The Global Target Audience For Nollywood Movies and Series in Igbo and other African Content

The Global Target Audience For Nollywood Movies and Series in Igbo and other African Content in International Film Acquisition and Distribution

Using Culture and Strategy:

My market survey for a new Nigerian Igbo movie, "Infant at Heart" directed by Aguyi Ikeobi ND, a graduate of the London Film School and produced by Vera Kanu, a seasoned producer in Nollywood with famous Nollywood actor, Nkem Owoh and one of the most beautiful Nollywood divas, Monalisa Chinda in the leading roles has an estimated target audience of more than 100, 000 Igbos who will like to watch Igbo movies and can afford to pay for the tickets at the cinemas in Nigeria. 

There are also thousands of Igbos in Ghana, Cameroon and Gabon who are fans of Nkem Owoh who will be excited to watch it.

The Cultural Web 

There are more than 45 million Igbos in Africa and the Diaspora.
Nollywood movies still command hundreds and thousands of fans in West Africa and Central Africa.
The first Nollywood videos were actually videos of the popular Igbo TV series, "Masquerade" on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in the 1980s recorded on VHS tapes and watched on TV in Cameroon and Gabon.

See also Nigerian Home Videos - Festival des 3 Continents
https://www.3continents.com/en/programme/2003/home-videos-nigerianes/

The significance of cultural web is important for marketing strategy in the distribution of products and services, especially movies and TV series. 
Audiences first and foremost prefer content they can identify with and then are anxious and curious about content of other cultures.

Majority of the over 11 million viewers of "The Black Book", the 2023 Nollywood crime thriller film by Editi Effiong on Netflix were South Koreans who were anxious and curious to know what is "The Black Book".

The largest market for African movies and series are the Afro-Latinos: comprising some 150 million in the Americas.
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32713.html#:~:text=Afro%2DLatinos%20comprise%20some%20150,marginalized%20groups%20in%20the%20region.

Unknown to Canal Plus and other multinational entertainment providers, FRANCE 24 Español has already unlocked the market, but yet to provide the African movies and series they (Afro-Latinos) will be excited to see.

The Igbo were dispersed to colonies such as Jamaica, Cuba, Saint-Domingue, Barbados, Colonial America, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.
The Igbo language is still spoken in Cuba, along with the Efik language, but in a creolized version. In ceremonies of the Abakuá culture, you can see traces of the Igbo Culture.
These are populations waiting for  Igbo movies and series and other African content.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

The books have been printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

They are the highest priced book series by an African author and publisher. 

Don't View Nollywood with the Rose-Tinted Glasses of Hollywood

 

Don't View Nollywood with the Rose-Tinted Glasses of Hollywood

I have previewed a new Nigerian drama on the psychological consequences of rape in the life of a teenage girl sexually violated by a Roman Catholic priest at a convent in south- eastern Nigeria.
If you replace the leading roles with the famous Hollywood icons, Nicole Kidman and John Travolta and have the location in America, the crime thriller will be nominated in the next Oscars for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress in a leading role, because of the accomplishments of the cast and crew in the production of the movie. But many Nigerian and other African movies have been viewed with the rose-tinted glasses of the American film industry, popularly called, Hollywood and in most cases, viewed by White Americans who did not understand the nuances of the peculiarities of Black Africans in dialogues and mannerisms.

Are there racial biases in international film acquisition and distribution with the superiority complex of white curators who esteem white filmmakers highly in comparison to black African filmmakers without comprehensive analysis of the content and context of subject and without the broad-minded considerations for diversity and inclusion in the existential dramas of life on earth?
"Our films are good enough for you, but your movies are not good enough for us. "
Is Hollywood the global standard for the best storytelling on motion picture?
The Economist published a selection called, "The Best Films So Far in 2024" without any consideration for the best movies so far in Bollywood and Nollywood on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Showmax and other streaming platforms, cable TV networks and cinemas.

I have seen many crappy Hollywood movies repeatedly shown on M-NET Movies Channels without any consideration for the viewers who paid for the subscriptions.

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have paid over 200 percent more for the acquisitions of American and Korean films than what they paid for African films.
Showmax of the MultiChoice Group pays more for South African productions than Nigerian productions.
Are these differences in the valuations based on the quality of the movies or racial bias against black African filmmakers by Western standards? But the French are an exception to the stereotypical views of Africa by Hollywood, because the French have a better understanding of African Cinema than Hollywood and the British which can be seen in their broad-minded Official Selections of the annual Cannes Film Festival where several African filmmakers have won coveted awards, including the most coveted, the Palme d'Or.

Can a white curator of films understand the interpretations of the soundtracks of the Talking Drum in different scenarios of the scenes in the Yoruba political drama of "Saworoide", produced and directed by Tunde Kelani in 1999? 

Can the curator understand the soundtracks of the great Ikoro drum of Igbo people in a film adaptation of Chinua Achebe's all time classic novel, "Things Fall Apart"?

What of the different lighting techniques in Nollywood and Hollywood?

Do you know that the sunlight is brighter in Africa than in America?

The sunlight is the same everywhere on earth?

The colour of the moonlight is more romantic on Bonny Island in the Niger Delta than on Long Island in southeastern New York State.

There are different hues and shades of the colours of the rainbow and the narratives of the movies should be viewed in the different perspectives of the origins of the filmmakers to see the big picture of the different stories of life on motion picture.

"The Black Book", the 2023 Nigerian crime thriller of Editi Effiong, starring Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sam Dede, Shaffy Bello, Femi Branch, Alex Usifo, Ade Laoye and Ireti Doyle, released to Netflix on September 22 was the number one on the global rankings and "Òlòtūré", the 2019 Nigerian crime drama on human trafficking by Kenneth Gyang starring Sharon Ooja, Beverly Osu, Ada Ameh and Blossom Chukwujekwu was on the top rankings in several countries and were better than several American and Korean films in accomplishments in filmmaking, but Netflix paid less for the acquisition.

I have always insisted that a great movie is a great movie no matter the location or race of the filmmaker. The quality of the content should determine the price for the acquisition and not the location or race of the producer.

---- By -By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,.
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

All That Glitters is Not Gold in Nollywood

All is Not Well in Nollywood.and the Nigerian Film Industry.

All that glitters is not gold. 

Majority of the producers. directors, actors. actresses and other practitioners in the Nigerian film industry are facing critical economic challenges ignored by the Nigerian government.

An official of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) invited me for a meeting on how to get distribution for thousands of new movies, because only about 100 -200 get acquired by the MultiChoice Group, Startimes, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Showmax. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) stations and local private TV stations don't have enough budgets to acquire the movies and series. The are grossly underfunded. 

The loads of local content without acquisition and distribution are either on YouTube or put aside in drawers. The producers are heart broken and depressed, because their investments have failed to produce the returns on investment and have left them bankrupt.

The cinemas are having challenges due to high costs of recurrent expenditure in Nigeria.

If, you are in doubt, you must be from another planet. 

We have humanitarian emergencies in Nollywood that most people are not bothered about. 

I have always helped whenever I could in spite of my own critical economic challenges.

I have done my best for the overall benefit of all in Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry and I am still doing my best locally and globally to increase the appreciation, acquisition and distribution of Nigerian movies and series.

Presently, I am targeting new Internatonal markets in the Americas, Asia and Eastern Europe where I have attracted potential partners for acquisition, distribution and co-production.

The federal government and responsible ministries must address these challenges if we want the best for Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael CHIMA,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series.
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013.

#nollywood
#economiccrunch
#bankruptcy
#producers
#directors
#filmmakers
#actors
#photographers
#cinematographers
#acquisition
#distribution
#production
#partnerships
#partners
#netflix

#amazon

#showmax

#primevideo

#movies

#series

Memory of October 20, 2020 Has Been Released on Selar

"Memory of October 20, 2020" photo documentary on the aftermath of the tragic EndSARs protests in Lekki on October 20, 2020 in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria is of historical significance showing one of the survivors having sleepless nights of the nightmares. The photo documentary shows the 🌃 nightmares of his trauma.

View on Selar

https://selar.co/016e11

#memoir 

International Branding of NOLLYWOOD for the Global Market

 That the phenomenon of Nollywood has gained global recognition is a fact. But Nollywood is still lacking the required structure for competition in the global film industry and lagging behind South Africa, Egypt and Morocco.

I have addressed the shortcomings of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry measured with the criteria for the international development of a film industry. These shortcomings are why Nigeria is not among the top 10 countries with the biggest film industries in the world.

Top 10 Film Industries 

1. Hollywood Movie Industry

2. Bollywood Film Industry

3. Chinese Cinema

4. United Kingdom of Great Britain

5. Japanese Cinema 

6. Cinema in South Korea

7. France

8. German cinema

9. Australia

10. Mexico

The constant emphasis on the large volume of movies produced annually making Nollywood the second largest producer of movies in the world after the Bollywood of India and ahead of Hollywood of the United States of America is not enough without film commissions and film markets.

Having the largest market is different from having the biggest economy.

South Africa has the biggest film industry in Africa and not Nigeria based on the annual revenues of the film industry from the box office, international co-productions, TV networks, movie merchandise and film tourism.

South Africa has the largest cinemas of the biggest film distribution and exhibition companies in Africa.

South Africa has film commissions which Nigeria does not have.

South Africa has a film market which Nigeria does not have.

South Africa has the biggest cable TV industry in Africa with MultiChoice which Nigeria does not have. 

The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is hyped as the largest TV network in Africa, but running a deficit annually and cannot even pay salaries without revenue allocations from the Nigerian government. 

In terms of quality of TV productions, the NTA does not have local content of international standards compared to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that has been producing content attracting international acquisition and distribution.

The criteria for the international branding of Nollywood for the highly competitive global film industry include the top priorities of having world class international film festivals to attract the participation of the best filmmakers; international co-producers; film acquisition and distribution companies and for the promotions of movie merchandise and film tourism.

Presently among the few film festivals in Nigeria, only the annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is rated as the best international film festival attracting some of the best filmmakers in the world with the potentials of having an international film market like the Durban FilmMart of the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. 

AFRIFF made international news headlines in November, 2022 for cohosting the African premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever",  the 2022 American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

My articles on how Nollywood can make the Nigerian film industry a multibillion dollar film industry through the opportunities for movie merchandise and film tourism have been published and widely circulated online. But the Nigerian government and the private sector are ignorant of the huge economic benefits.

The Global TV and Movie Merchandise Market is forecast to grow by $90.53 Billion during 2022-2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 9.04% during the forecast period.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/02/06/2601901/0/en/The-Global-TV-and-Movie-Merchandise-Market-is-forecast-to-grow-by-90-53-bn-during-2022-2027-accelerating-at-a-CAGR-of-9-04-during-the-forecast-period.html

Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Huayi Brothers, Enlight Media, Lionsgate Films, NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, TOEI COMPANY, Alpha Group, The Walt Disney Company, Twentieth Century Fox and Toho Company are the key copyright owners in the global Movie Merchandise market. The top 5 took up about 66 Percent of the global market. USA is the largest consumption regions of Movie Merchandise in the world in the past few years and it will keep increasing in the next few years. USA market took up about 50 Percent the global market, while Europe was 25 Percent, and China is followed with the share about 6 Percent.

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/movie-merchandise-market-research-2023-2030-2023-04-13

Nigeria has awesome attractions for film tourism which I have been promoting with the publication of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series since 2013 to show the beauty of Nollywood in family friendly books to attract people worldwide. 

My popular article, "The Best Film Locations in Nigeria" has attracted thousands of readers with over 17, 000 readers on TripAdvisor.

http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-best-film-locations-in-nigeria.html?m=1

Nollywood has attracted Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney and other leading international American film and TV production and streaming companies.

The best film locations in Nigeria should be developed as international tourist attractions like the Obudu Ranch in Cross River State. Holiday resorts and hotels should be built on the locations for filmmakers and tourists.

What is the value of the global film tourism market?

As per a recent market analysis by Future Market Insights (FMI), the film tourism market is poised to reach a valuation of US$ 66.7 Billion in 2022. Sales are projected to increase at a 6.8% CAGR, with the market size reaching US$ 128.78 Billion by 2032.https://www.accesswire.com/717595/Film-Tourism-Market-is-anticipated-to-increase-at-a-high-CAGR-of-68-during-2022--2032-Future-Market-Insights-Inc

There are models for templates for the international branding of Nollywood for the global film industry which I have shown with the references to South Africa. 

By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

Executive Producer,

Screen Naija YouTube Channel,

Vuulr Program Partner

Cinewav Partner

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
#Nigeria
#content
#movies
#series
#documentaries
#acquisition
#distribution
#premium
#viewers
#people

My US$3000 Challenge

I am in urgent need of US$3000 (three thousand dollars) within 24 hours to pay for house rent for one year.

Presently, due to critical economic crunch and delayed incomes, I don't have any money to pay for house rent and the welfare of my poor dependants of underprivileged children in Nigeria.

Delays in my incomes have been caused by lack of sales of my books on Amazon and other booksellers and delays in the acquisition of the film and TV rights to the movies and series I am marketing for producers and distributors.

I will be grateful for every amount of support I receive within 24 hours before I become homeless tomorrow.

CONTRIBUTION in USD can be sent to my bank account:

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc
365 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Beneficiary name- EKENYERENGOZI MICHAEL CHIMA
Account number- 0016426307
Bank identifier/SWIFT CODE- GTBINGLA
SORT Code - 058152353

CONTRIBUTION in Naira should be sent to my Guaranty Trust Bank current account 0016426297 

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Thank you for your support.

Gratefully,
EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima 
Publisher/Editor, 
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi
Tel: +2347066379246

PS:

If I receive more than the US$3000 I need urgently, the remaining money will be used for my charity for the education of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria which I have been supporting since 2013 by advocacy for girl education and the celebration of the annual United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child on every October 11.

August of Enchanting Content

August of Enchanting Content

It has been a busy August for me communicating with some of the biggest film and TV production, acquisition and distribution companies in America, Europe, Australia and India. I have a large catalog of movies, series and documentaries for international theatrical release, TV channels and OTT platforms.
VISION FILMS, INC and Vuulr have premium content. Vuulr has new  buyers and sellers for international film and TV rights of enchanting dramas, comedies, documentaries and animes.

The first MIP Africa held last week from August 24-26, 2022 at the  International Convention Center (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa.
MIP Africa had special overviews on South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania with United States of America as the first guest country.
85 exhibitors met with 60 hosted (all expenses paid) buyers, as well as some of 240 “member” buyers.

#mipafrica #filmmakers #buyers #sellers #filmmarket #acquisition
#Nigeria #Africa #Southafrica #Ghana #Tanzania #distribution #TV #movies #series #India #Europe #film #America #Australia #exhibitors #distributors #content #entertainment

Request for New Movies and Series for Global Acquisition and Distribution

Here's a list of open Buyer Briefs, you may respond with relevant titles.

English Un-scripted

Genres: Adventure, Travel, Science & Technology, Lifestyle, Sports, Education or Documentary

License Regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and 22 others

Expires: 25th Aug 2022

Gospel Content

Genres: Family

License Regions: United States

Expires: 26th Aug 2022

Family Entertainment TV Series for US Territory. FTA/Broadcast. 4k format.

Genres: Family

License Regions: United States

Expires: 10th Sep 2022

Send buyers directly to your screeners via a Unique Link to your very own Screening Room!

Christmas TV Movies

Genres: Family, Romance or Comedy

License Regions: Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States

Expires: 27th Aug 2022

Seeking Full Length Features and TV Series For A New TVOD Platform

Genres: Drama, Thriller / Suspense, Romance, Horror, Action, Comedy, Faith and Spirituality or Family

License Regions: Canada and United States

Expires: 30th Sep 2022

Korean language TV Series & Films for well established AVOD channel in India

Genres: Action, Thriller / Suspense, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Adventure, Family, Crime or Fantasy

License Regions: India

Expires: 31st Aug 2022

Leading UAE-based distributor acquires inflight entertainment rights to content from Turkey and Nigeria

French OR Spanish language TV Series & Films for well established AVOD channel in India

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Adventure, Action, Romance, Family, Thriller / Suspense, Crime or Fantasy

License Regions: India

Expires: 31st Aug 2022

Turkish, Hebrew OR English language TV Series & Films for well established AVOD channel in India

Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy, Action, Thriller / Suspense, Adventure, Fantasy, Crime or Family

License Regions: India

Expires: 31st Aug 2022

 

DISCOVER MIP AFRICA 2022

DISCOVER MIP AFRICA

MIP Africa is a B2B market for film, television, and digital content distribution and co-production business in Africa. Whether you are involved in producing, distributing, financing or buying film and TV content for African audiences, MIP Africa is the Content Market that will put you face-to-face with the people, content and ideas to give your business a new doorway to huge opportunity.

Blood & Water's Ama Qamata

"As a female filmmaker, one of the key things you hope and dream for is to have your story represented on a global stage, and adds, “It’s amazing to see so many creative Africans, experienced and up-coming, coupled in one space, on one platform telling stories for our people and being the ones in charge of everything, from creating the stories to how we tell them- it’s incredibly special.’’
- Nosipho Dumisa, South African creative, writer, director and producer for Netflix's Blood & Water

https://www.fameweekafrica.com/en-gb/mip-africa.html

#film #netflix #television # #business #opportunity #digital #people #content #creative #b2b #africa #water #stage #writer #filmmarket #filmmaking #filmmakers #acquisition #distribution #africa

Top 10 Countries Producing Content for Netflix

Top 10 Countries Supplying Netflix's Biggest Hits

1. United States of America
2. South Korea
3. United Kingdom
4. Spain
5. Colombia
6. Poland
7. France
8. Mexico
9. Hungary
10. Germany

#Netflix
#SquidGame

Sources: @netflix, IMDb
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-03-13/these-are-netflix-s-most-popular-shows-according-to-netflix

The American King is the #1 Comedy in NIgeria with showtimes in over 50 cinemas.

Filmmakers Should Have 70% of the Revenues from the Cinemas

Filmmakers should be entitled to 70% of the revenues from the screenings of their movies in cinemas. 

I have completed my research on film acquisition, distribution and exhibition in the film industry and after the comprehensive analysis of the economics and metrics for the film industry, I have found that film distributors and exhibitors can give filmmakers seventy percent of the revenues from the box office and still make profit from their cinemas.

Cinemas have multiple streams of revenues, including premium tickets for private screenings and from the concessions for recurrent expenditures.

Revenues can include merchandising sales and adverts (screen and brochure).

I don't need to say more, because the facts are irrefutable.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

@247nigeria Twitter

 

MX Player Presents "Azumkuta Kingdom" Starring Patience Ozokwor

MX Player Presents "Azumkuta Kingdom"  Starring Patience Ozokwor

https://www.mxplayer.in › movie

Watch Azumkuta Kingdom Movie Online for Free Anytime

Genre: Drama, Nollywood. Year: 2022.

https://www.mxplayer.in/movie/watch-azumkuta-kingdom-movie-online

One of the four Nollywood movies acquired by MX Player in December, 2021 for non-exclusive film and TV rights on Vuulr. 

MX Player is an Indian video streaming and video on demand platform developed by MX Media & Entertainment (formerly J2 Interactive. It has over 280 million users globally.[3][4] The platform currently operates on an ad-supported model and has a streaming library of over 150,000 hours across 12 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. It is available on iOS, Android and the web.

In 2018, Times Internet acquired a majority stake in MX Player for $140 million.

In October 2019, MX Player raised $110.8 million in an investment led by Chinese conglomerate Tencent.

Mary Remmy Njoku, The African Queen of Content

 The African Queen of Content

Mrs. Mary Remmy Njoku’s creative work so far has led ROK to produce more than 540 movies and 25 original TV series.

She founded ROK Studios, a leading African film and television studio and production house based in Lagos, Nigeria. It has produced over 540 films and 25 original TV series, including Festac Town, Single Ladies, Body language, Losing Control and Husbands of Lagos since its launch.

Njoku launched ROK on Sky, a network airing across the UK in 2016. She also launched ROK on DSTV, a network airing across Africa, in the same year.

She was nominated for The Futures Awards and EbonyLife Prize for Screen Producer in 2017.

In April 2018, ROK Studios launched two new channels, ROK2 and ROK3, to meet the growing demand of ROK on DSTV.

She produced the movie Nwanyioma in 2018, where her role required her to completely shave her head.

In 2019, Njoku oversaw the acquisition of ROK to CANAL+, the largest international deal to-date for a Nollywood brand.

Meritocratic and Topocratic Distribution of Content in Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry

Meritocratic and Topocratic Distribution of Content in Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry

A system is topocratic if the compensation and power available to an individual is determined primarily by her position in a network.

In the model, individuals produce and sell content, but also distribute the content produced by others when they belong to the shortest path connecting a buyer and a seller.

A system is said to be meritocratic if the compensation and power available to individuals is determined by their abilities and merits. 

In Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry, we have seen the monopoly of topocracy by certain powerful stakeholders, including the film distributors and exhibitors.

Filmmakers have pointed out that the film distributors and exhibitors have been giving the best showtimes at their cinemas to the movies they produced or co- produced which have become the highest grossing NIgerian movies since 2016 to date. They have also taken advantage of the acquisition of NIgerian movies by Netflix and Amazon by using the same topocratic model.

Only about 20 percent of the Nigerian movies accepted by NIgerian film distributors and exhibitors are based on meritocracy.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series,

247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter

https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria

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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

Film, Television Industry Booming in Xiamen

PRESS RELEASE

Film, Television Industry Thrives in Xiamen

Statistics show that in 2020, the operating revenue of Xiamen’s cultural industry totaled 116.36 billion yuan ($18.26 billion), growing by 7.3 percent year on year

Access Multimedia Content

XIAMEN, China, December 29, 2021/ -- The three-day 34th China Film Golden Rooster Awards is being held in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province from Dec 28 to 30, drawing a number of A-list stars and industry insiders. The Golden Rooster Awards, which was launched in 1981 (the Year of the Rooster), is a national film awards event sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Film Association. It has developed into China's most prestigious film awards event and has contributed significantly to the development of China's film industry. As the host city of the Golden Rooster Awards, Xiamen has seen rapid development in the film and TV industry in recent years. Statistics show that in 2020, the operating revenue of Xiamen’s cultural industry totaled 116.36 billion yuan ($18.26 billion), growing by 7.3 percent year on year. Xiamen, a coastal city with enchanting natural scenery and a pleasant climate, has been hailed as "a garden on the ocean,” and it also bears elements of Minnan (southern Fujian province) and Western cultures, both of which help the city win the reputation of "a natural studio" and is favored by many filmmakers and directors. The city’s government has designated the film and TV industry as one of the engines to promote economic growth and has aimed to turn the city into a “film and TV capital” in China. The city’s continuous efforts have proved successful. Official data show that as of the end of November, Xiamen had gathered 2,046 film and TV enterprises, of which 350 were newly established this year. More and more industry leaders are choosing Xiamen as their investment destination due to its healthy business environment for the film and TV industry. Xiamen has become a hotbed for film and TV production such as the hit TV series “Minning Town,” which was released earlier this year. At the same time, the rapid development of the film and TV industry has in turn helped enhance the city’s cultural soft power and urban competitiveness, and the beautiful garden city continues to create perfect harmony between man and nature and has become a calling card for both tourists and investors. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of 34th China Film Golden Rooster Awards.   Contact: Lorraine Yuan Email: lorraine@hehutech.cn Tel: +86139 1113 0781 SOURCE 34th China Film Golden Rooster Awards

The Best and Biggest International Acquisition for NIgerian Content in 2021 Happened on Vuulr

The best and biggest international acquisition deal for Nollywood in 2021 happened on Vuulr

On Vuulr, over 68 hours of NIgerian content was bought by a leading OTT platform in North America and more movies were acquired by an Asian video streaming and video on demand platform, one of the biggest and largest video streaming services in the world with over 280 million users globally and has a streaming library of over 150,000 hours across 12 languages worldwide.

Other major international acquisition, distribution and production deals in 2021 included Lionsgate's acquisition of "A Soldier's Story 2" for video on demand and television distribution across the United States and Canada; Silverbird Group's US$50 mllion deal with AAA Entertainment of South Africa to develop and produce a series of cinematic African feature films in Africa; Kemi Adetiba's deal with Netflix for "King Of Boys: The Return Of The King" political thriller in a seven-part project that is Netflix's first Original Series from Nigeria; Walt Disney Animation Studios and the Kugali Media's Disney Plus Original Series “Iwájú” and lest I forget BBC Studios signed a development deal with Mo Abudu's EbonyLife for a six-part heist crime thriller, "Reclaim".

These groundbreaking deals for content producers in Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry have made International headlines and I am expecting more international acquisition and distribution of NIgerian movies and series in 2022.

 

Patience Ozokwor in AZUMKUTA KINGDOM

"AZUMKUTA KINGDOM"
A new epic movie from #Nollywood available for international acquisition and distribution on Vuulr.

Director : Frank Ejelam

Producer: Saviour Okpara

Cast: Patience Ozokwor, Lord Frank, Frances

There are over 400 NIgerian movies on Vuulr.    

Click here to view the best NIgerian movies on Vuulr. .

#Nigeria
#Igbo
#epic
#drama #movies #entertainment #acquisition #distribution #netflix #amazon #africa

Prince Emeka Ani in "Chukwuabiama Na Ezedibia": God and the King of Wizards

One of three #Nollywood movies acquired through Vuulr for global streaming .

"Chukwuabiama Na Ezedibia" (God and the King of Wizards)

Director: Evans Orji

Major Cast: Prince Emeka Ani, Agbaogidi Clement Cornel, Camilla Mberikwe

Population of Igbos:

Ṇ́dị́ Ìgbò. 50,366,800 (2021 est.)

Regions with significant populations

Ñigeria 45,880,000 

United States

227,000

Igbo Americans, or Americans of Igbo ancestry, (Igbo: Ṇ́dị́ Ígbò Amerika)

Since the turn of the 21st century genealogy tracing by means of DNA testing is in part revealing the Igbo ancestry of African Americans, some notable celebrities including Blair Underwood and Quincy Jones.

1. USA (New York; Houston/Dallas, Texas; California; Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois)

2. UK (London, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham)

3. South Africa

4. Canada

5. Germany

6. Netherlands

7. Malaysia

8. China

9. Thailand

10. Spain

11. Ghana

12. Benin

13. Equatorial Guinea

14. Japan

15. Finland

16. Sweden

17. South Korea

Film Distribution is No Longer the Problem of Nollywood

Film Distribution is No Longer the Problem of Nollywood

Widespread piracy and international film distribution were the recurrent problems of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry before the attraction of the leading companies in acquisition and distribution in the global film industry through the participation of Nigerian filmmakers in international film festivals and markets in America and Europe.

The international exposure improved the quality of Nigerian movies in accordance with the criteria for international acquisition and distribution of film and TV productions with the use of the best digital cinema cameras and accessories from Canon, Sony, Blackmagic Design, Christie Digital and ARRI.

With the attractions of the MultiChoice Group, StarTimes, 

Canal+, Sky TV, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney, Lionsgate and others, Nigerian filmmakers cannot complain about the lack of access for the international acquisition and distribution of their movies. The only challenge to them is to produce very good movies to meet the growing demand for global content of top quality of international standards.

Nollywood has attracted Dolby for the best sound quality in film and TV productions, Hiventy for the best dubbing in different international languages of movies, TV dramas, comedies and series and Drylab R&D AS of Norway for the best set reports and workflows for film and TV productions.

 

Nollywood has also attracted the IMAX Corporation of Canada for mega cinemas and CanalOlympia of France. 

"It is very important for us to be close to Nollywood," Simon Minkowski, development director at Canal Olympia, told AFP.  

Another IMAX cinema is going to be built within the next five years.

There are other leading global companies with big budgets for international acquisition and distribution and are willing to acquire the film and TV rights to Nigerian content of which I have recommended two new movies by two outstanding Nigerian filmmakers. One of the movies is scheduled for theatrical release in local cinemas in Nigeria. They are also looking for new movies that can have international theatrical release.  

Success Iyoha, one of the actors for the "Naked Beauty".

My Big Picture of Nollywood is to see Nigerian movies grossing up to US$100 million globally in the next five years and to see Nollywood actors (both female and male) earning up to US$5 million for playing leading roles in big budget movies. The leading actor in my proposed first feature, "Naked Beauty" will earn US$500, 000 for her role alongside the African American A-List Hollywood actor. And she will still be under 30 years at the world premiere of the film in Europe. 

The final statement is international acquisition and distribution companies are available for the best film and TV productions from Nollywood.

And only the best is good enough for us. So, don't settle for less.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The CEO,

International Digital Post Network Limited,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

@247nigeria Twitter,

Vuulr Program Partner,

International Acquisition and Distribution.

Drylab Ambassador for international productions,

Member, Digital Cinema Society.