Friday, June 16, 2017

Nigerian Film Industry: Misplacing Priorities, Title Chasers and Under Achievers


The best filmmakers and achievers in Nollywood and Kannywood are not the ones contesting for temporary posts for bragging rights in the local guilds or international associations, but those who are busy making movies and making waves in local and international competitions and attracting international investments in the Nigerian film industry.

 From EbonyLife TV.
 From Screen Naija YouTube.
From a Nollywood location.

With all the brouhaha and hullabaloo over Nollywood and Kannywood and the appointments of Managing Directors of the Nigerian Film Corporation and title chasers of the guilds and associations, Nigeria does not have a single film treaty with any country in the world and no film market.

South Africa has a film market and has co-production treaties with the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, Ireland and Australia. South Africa provides comprehensive support for treaty countries, offering the best infrastructure, location, cast and crew, and studios. That is why South Africa has attracted many international co-productions of blockbuster movies; winning coveted awards at the Oscars, Cannes, Berlinale and other major international film festivals.

India has signed co-production treaties with numerous countries, including, China, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, the U.K., Italy, New Zealand, Poland and Spain.

What matters most to the advancement of human civilization is not becoming a title holder in the leadership of a nation or organization, but your outstanding achievements in the dynamics for the development of the society; from Aristotle to Soyinka.
A temporary title from the lowest post to the highest post is not a great legacy, because as people come and go, History remembers only those who make history.

The Nigerian film industry is presently in disarray without any assessment of the best practices for the Nigerian Film Corporation; National Film and Video Censors Board (that I doubt knows anything about rating documentary films and film festivals); guilds and the associations. And the federal government seems confused about the socioeconomic dynamics of the entertainment industry.

The Ministry of Information and Culture; Ministry of Communication and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment should convene a national strategic planning symposium on the Nigerian film industry before another cabinet reshuffle and change of the status quo of the current office holders will disrupt their work plans as we have seen in previous administrations without realistic milestones.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chaima
Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi | IndieWire http://www.indiewire.com/author/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi/.

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