Showing posts with label Box Office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Box Office. Show all posts

Saturday, July 6, 2024

The Best Solution To Increase The Number of Cinemas in Nigeria


In previous articles, I have already addressed the increasing challenge of lack of enough cinemas to meet the increasing demand for cinemas with the growing population of Nigeria that has the largest film industry in Africa celebrated for the phenomenal Nollywood that produces thousands of low budget movies annually. But there is a deficit in revenues of the box office caused by the unavailability of cinemas in majority of the states in Nigeria with only about 400 standard screens in the most populous country in Africa with a population of over 200 million people.

In 2012, I attracted the IMAX Corporation of Canada to consider having an IMAX cinema in Nigeria and in 2013 the corporation sent  Mr. Giovanni Dolci, the Senior Vice President, Theatre Development and Managing Director, Europe and Africa to meet with me in Lagos. We had an important meeting with the Creative Industry Group (CIG) of the Bank of Industry and met with the officials of the Umuwo Odofin Local Government for the location of an IMAX cinema on 10 acres of land in the popular FESTAC Town which I have planned to be called FESTAC IMAX Plaza with a mega shopping mall and car park for 1000 vehicles. My duly incorporated International Digital Post Network Limited signed a partnership agreement with the IMAX Corporation for 10 years (it expired in 2023). But after meeting with other stakeholders in the Nigerian film industry, IMAX went ahead of my plans to partner with the FilmOne Entertainment Group to build the Filmhouse IMAX cinema in 2016 located in Lekki on the Lagos Island. This is the first IMAX cinema in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa. 



The IMAX cinema is for only a minority of those who can afford the tickets and glasses. 
There can be at least two IMAX cinemas in every local government area in Nigeria.
They can be built by the local government or state government in partnership with private investors. And they can be highly profitable with competent and efficient management.
There are more than 30 million people in Nigeria who can afford to pay for the tickets and glasses. They belong to the fastest growing middle class population in Africa. But without effective marketing and public relations strategies, they will not be attracted to the IMAX cinema.

The FESTAC IMAX Plaza I proposed would have been more profitable to the IMAX Corporation and Nigerian film industry, because there are more people in FESTAC Town who can afford the prices for the tickets and glasses than the people in Lekki
FESTAC has the dynamic demographics of the lower class, middle class and upper middle class people in the same location with the most upwardly mobile young Nigerians in the Umuwo Odofin Local Government Area; one of the most dynamic local government areas in Nigeria.

Feasibility studies are necessary before starting any business venture and they include the researches on the economics and demographics of the population of Nigeria. 
You have to do Macroeconomic research and Microeconomic research on the entertainment industry, including the film, television, theatre and music industries of Nigeria.
All the researches are important, relevant and significant to the development of cinemas to supply on demand according to the needs assessment of the target audience. 
You must always supply on demand.
You cannot supply mangoes to monkeys when you know that monkeys love bananas.
You cannot supply cassavas to rabbits when they prefer carrots.

Cinewav Instant Cinemas: 
One Village, One Cinema Plan for Nigeria




In 2022, I signed an affiliate partnership with the Cinewav Pte. Ltd of Singapore for the introduction of low cost instant cinemas in Nigeria with the estimation for 3, 096 cinemas in all the 774 local government areas in the country with 4 cinemas in each local government area after a comprehensive feasibility study from the research on the demographics of the population of Nigeria.
Each cinema will cost N10, 000, 000 (ten million naira), including the training of two operators by Cinewav.
Cinewav Instant cinemas are mobile and can be installed within one hour at every location in every village square, town hall or school in every community.
The cinemas can be inside estates in the villages, towns and cities in Nigeria.
There are solar powered Cineplex when there is no electric power supply.
The low cost cinemas will sell affordable tickets for the majority of the population of Nigeria.
3, 096 cinemas in 774 local government areas with 4 cinemas in each local government area will generate a monthly revenue of more than N7, 856, 000, 000 ( seven billion, eight hundred and fifty six million naira) and over N94, 272, 000, 000 (ninety four billion, two hundred and seventy two million naira) annually.

Cinema - Nigeria | Statista Market Forecast
Revenue in the Cinema market is projected to reach US$123.50m in 2024.
Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2029) of 5.89%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$164.40m by 2029.
In the Cinema market, the number of viewers is expected to amount to 9.3m users by 2029.
User penetration will be 3.5% in 2024 and is expected to hit 3.6% by 2029.
The average revenue per viewer is expected to amount to US$15.59.
In global comparison, most revenue will be generated in the United States (US$20,980.00m in 2024)."
https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/media/cinema/nigeria#:~:text=Revenue%20in%20the,20%2C980.00m%20in%202024).

The Cinewav Instant cinemas will increase the annual revenues of the Nigerian film industry and create thousands of jobs in Nigeria.

See Cinewav Cinemas for Every Location 
https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2023/11/cinewav-cinemas-for-every-location.html

 - By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013.
Affiliate Partner,
Cinewav of Singapore
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengoz



Friday, September 8, 2023

The Largest Market For Yoruba Epic Movie, "Orisa" is in Brazil and Not in Nigeria

The Largest Market For Yoruba Epic Movie, "Orisa" is in Brazil and Not in Nigeria


The Yoruba epic movies, "Orisa" and "Jagun Jagun", are the biggest Nollywood movies so far in 2023.
These epic movies can attract more people beyond Nigeria. But 
the producers don't know how to promote them globally. 
They are fixated on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video and the  cinemas in Nigeria. But the largest audiences for them are outside Nigeria. 

Over 10 million Afro Latinos in the Americas with Yoruba lineage have enough disposable incomes to watch the movies in cinemas and on cable TV channels.
In Brazil alone, millions of people will rush to watch "Orisa". 
The producers have to see the Big Picture in international film distribution and exhibition.

FilmOne Entertainment has tried with the theatrical release of "Orisa" in the United States of America, showing at selected Regal theaters. But we must see the Big Picture of the future of Nollywood in the world and the future begins today and is in our hands.

The Africans in the Diaspora have a population of over 350 million people and as a country will be the third largest in population in the world after China and India.

Countries with significant populations of Africans in the Diaspora:
United States
46,936,733
Brazil
14,517,961
Haiti
8,583,759
Colombia
4,671,160
Jamaica
2,700,000
Venezuela
2,641,481
Mexico
1,386,556
Canada
1,300,540
Ecuador
1,200,000
Cuba
1,034,044
Dominican Republic
1,029,535

Africans in the Diaspora remit more than USD 65 billion to Africa annually, more than the total foreign aid by the IMF and other international organizations to the continent in the last five years.

Why is Brazil the Largest Market For "Orisa" and "Jagun Jagun"?




There are over 14 million Africans in the Diaspora in Brazil and majority of them are traditional devotees and those who are fully informed on the widespread Yoruba Orisa religion and culture since the transatlantic slave trade to date. 
They have popular annual Orisa festivities attracting millions of Brazilians and thousands of tourists from other countries.
Their history is common public knowledge.

The film industry of Brazil is bigger than the film industry of Nigeria having millions of moviegoers with GDP per capita of $8,918 USD in 2022, a 15.86% increase from 2021. 
The GDP per capita in Nigeria was $2,448 in 2022 and with the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, it has decreased and shown in the decreasing box office revenues, because majority of the moviegoers cannot afford to pay for the tickets again
.



The Film Industry in Brazil
At the end of 2022, there were around 3.4 thousand movie theater screens in Brazil, up from over 3.2 thousand a year earlier – an annual increase of four percent. 
The number of movie tickets sold in Brazil increased by 81.7 percent between 2021 and 2022.21 Mar 2023

With 3.4 thousand screens in Brazil compared to less than 300 screens in Nigeria, the larger market of moviegoers is Brazil.

Film distributors in Nigeria should  promote "Orisa" and "Jagun Jagun" through the international film festivals in Brazil and contact the film distributors in Brazil at the 2023 annual American Film Market (AFM) coming up from October 31 – November 5, in Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Santa Monica, CA, USA.


- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series
Nigeria Daily Twitter
https://twitter.com/nigeriadaily
New Nigeria on Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

Saturday, August 12, 2023

"UNFORGIVABLE" is On the Top Nigerian Movies at the Cinemas

UNFORGIVABLE is the Most Daring Nigerian Movie on Sex and Rape

A new Nollywood romantic drama, "Unforgivable’ is the most daring Nigerian thriller on mistaken love affair, lust for sex and rape starring popular Nollywood diva, Nancy Isime in her sexiest role with fast rising Nollywood sex symbol, Timini Egbuson. The raunchy erotic scenes are only for adults.

The movie written, produced and directed by Osezuah Elimihe, one of the outstanding filmmakers in Nollywood is already on the Top 10 box office since it started showing at cinemas nationwide with a Watch and Win promo of N100, 000 for moviegoers.


Other actors featured are Jude Orhorha, Victor Eriabie, Mercy Isoyip, Anthonia Okojie, Emeka Okoye, Kokoette Omoinyang. Ijeoma Richards, Joseph Momodu, Aaron Sunday, Moses Nwosu, Osasu Esemuede, Linda Igwe and Aloysius Onyejegbu.

The Synopsis:

An arrogant, self assured, rich, debonair, mid level investment banking professional with an excessive lust for women finds himself mired in a rape charge. In the game of saving himself from life imprisonment and odium, he rejects assistance from his powerful, but modest father and chooses to go it all alone. He will find his cook, who reveres him for his generosity, and his cousin, with whom he has a steaming incestuous relationship, dependable in the fight, but will this be enough for him?

"Unforgivable" is a production of AISRE Pictures with the media partnership of Megalectrics Ltd (operators of Classic FM 97.3 & The Beat 99.9FM) and distributed by Blue Pictures Entertainment.

Watch the Uncensored Trailer on 

http://kissesandroses..com/2023/08/nancy-isime-in-unforgivable-is.html


Thursday, June 22, 2023

In Her Eyes: Through Her Eyes Filmmaking Workshop For Women in Nigeria

In Her Eyes: Through Her Eyes Filmmaking Workshop For Women By Women Program in Nigeria

The Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) in Nigeria are launching the first annual "In Her Eyes Through Her Eyes" Filmmaking Workshop For Women By Women Program in Nigeria for 100 women every year with the goal to increase the number of women professionals working in the Nigerian film industry.

About WIFTI in Nigeria 

https://www.spotlightinitiative.org/press/eu-un-spotlight-initiative-inaugurates-women-film-and-television-international-network-wifti

The maiden workshop will take place in October, 2023.

Facts about Women Making Movies in Nollywood

Do you know that Nigerian female filmmakers have produced the top three and most of the highest grossing Nollywood films so far?

1 Battle on Buka Street, 2022, ₦668,423,056 by Funke Ayotunde Akindele 
2 Omo Ghetto: The Saga, 2020, 
₦636,129,120[2 by Funke Akindele 
3 The Wedding Party, 2016, ₦452,288,605[3 by Kemi Adetiba


Female filmmakers in Nigeria have produced the highest grossing Nollywood movies, but they have only produced about 5 percent of the over 1, 000 movies produced annually in Nigeria, because they are about 10 percent of over 1, 000 filmmakers in Nigeria.

Imagine how much more in ROI we will have in the Nigerian film industry if we have more female filmmakers in Nollywood.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase the professional engagement of women among the filmmakers in the Nigerian film industry, because, there are not enough  women who are making films in Nigeria compared to the over 1,000 men making movies in the largest film industry in Africa.

I believe women are the best storytellers of their lives.


Can men tell what women go through in menstrual periods and travails of pregnancy more than women?
Can men explain the stigma and trauma of barren women more than women?
Can men know the depth of the loneliness of widows?
Do you know that widows in some tribes in Nigeria have been forced to drink the water used to bathe bodies of their husbands in rituals to swear that they were not responsible for their demise?
There are many untold stories of girls and women in Nigeria, because in several critical situations, it is taboo for them to speak out. 

The In Her Eyes: Through Her Eyes Filmmaking Workshop For Women By Women Program in Nigeria is open for partnership and sponsorship by local and international institutions and organizations.


Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Warner Bros. 100 Years of Storytelling

 By Mark A. Vieira

Foreword by Ben Mankiewicz

Description

In this official centennial history of the greatest studio in Hollywood, unforgettable stars, untold stories, and rare images from the Warner Bros. vault bring a century of entertainment to vivid life.

The history of Warner Bros.is not just the tale of a legendary film studio and its stars, but of classic Hollywood itself, as well as a portrait of America in the last century. It’s a family story of Polish-Jewish immigrants—the brothers Warner—who took advantage of new opportunities in the burgeoning film industry at a time when four mavericks could invent ways of operating, of warding off government regulation, and of keeping audiences coming back for more during some of the nation's darkest days.

Innovation was key to their early success. Four years after its founding, the studio revolutionized moviemaking by introducing sound in The Jazz Singer (1927). Stars and stories gave Warner Bros. its distinct identity as the studio where tough guys like Humphrey Bogart and strong women like Bette Davis kept people on the edge of their seats. Over the years, these acclaimed actors and countless others made magic on WB’s soundstages and were responsible for such diverse classics as Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Star Is Born, Bonnie & Clyde, Malcolm X, Caddyshack, Purple Rain, and hundreds more.

It’s the studio that put noir in film with The Maltese Falcon and other classics of the genre, where the iconic Looney Tunes were unleashed on animation, and the studio that took an unpopular stance at the start of World War II by producing anti-Nazi films. Counter-culture hits like A Clockwork Orange and The Exorcist carried the studio through the 1970s and '80s. Franchise phenomena like Harry Potter, the DC universe, and more continue to shape a cinematic vision and longevity that is unparalleled in the annals of film history. These stories and more are chronicled in this comprehensive and stunning volume. 

Copyright © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.



Friday, February 10, 2023

Why Did "Avatar: The Way of Water" Fail in Nigeria?

Why Did "Avatar: The Way of Water" Fail in Nigeria?

James Cameron's awesome sci-fi epic "Avatar: The Way of Water"  has been a huge box office success, breaking multiple records, and grossing over $2.177 billion worldwide so far. It was the highest-grossing film of 2022, the highest-grossing film of the COVID-19 pandemic era, and the fourth highest-grossing film of all time. But it has failed in Nigeria grossing less than $800, 000 in 7 weeks in the country where "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has made $2 million so far.
Why?

Poor marketing and publicity caused the failure of "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Nigeria in competition with the highest grossing Nigerian movie, Funke Akindele's " The Battle on Buka Street" that has grossed over $1 million so far in 7 weeks.

Both the local and international film distributors failed in the marketing and publicity of "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Nigeria.

General poor marketing and publicity have caused many Nigerian and foreign movies to bomb in Nigeria and not because there are not enough cinemas in the most populous country in Africa.
If "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" can make $2 million in 12 weeks in Nigeria, then "Avatar: The Way of Water" should have made over $1 million by now.

#Avatar
#avatarthewayofwater
#jamescameron
#blackpanther
#blackpantherwakandaforever
#boxoffice
#bomb
#filmdistributors
#movies
#Hollywood
#Nollywood
#cimemas
#film
#nigeria
#marketing
#media
#entertainment
#publicity
#success
#water
#africa
#covid

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

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michaelchimaeyerengozi_michael-ekenyerengozi-on-instagram-why-activity-7028882950041579520-2rXV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Is Nollywood Really Booming?

Is Nollywood Really Booming?

The sociocultural phenomenon of the guerilla filmmakers of Nollywood, the first indie film industry in Africa has been attracting global attention making news headlines of the foreign news media since the early 1990s and making the stars of the low budget movies household names across Africa.  "Nollywood is booming" echoed from the street to the internet and on the popular cable TV channels called Africa Magic on DStv and GOtv of the MultiChoice Group of South Africa. 

According to a widely circulated report since 2020:
Nigeria’s film industry contributed 2.3% and about 239 billion naira ($660 million) to the GDP and projects that the industry will increase its export revenue earnings to over $1 billion. The motion picture and music recording industry exceeded 2020 projected $806 million revenue contributing about 730 billion naira ($1.8 billion) to the country’s GDP.
The country’s television and video market grew by 7.49% to $806 million in 2020, up from $732 million in 2018. The industry is projected to earn about $900 million in 2023. The market is driven by subscription revenue, which accounted for 72.26% of total revenue in 2018. TV advertising accounts for 21.31% of total revenue.

With other similar reports; to the foreign news media, Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry is booming with references to the success stories of DStv, GOtv and Showmax of the MultiChoice Group; the increasing numbers of cinemas with all the highest grossing Nollywood movies in the box office making millions of dollars annually since 2016; the exciting attractions of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other OTT platforms with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. But the fact is; Nollywood is not among the 10 biggest film industries in the world by box office revenues, TV budgets and revenues. 
Nollywood no longer produces the often reported over 2, 000 movies annually used to rank it as the second largest film industry in the world after Bollywood of India and ahead of Hollywood of America. Since the COVID-19 pandemic with the consequences of the lockdowns and restrictions of physical contact with others at work, productions of movies and TV series have reduced in Nigeria.

Nollywood is not the biggest film industry in Africa. 
South Africa has the biggest film industry on the continent with the biggest and largest film distributors and exhibitors; including the popular Durban Film Mart, Cape Town International Film Market and Festival and MIP Africa. The biggest GSM telecom network in Nigeria is MTN from South Africa used by the majority of Nigerians for data to use the internet and the MultiChoice Group of South Africa is the biggest and largest cable TV network in Nigeria. 
The local private and public TV stations in Nigeria cannot compete with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and other broadcasting services of South Africa in the entertainment industry.
The reports that Nigeria has the biggest film industry in Africa are  false.

Nollywood is booming continues to be echoing and repeated in the news reports, but the realities are different inside Nigeria.
Behind the showtimes of the cinemas in the big shopping malls of Lagos and other states; behind the glitz and razzmatazz of the red carpets of the premieres of movies and international film festivals in Nollywood; majority of the filmmakers with their casts and crews are struggling and suffering to make ends meet. Majority of them cannot afford brand new cars or SUVs and cannot afford to build or buy houses. 
Dozens of practitioners suffered and passed on in Nollywood last year 2022, but only the famous ones made news whilst the unknown ones passed away unsung. Many of them could not pay their medical bills.
Many of those who survived the critical financial challenges only survived by divine interventions of Almighty God through various means, including the kindness of several "Good Samaritans" who gave them helping hands to rescue them from their misery.

I had a catalog of movies, TV series and documentaries of the best quality, but all the TV channels in Nigeria could not afford to pay for the TV rights as low as US$750 per movie or episode for two years. They cannot even afford to produce content of premium quality and the employees are underpaid.
There is no single film and TV market in Nigeria and no film commission, except the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) without a film commissioner. 
The NFC does not know that there should be a film commission in every state in the country, including Abuja. 

Nollywood is far from booming, because even the fortunate ones among the filmmakers who  produced the highest grossing movies and series acquired by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Showmax and other major foreign film acquisition and distribution companies have not become multimillionaires in dollars like their counterparts in Hollywood. 
None of the highest grossing Nollywood movies made up to US$2 million.  
The Hollywood blockbuster "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has become the first film to make N1 Billion from the box office in Nigeria and one billion naira is less than US$2 million by the  current exchange rate of the dollar to the naira of $1 for N730. $1m is about N730 million. 

A movie in a booming film industry by global valuation should be making millions of dollars within three weeks and not struggling to make two million dollars within three months of the theatrical release. Nigeria does not have up to 300 screens and the population of the country is over 200 million, the largest in Africa. Exhibitors spend millions of dollars annually on recurrent expenditures of the cinemas in a country without regular power supply for electricity and they have to use big industrial generators with daily supply of diesel or petrol. There are days a cinema will not have up to 20 moviegoers and the generator will be used for power supply for screenings without interruptions.
I don't envy the exhibitors and investors. 
Uber is making more money in Nigeria than all the members of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).  
It is better, richer and safer to invest in an urban taxi transport service in the country than to invest in having cinemas in Nigeria. And guess what? An Urban taxi cabs service can still make money from Nollywood without sweat. How?

Nollywood creates thousands of jobs, but over 90 percent of these jobs are not permanent, because the jobs end once the production of a movie ends. Many of the  actors have to fast and pray to get new roles in the next productions. Majority of the actors, cameramen, camerawomen, gaffers and others are among the lowest paid employees in Nigeria. Their incomes cannot make ends meet for them and their dependants without any social welfare and without any insurance policy. 

Nollywood is still a developing film industry with multiple streams of incomes. But the lack of structure is hampering the economic growth.
Movie merchandise and film tourism are still unexplored sectors of Nollywood which can be avenues to create permanent jobs for many people and increase the revenues from the film industry. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
New Nigeria on Pinterest

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series 
First book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry available in paperback and hardcover versions.


Friday, January 6, 2023

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Likely To Be The First Nollywood Movie To Make N1 Billion

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" has made more than N300 million within only three weeks in the cinemas in Nigeria by pulling more crowds of moviegoers than James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water".

The current box office report from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) shows "Battle on Buka Street" at the #1 position with N361, 3556, 446 from 132, 525 admissions followed by James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" at the #2 position with N285, 562, 316 from 94, 402 admissions.

The "Battle on Buka Street" can have over 400, 000 moviegoers before March, 2023.





Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Overtakes James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Top 20 Movies in Nigeria


Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Overtakes James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Top 20 Movies in Nigeria



The current box office report from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) for the top 20 movies in Nigeria shows the Nollywood comedy, Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" at the #1 position with N252, 625, 736 from 93, 223 admissions followed by James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" at the #2 position with N222, 372, 805 from 73, 449 admissions.


"The Battle on Buka Street" grossed more than N135 million on the first day of the opening weekend, the biggest single day for a Nollywood film in 2022.

"Battle on Buka Street" is a 2022 Nigerian comedy drama film directed by Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde. The film is jointly produced as a collaboration between Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN) and FilmOne Entertainment.The film had its theatrical release on 16 December 2022

Synopsis:
Half sisters, YEJIDE and AWELE are rival mama put sellers who are not strangers to competing; they were born a minute apart to different women and married to different men on the same day . To them, there is a silent competition where one woman must out do the other, but when a set of coordinated attacks on homes and shops in their community become frequent, these rival mama put sellers must come together and put their differences aside, proving that indeed blood triumphs over petty squabbles.

Starring

Funke Akindele

Mercy Johnson

Sola Sobowale

Tina Mba

Nkem Owoh

Femi Jacobs

Kelvin Ikeduba

Edited by Valentine Chukwuma

#BattleonBukaStreet
#Avatarthewayofwater
#Nollywood
#Hollywood 
#Jamescameron 
#FunkeAkindele
#comedy
#scifi
#fantasy
#movies

Sunday, May 29, 2022

"King of Thieves" of Nollywood and the Myth of Second Largest Film Industry in the World

"King of Thieves", the current highest grossing Nigerian movie has not made up to US$1m in 7 weeks of showing in all the cinemas by the largest cinema chain in Nigeria and West Africa.

The current box office report from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) shows that #Nollywood is not among the top 10 biggest film industries in the world in box office revenues.
The fictitious stats of UNESCO  on Nollywood must have been made up by those who failed to verify the current reports on the Nigerian film industry. They simply made the assumptions from their  laptops in Geneva and New York City and cannot even locate Asaba on the map of Africa. By the way,  Asaba presently produces more movies than Lagos and other cities in Nigeria. An actor can play major roles in ten different movies within one month in Asaba in Delta State. I doubt if any of the foreign news reporters and writers on Nollywood has been to Asaba. Most of their reports have been written in the comfort of the cozy rooms of the big hotels in Lagos and Abuja.
Now you can see why the so called "booming" second largest film industry in the world is full of hungry actors and directors who are still hustling to make ends meet.
Let us pray.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series, Lagos, Nigeria.

#film #nigeria #lagos #africa #business #movies #news
#filmindustry #filmmakers #boxoffice #Asaba #unesco #report #geneva #newyorkcity



Thursday, April 14, 2022

Why "Boycott" Was Not the Highest Grossing Nigerian Movie in March

Why "Boycott" Was Not the Highest Grossing Nigerian Movie in March

I expected "Boycott" to become a box office hit when it was released last month, but it bombed! Why?

This outstanding drama on the insurgency ravaging northern Nigeria was produced and directed by Standfame Ajalaja Stanley, starring the Alpha Males of Nollywood, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), Kunle Coker and Yemi Blaq with Lovelyn Christian, Uzee Usman, Tolulope Asanu and other actors.

"Boycott" was not the highest grossing Nigerian movie in March, because the film distribution was not given to FilmOne Entertainment that belongs to the same owners of Filmhouse Cinemas, the largest cinema chain in West Africa with 54 screens so far. It was given to Blue Pictures that has only one cinema in Lagos. Therefore, "Boycott" was only shown in 34 locations according to the weekly box office report of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN). If it was distributed by FilmOne, it would have been shown in all their cinemas and also in other cinemas of the members of CEAN to maximize the box office and would have been the highest grossing movie.

The highest grossing NIgerian movie in April is "King Of Thieves" (Agesinkole) of popular actor and filmmaker, Femi Adebayo. The Yoruba epic is a coproduction of Niyi Akinmolayan‘s Anthill Studios and Femi Adebayo‘s Euphoria 360 and co-directed by Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo Salami. It is distributed by FilmOne and showing in 55 locations.

The highest grossing Nigerian movies are those given more showtimes than other movies and not based on meritocracy. But based on economies of scale determined by FilmOne and Filmhouse Cinemas and partners for their mutual benefit. So, if they don't give movies distributed by others enough cinemas, the movies cannot compete with their own movies at the box office.

An upcoming distribution company contacted me and said the politics of CEAN rules above the ethics of equity in the Nigerian film industry. But I said that it's all economics of marketing.  The recurrent expenditures with increasing overhead costs in a country without regular power supply makes having cinemas a capital-intensive business.  I was at a small cinema with two screens in two small halls and I was wondering how the owners will make ends meet with only 50 seats. 

What is the solution?

There is an urgency for more cinemas in Nigeria, because of increasing demand by moviegoers with the increasing population of the country with the fastest growing middle class in sub-Saharan Africa. 

0.4 cinema screens to 100,000 people is very small for millions of movie lovers in Nigeria and the present locations of the few movie theatres are not the most appropriate in terms of demographics, because more thousands of people drive for miles to get to the nearest movie theatres, because they don’t have any cinema in their local government areas. 

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


The American King Easter Weekend Giveaway Promotion at the Magnificent Cinemas in Lagos, Havana Cinemas in Owerri, Imo State, Platinum Cinemas in Kano and Exodus Cinemas in Makurdi, Benue State 



Sunday, April 10, 2022

Corruption in Nollywood?

Corruption in Nollywood?
From the Distribution To the Exhibition of NIgerian Movies in Cinemas

When one #Nollywood movie has more screens than other Nollywood #movies, it becomes the highest grossing movie; not on merit, but on favouritism by the film distributors and exhibitors with more cinemas in Nigeria.

Some of the best new movies by NIgerian filmmakers released in 2022 have been relegated with less than 40 cinemas whereas the movies or teleplays  by the filmmakers with bottom power or long legs in Nollywood have been given over 51 cinemas to become highest grossing NIgerian movies since 2016 to date. 

Is this how it works?

Did the filmmakers given more screens pay for them by rental or what?

The manipulation of the box office in NIgeria is another form corruption in the film industry that is not different from the endemic political corruption caused by the maladministration of the NIgerian government by the corrupt and incompetent public officials and their partners in crime; the contractors in the private sector.

When topocracy overrides meritocracy, mediocrity becomes the order of the day.

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

Sunday, March 27, 2022

The American King Movie T-shirt is Free!

The American King T-shirt is up for grabs for every one who is going to watch the most exciting #Hollywood and #Nollywood #comedy on the Top 20 highest grossing movies at the box office in #NIgeria. 

Watch and win The American King T-shirt with your ticket. 200 T-shirts to be won!


#TheAmericanKing
#boxoffice
#movie
#tshirts
#drama

Sunday, March 20, 2022

The Biggest Lies on Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry in Wikipedia

Gross box office (2014)
Total
US$5 Billion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Nigeria
Fake news 

That the gross box office from Nollywood in 2014 was a total of US$5 Billion as written in the Wikipedia.

Fact

Nollywood has never made even up to US$1 Billion from the box office since 2010 to date.

The biggest film industry in Africa is South Africa and not NIgeria by numbers of cinemas and highest grossing films.

Nigeria is not among the top ten countries with biggest box offices in the world.  Nigeria does not even have one quarter of the number of screens in South Africa and South Africa is not among the top ten film industries in the world.

https://nigerianinfopedia.com.ng/largest-film-industries-in-the-world

Being the second largest producer of movies on video in the world after India does not make NIgeria one of the biggest film industries in the world according to the indices of the economics of the global film industry. 

Nigeria produces hundreds of movies on video annually, but only about ten percent of them are good enough for theatrical release in the cinemas in Nigeria. The rest end up on YouTube channels, cable TV and websites of movie pirates.

No NIgerian movie has made up to US$3million at the box office in the history of the Nigerian film industry.

All these fictitious fables and fake news on Nollywood must stop.

Facts don't lie. 

All liars, including the ignorant self acclaimed experts on Nollywood teaching their so called Masterclasses in America and Europe must stop teaching inaccurate reports on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry. Even Jodie Foster is ignorant of the facts on Nollywood and she is teaching a Masterclass? What does she know about the history of the Yoruba traveling theatre, NIgerian Television Authority (NTA) and Onitsha Market Literature in the development of Nollywood? Does she know about the relationship between Nollywood of the southern region of Nigeria and the Kannywood of the northern region of Nigeria?


- 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




Friday, March 18, 2022

Cinemas in Nigeria Are Losing Millions of Dollars Due To Poor Marketing and Publicity


The trailer of "The American King", a new Hollywood and Nollywood comedy showing in selected cinemas in Nigeria.
Popular NIgerian actress, Shan George in front of Genesis Cinemas in Asaba, Delta State, NIgeria.

Cinemas in Nigeria are losing millions of dollars, because of poor marketing and publicity.


Nigerian film distributors and exhibitors don't seem to have any  budget for the marketing and publicity of movies for cinemas in Nigeria rated as the second largest film industry in the world after India for the annual quantity of film productions.
The more marketing promotions for their movies, the more people that will be attracted to watch the movies and increase the population of moviegoers in Nigeria with more sales of tickets.

I have been increasing the attractions of cinemas by having screenings of documentary films for secondary schools at the cinemas since 2013 to date. The secondary school students who were teenagers seven years ago in 2013 are now grown-ups in their 20s and majority of them have graduated from tertiary institutions and gainfully employed with enough disposable incomes to pay for tickets for movies at the cinemas. 
Many of them have commended me for their appreciation of the cinema culture.

Film distributors and exhibitors in the established film industries of Hollywood of the United States of America, Bollywood of India, China, UK and South Africa have  budgets of millions of dollars for marketing and publicity for movies and their movies have been the highest grossing movies in the world which the NIgerian film industry has not achieved with the thousands of movies produced annually in Nollywood and Kannywood.

South Africa does not produce up to a quarter of the movies produced annually by NIgeria, but  has produced the highest grossing movies in Africa with "District 9" grossing US$210.8 million in 200;  followed by "The God's Must Be Crazy" - US$100 million; "Zambezia" - US$34.4 million; "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" - US$27.3 million; "Khumba )" – $28.42 million (which the producers even reached out to me for the publicity in 2013) and the critically acclaimed "Tsotsi" - $12 million. It was the first African film to win the highly coveted Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (now Best International Feature Film) in 2006.

No NIgerian movie has made up to US$3 million from the box office.
The ready made common reason would be that South Africa has hundreds of cinemas whereas NIgeria has less than 100 cinemas. But the 100 cinemas with about 220 screens can make up to US$3 million monthly with proper marketing and publicity for movies. 
The Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) reported that cinemas in Nigeria made N301.48 million from tickets sold across the country in February, 2022 
National President of CEAN, Mr. Patrick Lee said this was a tremendous increase compared with N224.34 million made from ticket sales in February, 2021. 

UNESCO reported that the African film industry has great potential, but the lack of infrastructure like one cinema screen per 787,402 people makes it a laggard.
According to a new UNESCO report, about 5 million people currently work in the film sector in Africa, which contributes $5 billion to the continent's GDP. 

Film distributors and exhibitors in Nigeria should increase their budgets for marketing and publicity of the movies they have accepted for their cinemas. They have to increase the appreciation for cinemas by millions of people in NIgeria from the lower class to the upper class of the society.

Over 60 million Nigerians spend over N730 billion annually on sports betting and at least two billion naira is generated daily according to a recent data with each one spending more than N3, 000 weekly on betting. So, millions of Nigerians have disposable personal income (DPI) to afford paying for tickets for movies at the cinemas. 


- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, 
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 
247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter

           The American King is currently the #1 Comedy in NIgeria from March 4-17, 2022 and has attracted thousands of moviegoers to the cinemas.                           


Saturday, March 12, 2022

The American King is the #1 Comedy in Cinemas in Nigeria

 



The American King is the #1 Comedy in Cinemas in Nigeria

"The American King' is still the #1 comedy in cinemas in Nigeria since the theatrical release on Friday, March 4, 2022.
Starring famous singer, Akon alongside top Hollywood and Nollywood stars, 
Andrew Howard, Nick Moran, Dani Renee, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Enyinna Nwigwe and Alexx Ekubo among other notable actors 

See showtimes for OZONE CINEMAS on
https://ozonecinemas.com/

"The American King" showing daily at the Ozone Cinemas at the E-CENTRE Centre in Yaba, Lagos, NIgeria.

The most exciting Hollywood and Nollywood comedy/drama is the #1 comedy in Nigeria starring Akon with top American and Nigerian A-List actors, including Andrew Howard, Nick Moran, Dani Renee, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Enyinna Nwigwe.

Seeing is believing!

Cast

Akon

Enyinna Nwigwe

Nse Ikpe-Etim

Rahama Sadau

Luenell

Andrew Howard

Nick Moran

Alexx Ekubo

Jennifer Wenger

Miguel A. Núñez Jr.

Martin Dingle-Wall

Charles Duckworth

Vanessa Giselle

Massi Furlan

Jean St. James

Ella Kweku

Nea Dune

Malinda Money

Erica Manni

#TheAmericanKing #Nigeria #hollywood #nollywood #comedy
#entertainment #drama #movies #America #Russia #Russian

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





 

Friday, December 31, 2021

Omo Ghetto: The Saga, The Highest Grossing #Nollywood Movie of All Time So Far

 


Omo Ghetto: The Saga, The Highest Grossing #Nollywood Movie of All Time So Far

Omo Ghetto: The Saga also known as Omo Ghetto 2[2] is a 2020 Nigerian gangster comedy film co-directed by Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz.[3] The film stars Funke Akindele, Chioma Akpota, Nancy Isime, Eniola Badmus, Bimbo Thomas, Deyemi Okanlawon and Mercy Aigbe in the lead roles. This was the second film in the Omo Ghetto franchise and it was also the sequel to the 2010 trilogy film Omo Ghetto

The movie grossed over ₦189 million in the opening week and it historically became the first Nollywood film ever to gross over ₦99 million in its opening weekend surpassing the previous record set by The Wedding Party 2. In its second week, the movie continued breaking box office records by grossing over ₦132.4 million and firmly staying at the top of the Nigerian box office and bringing its 2-week gross to a record breaking ₦322 million and placing it as the fourth highest grossing Nigerian movie of all time.

In its third week, despite seeing a drop of 43% from the previous week, Omo Ghetto still topped the box office and grossed ₦75.4 million bringing its total cumulative to ₦398.5 million just after three weeks. Omo Ghetto was so popular that it accounted for about 65% of the box office in Nigeria.Omo Ghetto kept dominating the Nigerian box office, raking up ₦45.9 million to top the box office. It brought the cumulative box office figure to ₦444.5 million placing it as the second highest grossing Nollywood film of all time after just four weeks, Omo Ghetto the saga is currently the highest grossing Nigerian movie of all time with ₦468,036,300 just over a month 


Omo Ghetto continued dominating the box office in its fifth week grossing ₦35.7 thus bringing its cumulative to ₦480.5 million and becoming the highest grossing Nollywod movie of all time despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The film continued to extend its record by becoming the first Nollywood movie to stay six consecutive weeks at the top of the box office, grossing an additional ₦31.5 million. It also historically became the first ever Nigerian film to gross ₦500 million in Nollywood box office.

The film remained top at the box office in its seventh week, grossing an additional ₦27.3 million.bringing its cumulative to ₦539.6. Omo Ghetto topped the box office in its eighth, ninth and tenth week respectively becoming only the second movie in English speaking West Africa to cross the ₦600 million mark after Black Panther.