryover rate, Cinema was again the highest performing medium behind TV for this category.

Econometrics also identified optimum percentage investment in Cinema as part of the media mix. It found that on average, spending up to 10% of a media budget on Cinema advertising can significantly increase the total communications RROI for an overall campaign, in addition to the specific medium. In the Leisure and Entertainment category, for example, investing 4-10% of media spend in Cinema drove total communications RROI of €4.24. Adding Cinema to the schedule boosts return on investment from other media too as the RROI for TV increased to €2.09 from €1.24 when part of the media mix. The RROI for TV’s Leisure and Entertainment spend increased to €5.87 from €5.10 when cinema was added.
Sally Dickerson, Global CEO of BrandScience says: “Working with the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) and other Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA) members across Europe, BrandScience has collated evidence from its Results Vault of over 1100 econometric studies in Europe, of which 111 evaluated Cinema Spend and other media. The meta analysis proves that Cinema delivers a healthy return on media investment, particularly when used as part of an integrated campaign. Cinema performs in its own right as measured by direct RROI (Revenue ROI) and enhances all other main media in assuring higher campaign RROI”.

Sarah Dack, Board Member of the CAA adds: “Whilst many studies continue to prove that Cinema delivers more engagement, reaches light TV and youth audiences, the BrandScience study confirms that cinema doesn’t just deliver soft KPIs, it also drives strong return on investment for the brands that advertise on the Big Screen.”


The European study was commissioned by the Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA) and was based on 111 case studies measuring the impact of cinema when used with other media. The European RROI number refers to 56 case studies where in depth analysis has been carried out. The UK study was based on 27 case studies and commissioned by the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) in the UK. Both pieces of insight were drawn from the BrandScience Econometrics Results Vault containing over 1000 cases.

Helen Nassey
PR Manager
Propeller
+44 (0)20 3301 5341/+44 (0)750 612 1999  

For further information please contact:
Liza Patoux
Marketing Manager
+44 (0) 20 7534 6228


Notes to Editors
About the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA)

The trade association CAA promotes, monitors and maintains standards of cinema advertising in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
The primary functions include pre-vetting and clearing all UK cinema commercials to ensure conformity with the British Codes of Advertising, sales promotion and direct marketing. It also provides UK cinema market information in terms of impacts, admissions and screen numbers. In addition it produces the annual Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation (FAME) and Film Monitor research providing insight into cinema going and the film viewing experience within the UK.



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21 Quotes From African Billionaires On Business, Passion And Life

 Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

$16.1 billion. Ventures: Sugar, Cement, Flour, oil and gas, telecoms, etc. Nigerian-born Aliko Dangote retains his position as Africa’s richest man for the 3rd year in a row. He is $4.9 billion richer than he was last year on account of the soaring value of his publicly-listed holdings in Nigerian blue chips like Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, National Salt Company of Nigeria and Zenith Bank among others. This year, FORBES also accounted for other assets including his personal portfolio of homes, jets and yacht. Dangote started building his fortune over three decades ago by trading in commodities like cement, flour and sugar but became a billionaire by manufacturing these items. Venerable philanthropist has given away over $100 million to causes in health, education, flood relief and poverty alleviation.

 ‘‘If you give me $5 billion today, I will invest everything here in Nigeria. Let us put our heads together and work’’.
  ~ Aliko Dangote, Nigeria.



‘‘The harder you work, the luckier you get’’.
~ Mike Adenuga, Nigeria.


“I will continue to empower the youths. That is my passion. The youths are the leaders of tomorrow. We must continue to support them’’ 
~ Mr. Jim Ovia, Nigeria. 


‘‘I just want to be master of my own time. It is ironic that someone in the watch business should not be in control of his own time.’’
 ~ Johann Rupert, South Africa. 


‘‘Who else could have built a company we bought for R1 million into a company worth more than R100 billion today. To run a company with more than 100,000 employees in 17 countries, you have to be able to think on your feet.’’
  ~ Christoffel Wiese, South Africa.


‘‘What do you do if you are an executive who resigns? You declare yourself a consultant’’.
~ Mohammed Ibrahim, Sudan.


 ‘‘I can tell you that I won’t sell Mobnil, they think because of this boycott, that I will get fed up and sell, it’s not in my character… I am not a quitter’’.
 ~ Naguib Sawiris, Egypt.

Click here for the rest of the quotes by all the African billionaires with their profiles.


 
 
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Friday, June 28, 2013

Happy 50Th Birthday To Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State!


I wish the golden leader of Lagos State, Happy 50th Birthday with all the glory to the Almighty God JEHOVAH who has blessed and increased His Excellency Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. 
I wish him many more happier returns of the day. 

 As a fellow Lagosian, born and bred in Lagos of the same generation with Fashola, I can tell you that he is the best governor so far in the history of Lagos State and I pray that his successors will follow his golden footsteps in making Lagos a world class mega city and the pride of Nigeria. 

50 golden cheers to you, our trail blazing governor!

 Faithfully, 
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, 
Publisher/Editor 
Nigerians Report Online  



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Happy Birthday Meg Masha, the Face of Screen Naija One Village, One Cinema!


Happy Birthday Meg Masha!

With endless thanks to the Almighty God who makes all birthdays I wish you many more happier returns of the day with longer life and more prosperity in Jesus' mighty name!
Keep shining and keeping smiling as you continue to rock and rule your world as a star.

Cheers always.

 

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Human Rights Commissioner Condemns Executions in Nigeria


BERLIN, 25 June 2013 / PRNewswire Africa / - Markus Löning, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, issued the following statement today (25 June):
Zusatzinformationen

"I am appalled by the execution of four people in Nigeria. Only recently, the Government reaffirmed its willingness to maintain the de facto moratorium which has been in place since 2006. The executions are even more shocking as an appeal was still proceeding in all of the cases. Nigeria has thus violated the internationally recognized minimum standards on the death penalty.

There is an imminent risk that a further convicted person will be executed. I call on Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan to try and persuade the competent governor to rescind the execution order. Furthermore, I expect the Nigerian Federal Government to ensure that human rights obligations which it entered into at international level are adhered to within Nigeria.

I know that the prisoners executed had been found guilty of serious crimes, and I have sympathy with the families of their victims. Nevertheless, the death penalty is an inhumane and cruel punishment. The German Government is against capital punishment under any circumstances and is campaigning for its universal abolition. "

SOURCE : Federal Foreign Office, Federal Republic of Germany

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
27 Jun 2013
00:59 UN EXPERT URGES HALT TO POTENTIAL EXECUTION OF NIGERIAN AFTER DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM BROKEN
00:42 SAHEL: UN SPECIAL ENVOY PRESENTS INTEGRATED STRATEGY TO SECURITY COUNCIL
26 Jun 2013
18:12 Total Increased Its Stake In NOVATEK
16:06 Nigeria: UN expert on arbitrary executions calls for immediate halt to further executions
16:00 Human Rights Commissioner condemns executions in Nigeria
15:15 The Federal Government of Nigeria Announces Intention to Sell Ten Gas-Fired Powered Plants
14:30 The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: TOTAL, CNOOC Limited, Petrobras, Exxon Mobil and Chevron
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00:26 Afrique subsaharienne : l'ONU salue les avancées dans la lutte contre les infections par le VIH/Sida chez les enfants
25 Jun 2013
15:01 Nigerian business leader Sir Emeka Offor becomes first major donor to Rotary's "End Polio Now - Make History Today" effort
14:45 La BAD et IILM renforcent leur coopération pour mobiliser des ressources sur le marché de la finance islamique
14:44 Rotary and Gates Foundation extend fundraising agreement to end polio
14:17 AfDB and IILM Strengthen Cooperation to Mobilize Resources on Islamic Finance Markets
14:11 IPU Mission to Burundi Calls for Release of Former MPs
14:05 New HIV infections among children have been reduced by 50% or more in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa
13:00 FMC Technologies Receives $1.2 Billion Subsea Equipment Order for Total's Egina Field
24 Jun 2013
19:51 Race is on to Save Millions of Somalis and Their Vital UK Remittance Lifeline
21 Jun 2013
17:51 SPDC Sets out its Future Intent for Nigeria
17:48 SPDC Sets out its Future Intent for Nigeria
16:46 SPDC Sets out its Future Intent for Nigeria



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Three Quarters of Brits Drive in the Fast Lane

 No. This is not a scene from Fast & Furious 6, they are British drivers racing on the road like Formula One drivers. These Brits must be speed crazy!

27 Jun 2013 09:00 Africa/Lagos


Three Quarters of Brits Drive in the Fast Lane

- Three Quarters of Brits admit to driving over 80mph, flouting the 70mph speed limit
- Middle aged men are more likely to exceed 100mph than boy racers in their 20s
- In fact over a quarter of 20-30s never exceed 70mph 
 
LONDON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With Formula One drivers topping 195mph at Silverstone this weekend, a consumer survey by international provider of traffic information and driver services INRIX found when it comes to putting pedal to metal, a staggering three quarters of all Brits admit to exceeding 80mph, in fact one in three drivers has topped 100mph.

"On the eve of the sold out race at Silverstone this weekend, the findings show the U.K.'s need for speed extends well beyond the track into their daily lives," said Jon Maron, Vice President of Marketing, INRIX. "While speeding is one way to make up for lost time idle in traffic, apps like INRIX Traffic can help drivers find the best route around the day's jams without the risk of a speeding ticket."
The buzz at Silverstone this weekend will be electric, as 120,000 spectators flock to see the world's finest drivers and most highly engineered cars drive impossibly fast. According to the survey, Brits love of motorsport and fast cars runs deep:
  • Middle aged drivers are the biggest speed offenders.  Nearly half of drivers aged 35-45 claim to have exceeded 100mph on British roads compared to just 32 percent of 20-34 year olds.  One of every five U.K. drivers 35-45 years old admitted to traveling 10 mph over the speed limit regularly.  Men were also more likely to break the speed limit (84 percent) than women (69 percent)
  • The Nurburgring Nordschliefe in an Aston Martin is the most coveted drive.  Nearly half (40 percent) of Brits cited Nurburgring over other famous roads for the ultimate drive.  In addition, the Aston Martin One-77 beat Bugatti, Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini for the title of most desired supercar among those surveyed.
  • McLaren battles Ferrari for popularity.  The majority of 55-64 year olds dream of driving for McLaren while Ferrari was the favourite team for 20-34 year olds who grew up following Michale Schumacher's legendary winning streak in the mid-90s and early 00s. 
  • Lewis Hamilton reigns supreme.  Despite recent controversy, over a third of Brits (36 percent) would prefer to go for a test drive with Lewis Hamilton, over championship leader Sebastian Vettel (14 percent).
Tips for Avoiding the Slow Lane to Silverstone
INRIX analysed recent traffic patterns around Silverstone including traffic conditions from last year's event to help race fans get to the track in time for the big race. Unlike the field at Silverstone who will be racing at speeds up to 200 mph, frustrated spectators could find themselves stuck in traffic on the way to the track crawling at just 19mph -- 10 times slower than their racings idols. INRIX offers the following advice to help drivers avoid lengthy delays around Silverstone this weekend:
  • For the quickest journey fans should avoid travelling at the peak times below:
    • 10-11am on the Friday
    • 7 to 8 am on the Saturday
    • 9 to 11 am on the Sunday
  • Drivers on the A43 leading in to the circuit from the M1 J15a at Rothersthorpe will experience the worst delays.  At peak times, drivers should allow an extra 1hr 15 for a typical 15 minute journey
  • INRIX recommends spectators travelling from the East or Northern parts of London cut across town or take the M25 to join the M40 as it will save them valuable time.
  • Plan ahead and check traffic conditions before leaving using apps like INRIX Traffic.   The INRIX Traffic app is available for free on IOS and Android platforms ahead of Silverstone this weekend.  The app analyzes data from millions of vehicles traveling U.K. roads every day to provide drivers with real-time traffic maps showing the best routes, recommended departure time and expected arrival times. Covering all major highways and secondary roads in the U.K., the app also alerts drivers to accidents and other traffic causing delays as well as the ability to share one's arrival times with any contact in their address book by making just a few taps on their smartphone.
Research Methodology and Background:
  • This survey was conducted among 1000 U.K. consumers who follow/watch F1 racing.
  • Interviews were conducted online by Redshift Research in June 2013 using an email invitation and an online survey.
  • Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total populations aged 18 and older and results of any sample are subject to sampling variation.
  • The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.
  • In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 1.9 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
  • The sample was selected from the Crowdology panel. Crowdology™ is an online panel owned and operated by Redshift Research.  The Crowdology™ panel is balanced across regional, age and gender demographic factors, and is nationally representative of the UK population.
  • Each respondent completes 120 profiling questions before being accepted to join our panel.  Panel Quality Management is carried out frequently to ensure reliable surveys.
About INRIX
INRIX is one of the fastest growing big data technology companies in the world. The company leverages big data analytics to reduce the individual, economic and environmental toll of traffic congestion. Through cutting-edge data intelligence and predictive traffic technologies, INRIX helps leading automakers, fleets, governments and news organizations make it easier for drivers to navigate their world. Our vision is simple – to solve traffic, empower drivers, inform planning and enhance commerce.
Whether through an in-car or smartphone navigation application, a local newscast or our INRIX Traffic app, our up-to-the-minute traffic information and other driver services help more than 150 million drivers save time, fuel and frustration. INRIX delivers traffic and driving-related insight, as well as sophisticated analytical tools and services across six industries covering nearly 3 miles of road in 32 countries.



CONTACT: Claire Barson, Hotwire PR on behalf of INRIX, claire.barson@hotwirepr.com, office: +44 (0) 20 7608 4639, mobile: +44 (0) 7713 998 580
Web Site: http://www.inrix.com




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Mimi Wolford and Nigerian Artists FĂȘted by U.S. Consul General in Lagos

Honorable  Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr. U.S. Consul General in Nigeria with his wife and Mimi Wolford.

Wednesday evening June 26, 2013, Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr. U.S. Consul General in Nigeria hosted Mimi Wolford, Founder/Curator of the MBARI Institute for Contemporary African Art in Washington, DC, USA, at his Ikoyi Crescent residence to fĂȘte the young artists from her recent art workshop in Lagos.

A presentation of a portrait of the U.S. Ambassador by one of the artists.

                                  Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr with his wife, Mimi and the artists.
 

My former tutor, the famous Nigerian artist and print maker Prof. Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya recalled how the parents of Mimi Wolford supported several young Nigerian artists and writers in the early 1960s, including the late Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi and also attracted Demas Nwoko, David Dale and himself who was a young art teacher at the St. Gregory's College in Lagos.

 
Mimi dancing with some of the artists and invited guests.

                                                   Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya and Mimi.

"The parents of Mimi, Jean Kennedy and her husband Dick Wolford who worked for USAID, were themselves artists and friends to Ulli Beier. They turned their sitting room in McEwen Road, Ikoyi to an art gallery where they marketed products of the Osogbo artists. We called the gallery the ‘Thursday Show' because it took place once a week for only two hours every Thursday," recalled Prof. Onobrakpeya and noted that they also played a prominent role in the Mbari Mbayo Club founded in Ibadan in 1961 by a group of young writers discovered by the late Ulli Beier, a teacher at the University of Ibadan. He mentioned how such art workshops like his own Harmattan Worshop at Agbarha-Otor, Delta State has nurtured the talents of many artists, including the accomplished Peju Layiwola who was at the exhibition of the works of young artists at Mimi Wolford's workshop in Lagos.

 “Nigeria in the ‘60s was a place where everything was possible, Nigeria today is home of the largest and most prolific group of artists in Africa.”   
 ~ Mimi Wolford

Others at the event included prominent Artist Nike Davies-Okundaye of Nike Art Centers, Luciano Uzuegbu, the Curator of Omenka Art Gallery and Senior Programme Officer of the Ben Enwonwu Foundation in Ikoyi, Hope Obioma Opara, President of Eko International Film Festival and Publisher of Supple magazine, Nigerian filmmaker Chike Ibekwe and his wife Mrs. Peju Ibekwe, Shaibu Husseini from The Guardian of Nigeria and Africa Movie Academy Awards, Benny Uche of the Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy, Ejiro Onobrakpeya and Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Founder of Eko International Film Festival and Founder/CEO of Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC).

 ~ By Orikinla Osinachi  

Photographs by Ayo Durodola.



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