AFRIFF 2022 To Host The African Premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

AFRIFF 2022 To Host The African Premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

The Walt Disney Company in association with Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and FilmOne Entertainment has officially announced that Nigeria will host the official African premiere of Marvel Studios’ "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" at the AFRIFF 2022.

In a statement by Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa, Co-founders of FilmOne Entertainment, official distributors of the movie in English West African territories, said: “Being instrumental to the release of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in West Africa is a proud achievement and a milestone for us and the entire FilmOne team, it will be celebrated for a long time. We are excited and fully committed to working with The Walt Disney Company to deliver a grand African premiere, even as we channel all our arsenal towards realizing a momentous box-office performance for the title.”

Chioma Ude, the Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF said: “We are excited and proud to be a part of the premiere of this milestone film here in Africa. This is huge for the continent of Africa as it symbolises to us further bridging the gaps between the global film industries.” 

“We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" to Lagos this November,” said Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager for The Walt Disney Company Africa. “Working closely with our long-term distribution partners FilmOne and this association with AFRIFF, we are anticipating a wonderful celebration with Nigeria’s cinema-goers and Black Panther fans.”

Directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" opens in cinemas from November 11th.

The duration of AFRIFF is from 6-12 November 2022 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Theme: INDIGENOUS FOR GLOBAL

Opening Film: Nanny

Prime Video’s award-winning psychological horror film by Nikyatu Jusu.

“Nanny” stars Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, and Leslie Uggams. The film follows Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal to West Africa, who is hired to care for the daughter of an affluent couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) living in New York City. Aisha is haunted by the absence of the young son she left behind. Aisha hopes her new job will afford her the chance to bring him to the U.S. but becomes increasingly unsettled by the family’s volatile home life. As his arrival gets closer, a violent presence starts to show up in both her dreams and her real life, putting her American dream, which she is working hard to build, in danger

Closing Film: Almajiri by Toka McBaror

The annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is the most vibrant film festival in Africa and the #1 international attraction and destination for film tourism in West Africa.

AFRIFF attracts over 100, 000 people annually from Nigeria, America and other countries with filmmakers, actors, movie aficionados and stakeholders in the film industry from within Africa, America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia since it started in 2010 with all the glitz and razzmatazz of glamour and fanfare.

Oscar Day

5 November 2022
11.00 AM - 7.00 PM

AFRIFF Oscar Day Outline: 

Oscars Student Academy Awards Forum 
Oscars International Film Awards Forum
Two special seminars on the behind-closed-doors selection and voting process of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS),  presented by long-time Executive Committee member and acclaimed filmmaker Lawrence David Foldes. 
Followed by the Nigerian Premiere of Foldes’ award-winning feature ”Finding Home” with a post-screening Q&A on the making of the film.  Register online a day before the scheduled events or onsite 2 hours prior, to gain access.

See the complete programme on 
https://www.afriff.com/

AFRIFF 2022 is attracting more global attention than the previous editions. Hotels, resorts and rendezvous hangouts in Lagos will benefit from the international guests and visitors.

The members of the international jury for AFRIFF 2022 have been announced and they are all accomplished professionals in the film industry.

AFRIFF 2022 JURY

DANNA STERN

Producer, Global Content Executive.
Stern is a seasoned executive producer working across borders, genres and formats. As the founder of the Israeli-based yes Studios, Stern created a distribution and development content powerhouse, focused on delivering premium content for international platforms. She has been credited with helping bring Israeli content to global audiences and is responsible for the successful launches of numerous titles including “Fauda", "Shtisel", “The Devil Next Door”, “On the Spectrum", "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" etc.

LAWRENCE DAVID FOLDES

Award-winning Filmmaker.
 
Critically acclaimed award-winning filmmaker behind several cult hits. He was recognized as the youngest professional filmmaker on record when he produced his first feature, the teen cult classic “Malibu High” at the age of 18.
 
This was followed by the cult underground horror favourite Don’t Go Near the Park (which became one of the infamous banned ‘Video Nasties”) and popular action features like “Young Warriors” starring Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine and “Nightforce”.

FEMI ODUGBEMI

Filmmaker and TV Producer 
 
Femi Odugbemi is a filmmaker and TV Producer. He is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has served as a four-time Head Judge of the prestigious Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA).
 
He has also been a Juror of the Emmy Awards, 3-time Head of Jury of the Uganda Film Festival, a Juror of the Johannesburg International Film Festival South Africa, and recently a Juror/Mentor of the NETFLIX/UNESCO African Folktales Re-imagined project.

KUNLE AFOLAYAN

Award-winning Filmmaker
 
Ace movie Producer/Director, Adekunle Ayodeji Afolayan is one of Nigeria’s foremost “2nd generation filmmakers “and the son of the highly respected Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade-Love), a passionate theatre artist who co-pioneered the movement from travelling theatre to the celluloid film format as introduced by Ola Balogun.
 
Having trained as a Business Administrator, and with a career in Banking, Kunle was cast into Tunde Kelani’s multiple award-winning movies Saworoide, earning him the first accolades and first appeared in the industry. In his commitment to self-improvement and professional excellence.

STEVE GUKAS

Executive Producer
 
Steve is a multi-platform producer/director with experience spanning Television, Radio, Theatre, Advertising and Film. He has a Diploma in TV Production from the NTA Television College in Jos and studied Theatre Arts at the University of Jos from where he graduated with a BA and is an alumnus of the prestigious London Film School.
 
Steve is the producer of award-wining Namibia – The Struggle For Liberation” the film premiered at the 2006 Pan African Film Festival in L.A. His other credits as producer/director include, “Keeping Faith” and “A  Place In The Stars”. He Co-Produced and Directed 93Days a feature film about the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has been screened at numerous film festivals along with several awards locally and internationally. This was followed by producing the award-winning film "Living In Bondage: Breaking Free", a sequel to the industry-defining film "Living In Bondage".

SYRINTHIA STUDER

Executive Vice President, Acquisitions for Paramount Pictures. 
 
Studer is responsible for acquiring films for theatrical release, as well as for worldwide distribution across multiple platforms. 
 
Among her recent acquisitions are the breakout comedy Book Club starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen, and the action-packed caper Overdrive, starring Scott Eastwood.
 
Studer previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Marketing and Acquisitions for Paramount Pictures’ Worldwide Home Media and TV Licensing divisions, where she launched and managed the studio’s efforts focused on ancillary-driven acquisitions, overseeing the negotiation and acquisition of groundbreaking domestic and international films.

WAFA' A HALAWI

Actress, Writer and Filmaker

A Lebanese/French actress, writer and filmmaker. started acting at age 5 and falls in love with theatre, where she finds a home.
In Lebanon, she joins the dance-theatre company Maqamat in 2001 and performs internationally. She also gets cast to act in Khalil Gibran’s play The Blind and various series by Elie Adabachi and Marwan Najjar. 
She also develops the feature fiction script Cello which wins international screenwriting prizes.
Wafa’a just completed filming in the Amazon, where she played the lead role in Brazilian director Marcelo Gomes’ new feature film.

JENNY ALONZO

Creative and Marketing Executive

Jenny is a dynamic, proven leader in content development & production, marketing, multicultural markets, and corporate media strategies/operations.
She has worked on some of the strongest brands including NBC, BET, Turner, IBM, FUSE, AFV, and The Wall Street Journal. 
A member of the executive team that launched Lifetime Television and its groundbreaking positioning of Television for Woman, Alonzo held multiple leadership roles including Senior Vice President of Production & Inventory Strategies, leading a team of 70+ that supported all marketing and creative services efforts for three networks, digital platforms, and multiple franchises. 
In 2021, Alonzo served as the Creative Director for the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos, Nigeria. 

NICKY WEINSTOCK

Founder & President, Invention Studios

Nicky Weinstock is the founder and president of Invention Studios, an independent creative production company developing a wide range of features and television series for both major American and international platforms.
Weinstock began his career in New York City as an editor at Random House and Riverhead Books, and then as the author of a nonfiction book and two novels, before moving to Los Angeles to develop series at 20th Century Fox Television. He went on to run Apatow Productions with writer/director Judd Apatow, where he produced movies including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, Get Him to the Greek and Bridesmaids. 

MICHEL ZGARKA

Production & Marketing Executive

Michel Zgarka is an experienced executive with a successful career of over 35 years in the production, communications, marketing, financial engineering and business development fields.
He is highly skilled in strategic and creative planning, marketing and personnel management for the media industry. Mr Zgarka has produced, directed and distributed numerous film and television productions for the international marketplace, including “GUMMYBAR” which garnered over 6 billion views on YouTube.
He has been a guest speaker at over 50 international entertainment industries events as well as the Delegate general of the Montreal Israeli Film Festival whose celebrating its 13th anniversary in 2018.

­ABOUT AFRICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AFRIFF)

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is a celebration of Cinema and filmmaking talent from Africa and the diaspora. It consistently delivers a rich programme to foster invaluable exchanges of ideas, production connections, and business relationships. It creates an energetic and exciting hub for entertainment industry professionals to make rewarding connections and has gradually gained a reputation for delivering incredible value. 

The objectives are to develop the film industry to a level where the products compete favourably with their contemporaries all over world; provide a growth opportunity for these film industry professionals to eventually export their products to the world; facilitate access to investors, equipment, technical and skill acquisition through several capacity development opportunities.

REGISTER ON
https://www.afriff.com/register

Cameroon's "The Planter's Plantation" is a Masterpiece of African Cinema

Eystein Young’s "The Planter's Plantation" is going to become one of the classics of African cinema.

I will not be surprised if  Cameroon's entry for the Best  International Feature Film category of the 2023 annual Academy Awards makes the final nominees for the highly coveted award and also gets nominated for the Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

This is a masterpiece of cinematic beauty in storytelling and cinematography.

Famous Nigerian actor, Nkem Owoh in the leading male role of The Planter may end up becoming the first Nollywood actor to be nominated for an Oscar for his outstanding performance and Nimo Loveline as Enanga is a strong contender for the Oscar for Best Actress. 

"The Planter's Plantation" set in a West African Plantation in the 1960s tells the captivating story of a young determined girl who must battle family and external forces to preserve her late father's legacy, a colonial plantation willed to him by his white master at independence. Disagreements , betrayal and secrets bring back the colonial master's daughter to the helm of the Plantation. An allegory of Neo colonization.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will announce the 15 shortlisted contenders for the international feature Oscar on December 21, 2022. The five nominees will be announced on the 24th of January, 2023 and the 95th annual  Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on 12 March, 2023.

#Cameroon #ThePlantersPlantation #Academyawards #Oscars #cinema #Africa #BestInternationalFeature #nominations #nominees #cinenatography #storytelling #Bestactor #Bestactress #Bestpicture #Nollywood #Nkemowoh

Celebrate Every Moment of Success, Triumph and Victory

 

Saturday evening, October 29, 2022.
Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.

I am still rocking "The American King" promo T-shirt we made and gave out to all the moviegoers who saw the #Nollywood and #Hollywood comedy at selected cinemas during the Easter weekend in Nigeria.

I can shout HALLELUJAH!
Almighty God hears and answers prayers.
He renews my youth like the Eagles. - Psalm 103:5.

Celebrate every moment of progress, success, triumph and victory with all the thanksgivings to Almighty God.

AUTHOR AND SPEAKER JOHN STAHL-WERT SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE MILESTONES FOR FIVE REASONS:

As humans we are called to grow. “Becoming more” is essential. We suffer when we don’t grow. Every milestone deserves notice. It is an affirmation of an accomplishment.

Growth is nourished by encouragement. Celebrate even the small steps because “small is where big comes from.” We guide others toward bigness through encouragement.

Acknowledging milestones gives us the opportunity to reflect on where we have been, where we are now and what we can learn from this part of the journey. Our growth and achievement are for the greater purpose of our service to the world. Achievement, in and of itself, doesn’t fulfill, and without reflection, we are trapped by an insatiable avarice to fill a bottomless hole.

Nothing locks in learning like a party. It signifies that the accomplishment really matters.

Celebrating milestones reminds us to give thanks for everyday moments. When we pause to celebrate something that is noteworthy, the act of slowing down invites us to notice everything else.

Lagos in Motion: The Changing Landscape of Ikoyi

Lagos in Motion: The Changing Landscape of Ikoyi

Thursday afternoon on October 27, 2022.

On Alfred Rewane Road (formerly Kingsway Road) in Ikoyi on Lagos Island, Nigeria.

Microsoft office building is the new  skyscraper in the background. 

I have to include the changing landscape of Ikoyi in the final phase of my "Lagos in Motion" documentary film I started in 2016 with more than 40 hours footage so far. The old famous Ikoyi Hotel has been turned to a residential building beside the Southern Sun Ikoyi Hotel. 

I passed by my Alma Mater, the famous St. Gregory's College along St. Gregory's College Road to Awolowo Road to Falomo to Glover Road and saw how Ikoyi has changed since my childhood in Obalende. I went to famous Jazz Hole on Awolowo Road and sat down to chat with my old boy, Olakunle Tejuoso, the founder to discuss arts, literature, music and politics of the coming 2023 presidential election with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and the political momentum of his "Obidients" movement and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the national ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

Olakunle Tejuoso's family owns the famous Glendora Bookshops in Nigeria where the first copies of my book, "Bye, Bye Mugabe" sold out in 2008 before I withdrew it, because of 21 typographical errors and threw the remaining hundreds of copies away. Olakunle is the author of

"Lagos - A City At Work (The Glendora Lagos Project) and the beautiful and colourful photo book, "ABEOKUTA". 

"You should do a new book on Lagos," I said. 

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Screen Naija YouTube Channel

#Lagos

#Ikoyi

#hotels

#Abeokuta

#Nigeria

#travel

#tourism

#arts

#books

#movies

#music

#jazz

#Jazzhole

#Glendora

#documentary

#photography

#politics

#history

#Tinubu

#PeterObi

#Obidients

#presidentialelection

#2023presidentialelection

#leadership

#literature

Something Happened Upstairs

You can never guess what happened upstairs during a stormy night when four robbers came to rob a family in a house in Ikeja on the mainland of Lagos in western Nigeria.

You can read this short story on 

https://www.nairaland.com/808407/something-happened-upstairs

New Nigeria on Pinterest 

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

Booming African Mobile Markets To Get Boost from Nordic Expertise

PRESS RELEASE

Booming African Mobile Markets To Get Boost from Nordic Expertise

Africa is poised to leap forward, unencumbered by legacy technologies and processes, and empowered by youthful demographics

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, October 25, 2022/ -- SUBTONOMY (https://www.Subtonomy.com/), the leading Network Experience Platform provider in the Nordics, has announced that it will be attending AfricaCom in South Africa (8-10 November 2022) to bring its world-class digital customer support offering to Africa. The African digital revolution It’s time to reappraise Africa’s place in the global digital market. Long held back by affordability and availability issues, the advent of cheaper smartphones and ubiquitous, higher capacity mobile networks have provided a huge springboard for growth. Young, internet-savvy Africans are optimistic and opportunistic about tech, utilizing it as a platform for their creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and thirst for education. Already the world leader in mobile money[1], Africa is poised to leap forward, unencumbered by legacy technologies and processes, and empowered by youthful demographics[2]. The continent’s rapid transition to a mobile-first, digital economy means that it already has more smartphone users than North America and by 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa will have 474 million internet users (39% of the population[3]). New demands on the network, new customer expectations Whether it’s using their phones for banking, finding work, shopping, creating, listening to music or watching their favorite shows, young Africans have moved far beyond their parents’ expectations of mobile services. While the future of the African mobile market may look rosy, it’s not without challenges, however. In the next few years, African operators will have to cope with onboarding large numbers of new customers[4] and find cost-effective ways to support them while they transition from 3G to 4G, from feature phones to smartphones, and from simple to complex service offerings. As if all of this were not enough, the expectations of African Gen Z customers are also rising rapidly. Like their social media friends around the world, they expect high-quality uninterrupted services backed by world-class, 24/7 customer support when things go wrong. If they don’t get it, they’re more willing than ever to simply walk away[5]. And this is precisely where African operators can benefit from the experience of other mobile-first markets such as the Nordics. Operators in the Nordics have pioneered efficient and cost-effective digital customer care for years. Subtonomy’s customers, for example, are already able to automate 75% of customer support in digital channels, and increase contact center efficiency to deliver 60% fewer escalations and 47% faster call handling. Future proofing support With things moving so rapidly in Africa, it’s hard for operators to manage change cost-effectively or predict what their support operations will look like in a few years. Will future African customers have virtual reality-based support, or get help via their digital assistants? Whatever happens, operators must squeeze the maximum value out of their existing equipment to keep costs down and reduce disruption, while at the same time innovating their customer support offerings and preparing for what’s coming. Fortunately, there’s a win-win here as well. Subtonomy’s Network Equipment Platform takes data from any existing source – including legacy probes (eg Amdocs, Anritsu, Commprove, Empirix, Exfo, Polystar, Radcom, Tektronix, Teoco or Viavi), BSS and OSS, cell data and device data – to deliver a 360o real-time view of actual customer experience, empowering 24/7 holistic support. “As the African mobile market matures, customers will expect better support from operators. As researcher Herring Shava[6] recently pointed out, two of the biggest causes of dissatisfaction with support are operators’ reliability (not doing things when they said they would) and responsiveness (not informing customers when they intend to fix problems). We’re proud to have helped our clients fix both these issues in the Nordics and look forward to helping African operators revolutionize the way they support their customers in future – giving them both happier customers and a competitive edge.” Andreas Jörbeck, CEO, Subtonomy  To find out more about Subtonomy’s offering, operators are invited to meet with Subtonomy at AfricaCom 2022, Telcos of Tomorrow booth A52. Book a meeting here: APO Group rep (malika.bouayad@apo-opa.com). [1] According to the GSMA, Africa accounts for 70% of the world’s $1 trillion mobile money transactions. [2] Africa has the largest number of Gen Zers (also called ‘Zoomers’) in the world, and more than a billion people under the age of 35. [3] Forecasts from GSMA. [4] By 2025 the GSMA forecasts Africa will have 120 million new subscribers and 170 million new mobile internet users, taking the proportion of the population using mobile internet to 40%. [5] According to a BrandsEye study (2019), 47.2% of the complaints raised by customers in South Africa were about the quality of customer service. Approximately 37% complained about the mobile network provider’s turnaround time, and 44.4% of the respondents complained about the network provider’s failure to attend to queries posted on social media. But in cases where the network provider did respond, 61% of consumers ended up being dissatisfied with the quality of service provided. [6] See: H. Shava. Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Experience Among South African Mobile Telecommunications Consumers. Walter Sisulu University. Published in Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, 9(3), 2021, 217-232. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Subtonomy.   For more information or to set up an interview, please contact: Tina Rosén tina.rosen@subtonomy.com About Subtonomy: Subtonomy’s ML-driven Network Experience Platform provides unprecedented real-time insight into the experience of customers on any network (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G NSA, 5G SA, broadband and gigabit fiber). Its easy-to-use applications utilize this rich data to enable customer support teams to isolate and resolve problems faster; operational teams to prioritize fault fixing and network build according to actual customer need; business teams to up-sell to both business customers and consumers; and wholesale teams to understand the service they’re delivering to MVNO clients. Founded in Sweden in 2012, Subtonomy’s technology helps network operators deliver more personalized support and more proactive care to help its clients deliver a premium network experience.  We’re proud to have a 100% satisfied client base and to be finalists in the 2022 World Communications Awards for Customer Experience. Also see: Subtonomy’s website (https://www.Subtonomy.com/). SOURCE Subtonomy

The Best Nollywood Movies Not On Netflix - Part 1

The Best Nollywood Movies Not On Netflix

I will present the best Nollywood movies from 2011 to date that are not currently on Netflix and which can still attract hundreds of thousands of lovers of Nollywood movies who have not seen them and will be anxious and excited to see them on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video SVOD or Showmax.

 

My first selections were the top three must watch Nollywood movies in 2011.

1. Two Brides and A Baby by Teco Benson 

2. Changing Faces by Faruk Lasaki. 3. Imala by Andy Amenechi. 

Two Brides and A Baby is one of best new movies out of Nollywood and done professionally. The thrilling story focuses on keche and Bankole, on what they thought was a perfect union. They planned for a beautiful wedding ceremony and hoped for a blissful life thereafter,until the unexpected happens. Now they must together fight for what they believe in or forever lose their hope of a happy life together.

Changing Faces was the first Nigerian movie dubbed in French to be shown in France and at the Cannes Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Africa Diaspora Film Festival in New York, Ecrans Noirs Film Festival in Cameroon, Zuma Film Festival in Abuja and at the Eko International Film Festival in Lagos.

Nollywood diva Alex Lopez as Franca and Marc Baylis as Dale in "Changing Faces". 

The romantic thriller features popular Nigerian and British stars like Alex Lopez, Keppy Ekpenyong, Marc Baylis rated as the hottest foreign actor in a Nigerian movie and Rachael Young the black and sexy actress. Imagine how you would feel if you caught your darling born-again Christian husband having raunchy sex with your housemaid.

Marc Baylis and Rachael Young in "Changing Faces". 

You can see how the whole romantic drama played out when Changing Faces opens at the Silverbrd Cinemas and other cinemas on December 16, 2011.

Imala has been rated as one of the best movies to come out of Nigeria after premiering in London and Dublin. The movie centres on the story of Segilola a teenager who fell in love with Bankole, a 27-year old undergraduate. Segilola's naivety and lack of sex education put her in a life and career threatening situation. She was rejected and had to chart a new course for herself completely impervious of life's challenges. 

The movie tackles the issues of unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and HIV/AIDS. While addressing these serious topics, the movie uses comic relief, popular music, and a strong story line to draw teens' interest. Filmed in Yoruba and subtitled in flawless English, IMALA would be dubbed into Hausa, Igbo and French.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ARTICLE:

FilmOne has had Nollywood in a stranglehold. It maintains a particular brand of content: slapstick comedies, maudlin rom-coms and stilted dramas with a brittle icing of cinematography to please a more high-brow audience.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7agzn/netflix-naija-launch-nigeria

Source

💋 Kisses &🌹Roses

Strictly for Adults

Since 2005..

Books By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima on Amazon

Top Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi titles

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka Orikinla Osinachi, is a prize winning Nigerian writer, most prolific African blogger and the Publisher/Editor ...

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman, Anikulapo and the Obsession for Netflix in Nollywood

Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman, Anikulapo and the Obsession for Netflix in Nollywood

Planning is everything and everything is planning in achieving our goals in our occupations and professions.

Nobody is too big, too high or too old to learn.

The films, ‘Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman" by Biyi Bandele and   "Anikulapo" by Kunle Afolayan  should have been in the Official Selections of the  Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in competition with the best new films by other filmmakers in the world. 

Both of them were produced for Netflix and the producers were fixated on seeing them in competition for the global Top 10 movies on Netflix.

The obsession of Nigerian filmmakers for Netflix deserves to be studied by psychologists.

Being on Netflix has become a status symbol for bragging rights by local filmmakers in Nollywood and their second obsession and status symbol is Amazon Prime Video SVOD.

To them being on either Netflix or Amazon Prime Video SVOD is like winning an Oscar at the annual Academy Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Once they are on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video SVOD, they have arrived, even though they are among the lowest paid filmmakers compared to the American, European, Australian and Asian filmmakers on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video SVOD.

Hundreds of the local filmmakers can stampede over themselves to be on either of the two leading streaming platforms for even US$20, 000. Yeah, they have become so cheap that many of them are giving their new movies to MultiChoice for less than US$1, 000 per movie! In fact, they fast and pray and do night vigils of praise and worship to be accepted by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video SVOD and MultiChoice.

They are doing more harm than good to the international reputation and valuation of Nollywoood and the Nigerian film industry.

If the focus of the producers of "Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman" and "Anikulapo" has been on making the Official Selections of the biggest international film festivals and the Academy Awards, there would not have been any controversial rejection of the films by the  Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Best International Feature Film category of the 2023 annual Academy Awards. Their focus on Netflix distracted them from following the road map to the Oscars.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.

The Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOOD MIRROR® Series,

New Nigeria on Pinterest

Public and Private TV Stations in Nigeria are Grossly Underfunded

Both the public and private TV stations in Nigeria are grossly underfunded.

I am speaking from professional experience since I started my career in the largest TV network in Africa, the  Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) as the youngest professional scriptwriter for TV in Africa at 18 and from the 1980s and in 1998 worked as an Independent Production Manager of "Money Wise" on  the private DBN TV for two years when I was 35. 

When I look at both the public and private TV stations in Nigeria, I shake my head is disappointment. The underdevelopment of NTA in programmes is embarrassing when compared to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

The federal government gives peanuts to the NTA and expect the NTA network of over 36 TV stations to produce world class programmes, because they are clueless about the economics of the TV industry which can be learned from the more advanced TV industry of South Africa. 

If the public and private TV stations in Nigeria are producing great content for entertainment and enlightenment of the best standards, they will be highly profitable to compete with MultiChoice, the South African company that operates DStv, the leading satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv operating in several countries and has the popular streaming service, Showmax. 

The NTA network and private TV stations in Nigeria have channels on DStv and GOtv instead of competing with MultiChoice. But how can they compete without the required infrastructure for a world class international TV industry with the budgets for the best TV productions and for the premium content that will increase their revenues from TV commercials and international distribution of their content. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOOD MIRROR® Series.

I will Always Hang my Hat on the Truth

 I will always hang my hat on the Truth.

Speak the Truth and damn the wrath of the Earth.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Author of"The Prophet Lied", "Diary of the Memory Keeper", "Scarlet Tears of London", "Unveil Me My Love", "In the House of Dogs" and other books distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

Speak The Truth and Damn the Wrath of the Earth

The Truth dies in whoever is silent

In the midst of Liars.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Author of"The Prophet Lied", "Diary of the Memory Keeper", "Scarlet Tears of London", "Unveil Me My Love", "In the House of Dogs" and other books distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

AFRILABS: 2022 AfriLabs Annual Gathering

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

AFRILABS: 2022 AfriLabs Annual Gathering

 

The purpose of the press conference is to position the 2022 AfriLabs Annual Gathering as a global event

 

 

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 20, 2022/- WHAT: Founded in 2011, AfriLabs (https://AfriLabs.com/) is a network organisation supporting Innovation Centers across African countries, grounded on the mission of building a community around the rapidly emerging technology hubs in Africa. The AfriLabs Annual Gathering is AfriLabs’ flagship event which provides a unique opportunity for technology hubs within the AfriLabs network and other stakeholders of the African technology and innovation ecosystem (such as corporates, development agencies, academia, and investors) to convene, network, learn and share knowledge.

 

WHEN: Friday, 28th October 2022 

TIME: 11.00 am – 12.00 noon South African time. See here (https://bit.ly/3CNIZkX) what time it will be in your country

 

WHERE: Online Via ZOOM

 

All journalists should REGISTER here (https://bit.ly/3Sjw0NV) to receive Zoom log in details for your attendance: https://bit.ly/3Sjw0NV

Language: English (With simultaneous translation to French and Portuguese)

Details:

The purpose of the press conference is to position the 2022 AfriLabs Annual Gathering as a global event focused on driving dialogue to foster intra-Africa connectivity, collaboration and innovation. Key information about the Gathering will be provided during the press conference, we encourage participants register to attend the conference.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AfriLabs.

 

For any interviews/media requests please contact:

English: Rosemary.Otalor@apo-opa.com or eneyah.phiri@apo-opa.com

French: yasmina.bileoma@apo-opa.com

OPC Technical contact: info@apo-opa.com

 

SOURCE

AfriLabs

"Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman" is Not the First Film Adaptation of Prof. Wole Soyinka's Works

"Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman" is Not the First Film Adaptation of Prof. Wole Soyinka's Works

The film project is the first time that one of Soyinka’s works would be made into a feature film.

http://lifestyle.thecable.ng/biyi-bandeles-elesin-oba-to-hit-cinema-oct-28/

It is baffling how Nigerian news media and their news reporters will continue to peddle falsehood on "Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman" being the first film adaptation of one of the works of Prof. Wole Soyinka.

The colourful film adaptation of "Death and the King's Horseman", one of the most popular plays of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during the British colonial era: the horseman of a Yoruba King was prevented from committing ritual suicide by the colonial authorities is erroneously being reported as the first film adaptation of one of his literary works. 

So what of the previous film adaptations of Soyinka's plays and autobiography? 

"Kongi's Harvest" of 1970 directed by Ossie Davis and produced by Francis Oladele, Lennart Bern

“Ake: The Years of Childhood” by Mr Dapo Adeniyi; 2016

"Sidi Ilunije", the film adaptation of "The Lion and the Jewel" by Tunde Kelani in 2017.

When Mo Abudu, the producer of the film said "Elesin Oba" is the first film adaptation of Prof. Wole Soyinka's works on Instagram, I corrected her that there have been film adaptations of other plays of Soyinka. But I have seen repetitions of this falsehood in several news reports.

Misinformation on the facts of life and history does collateral damage to human knowledge and education.  And the realization is more important for Mo Abudu who should be well educated on the history of filmmaking in Nigeria and film adaptations of Nigerian literary works, because she is a highly respected stakeholder in the Nigerian film industry as the Founder and CEO of the EbonyLife Group, owners of EbonyLife Studios, EbonyLife Films and the EbonyLife Creative Academy.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOOD MIRROR® Series

Votes Win Elections, Not Insults

 

New Nigeria on Pinterest Attracting Thousands of New Viewers

New Nigeria on Pinterest

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

From 240, 000 viewers monthly last month to 270, 000 viewers in October.
This is significant progress by having 30, 000 new viewers.

New Nigeria has great content curated by me

Getting premium content has never been my headache, but majority of people and companies pay lip service in their bragging rights for premium content, but they don't want to pay for it.
Premium content does not come cheap.
The best content will always cost more.

From movies and TV series to documentaries, I have premium content from every region in the world available for acquisition and distribution.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

#Pinterest
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The Best Headshot for Success from Casting Calls to Auditions

https://www.nollycasting.com

 The focus needs to stay on your face and not your clothes or accessories!

Your headshot is your marketing tool! Your headshot is not just a picture; it represents your professional image and brand. It’s a professional photo of the talent where the focus of the photograph is the person’s face.

It is utilized to identify you as well as distinguish you from the crowd. It is the first impression you make to the public before they meet you in person. Therefore, the photo must look like you and represent you well!

Be seen as a professional, not as an amateur, so the way you present yourself in your photo is very important.

You must have a good, high quality, professional headshot if you want to be taken seriously by industry professionals!

We require all talents to upload a professional headshot within 30 days from today, and if you fail to do so, we will remove your profile from our database! But don’t worry, we are here to help you!

Below, we share some tips with you on how to acquire a good headshot!

Here are some tips for a good headshot to prepare for your auditions!

1. PROFESSIONAL

Go to your local professional photographer to book your photo session! Don’t settle for a photo taken by your phone because the low quality will show! Hire a professional who will know how to capture you well in the most professional way possible. It is worth the investment!

2. SHOW YOUR ESSENCE…SMILE!

Don’t forget to smile and engage with the camera! This is the best way to showcase your personality is through the expression on your face. Ladies, please avoid wearing heavy make-up and extravagant hairstyles. Wear just enough make-up that enhances your natural beauty and hair that shows your face!

3. WARDROBE

Choose wardrobe that complements your skin tone. Bright, solid, colors are best. Avoid heavy patterns and prints as they can become distracting. We also want to see your eyes so please stay away from sunglasses and hats. Please do not use any props!

4. LIGHTING, BACKGROUND & ANGLE

Please stay away from busy, distracting backgrounds and make sure that you have great lighting — whether it is shot indoors or outdoors!

See the professional headshot photos of the actors and models registered on Nollycasting.

https://www.nollycasting.com

RESTORING FAITH IN GOVERNANCE:THE UZODINMA STRATEGY

"RESTORING FAITH IN GOVERNANCE:*

*THE UZODINMA STRATEGY*

*TO ALL NDI IMO.*

*OUR VISION*
To galvanise Imo people to aspire and achieve together. To ensure that Imo comes before self-interest as we promote the tenets of one people, one destiny. To support, promote and place Imo State on the horizon of limitless opportunities while telling it as it is without bias, compromise, prejudice, favouritism or partisanship.

*OUR MISSION*
The need for clarity, certainty and accuracy in understanding the workings of the government in Imo State has never been more urgent than now. A lot of issues critical to our people are deliberately twisted, spinned, unreported, underreported and even mangled to create the impression that our state is under siege, failing and therefore should be avoided by all means.

The state has suffered extensive damages occasioned by an intricately contrived de-marketing agenda by agents of destablisation bent on tarring our people and the government with the brush of shame. There is no denying the fact that Imo, like other states in Nigeria faces enormous challenges of insecurity, infrastructural decay, economic stasis, social and cultural upheavals largely occasioned by resource deficits as a result of global economic downturn. The germane question that arises is “what is the government doing to tackle and resolve these challenges”
The need has therefore arisen for us to come together as a people in absolute collaboration for Effective State Engagement so that we can properly interrogate the state of affairs in Imo. How then do we develop a very effective and sustainable approach in the monitoring and evaluation of programmes that contribute to reducing conflicts, crime and violence and ensure that the shared prosperity agenda of the government is commonly available to all Imo citizens? We need to demand and secure explanations from the government on the inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impacts of its programmes and activities of political and economic stakeholders on our people.

This platform which ownership is open to all Imo people is a product of the resolute determination of select Imo citizens across the globe to have conversations, share views, exchange ideas, proffer solutions and encourage implementations, provides an opportunity for all Imolites to tell their stories and advance arguments without varnish or prejudice recognizing that only the truth triumphs.
As we come together to defend the dignity of our people and fight the common enemy of poverty, as we remind the government that the state is the duty bearer
and we the people the right holders, we must deploy adequate metrics to measure the progress or otherwise being made in the state.

Imo must be above all interests because we are one people, one destiny.
Together, we aspire, together we achieve. We are stronger united. Let the conversations begin.

Our evidence based submissions which would be published in multiple series are the result of several diligent, assiduous and conscientious interactions between our members who flew from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa to Imo State and many stakeholders, business people, politicians, the clergy, students, market men and women, traditional rulers, town union presidents, commercial vehicle operators, commuters, several citizens and residents of Imo State.

*OUR VERDICTS:*
*NOTE:* We are neither agents of the Imo State government nor any other interest group. We have never met with the Governor of Imo State as a group and we are not eager to meet him, his representatives or any other person or persons with respect to the work we are doing. We are simply Imo citizens desirous of making our state a better place for all. Every submission made here is the result of our honest and unbiased evaluation.

According to John Adams, facts are stubborn things and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. Here are the verifiable facts on ground.

*RECOVERY OF MISAPPROPRIATED IMO ASSETS.*
It is common knowledge that Imo State was raped, pillaged, plundered and fleeced by the officials of the administration that came to rescue it before May 2019. The brigandage and banditry against the state by the then Governor, his family and henchmen were so alarming and intolerable that the ability to recover looted state funds and properties became a campaign talking point. How has Governor Hope Uzodinma fared in this task of recovery from the corrupt profligate state actors of that era?
In his maiden broadcast to Imo people in January 2020, Governor Hope Uzodinma had clearly stated that “The New Imo State offers a new paradigm to redress the ripples of those years of maladministration…” To demonstrate that he was not a speech-conscious politician, he promised firm and courageous leadership, accountability, transparency, financial discipline, inclusiveness and anchored his government on the three pillars of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery and a culture of shared prosperity in which the wealth of Imo State would be used for the good of all.
Available and verifiable evidence on ground shows that since 2011 when Governor Uzodinma was elected to the Senate up till today, he has not shown the slightest proclivity or predisposition towards primitive and unconscionable acquisition of private wealth. He lives in the same house in Abuja, he has not appropriated his neighbour’s lands in his village, he has only owned one property in Owerri that he bought from a family. He has publicly stated severally that his mission in Imo is to serve and not to plunder. He therefore has the moral courage to stand up for what is right and has been committed to protecting the assets of the state from the long hands of crass freebooters and oppressors of the poor.
In leadership, it is always courage that continues to count. A courageous leader is one who is willing to listen to unfiltered feedback which may not necessarily be easy to hear and be ready to implement decisions that would bring about desirable outcomes. He understood clearly upon assumption of office that Imo people yearned for the complete recovery of stolen state and private assets by the administration of the man they elected into office on the pretence of philanthropy.

It is said that transparency is the antidote of hypocrisy and Governor Uzodinma being a transparent and non-hypocritical leader showed up at the foyer of courage because he knew what not to fear. With the currency of courage and transparency and daring to be different from past Governors, his administration has recovered the following illegally converted state assets based on the recommendations of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Lands and Related Matters

• N40 billion Naira Eastern Palm University (now renamed K.O. Mbadiwe University) built with state funds but appropriated by Senator Okorocha and his family. The University has since had its courses duly accredited by the National University Commission.
• Nsu Ceramic Industry with the capacity to generate 20,000 direct and indirect jobs illegally acquired by ex-Governor Okorocha and his fronts.
• Royal Palm Spring Hotels and Apartments Owerri built on State Land.
• Imo Broadcasting Corporation Quarters illegally acquired and transferred to Rochas Foundation
• Owerri Magistrate Quarters, Orlu Road Cooperative Office/Girls Guide Office illegally converted to a private business premises: Market Square Supermarket/Kilimanjaro eatery and hundreds of other properties contained in pages 226 to 272 of the said report.

To be continued in part two of our Restoring Faith in Governance: The Uzodinma Strategy series.

Dr. J. Iyke Zy Agu MD PhD
Texas, USA

Ikenna Duru PhD
London, UK

Chukky M. Obioha (MLITT)
Lagos, Nigeria