High Cost of Data is Still a Big Challenge for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other Streaming Services in Africa

High Cost of Data is Still a Big Challenge for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other Streaming Services in Africa

The cost of 1GB of data, enough for one hour of video streaming, is between $1.50 and $30 in Africa.

Subscribers spend more on data than subscription fees for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video on the continent. Showmax of the MultiChoice Group is Available to all the millions of subscribers to DStv, but majority of the populations in African countries cannot afford DStv. 

The cost of data can be reduced by all the telecoms in Africa with fast internet connection. 10GB should not cost more than $1 which is between N500 and N750 in the current exchange rate of the USD to the Naira in Nigeria, the largest market on the continent. 

My suggestion is Netflix and Amazon Prime Video should also be available offline on cable TV channels to attract everyone who can afford to pay the subscription to the cable TV channels for only $2 monthly.

What matters most in entertainment are four things I call QAAA:

1. Quality of the content

2. Availability of the content

3. Accessibility to the content

4. Affordability of the content.

The content must be of good Quality; Available, Accessible and Affordable.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
International content development and marketing consultant.
@Vuulr Program Partner
@Cinewav Affiliate Partner

#1 On Top 20 Movies for the Valentine

 Available on https://wi-flix.com/

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

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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

Why "Elesin Oba" and "Anikulapo" Failed To Be Submitted For the Best International Feature Film Category of the 95th Annual Academy Awards

Why "Elesin Oba" and "Anikulapo" Failed To Be Submitted For the Best International Feature Film  Category of the 95th Annual Academy Awards

Only Biyi Bandele’s film ‘Elesin Oba’ or Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Anikulapo’ would have been eligible as Nigeria's submission for the Best Internationall Feature Film  category of the 95th annual Academy Awards, but being released on Netflix and not for theatrical release caused the rejection. Because, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) reverted back to the status quo of the pre COVID-19 pandemic rules.

After two pandemic years in which Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Hulu, and other streamers could qualify their films just on streaming platforms, the party is over.

The Motion Picture Academy has decreed that only movies that play in theaters will be eligible for the gold statues.

Academy Awards of Merit shall be given annually to honor outstanding artistic and scientific achievements in theatrically released feature-length motion pictures, and to honor other achievements as provided for in these rules and approved by the Board of Governors.

Films that, in any version, receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release will not be eligible for Academy Awards in any category.

Nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution includes but is not limited to:

• Broadcast and cable television

• PPV/VOD

• DVD distribution

• Inflight airline distribution

• Internet transmission

 https://www.showbiz411.com/2022/05/18/oscars-eligibility-for-2023-shuts-out-streaming-debuts-theaters-only-rule-returns#google_vignette

There was no need for any controversy. 

A simple clarification would have been enough.

Video is not Cinema.

Video can never be like Cinema.

I prefer cinema to video.

Where there is no gra-gra

There will be no brouhaha.

When Will Paramount+ Launch in Nigeria?

When Will Paramount+ Launch in Nigeria?

An executive of Paramount came to Nigeria last year during the 2021 annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

Will Paramount+ be able to compete with Netflix , Amazon Prime Video and Showmax for the increasing millions of subscribers to SVOD streaming channels in Africa?

I had a dream two days ago of the take off of Paramount+ in Nigeria like a plane taking off. I was given two tickets for the flight at the airport and I woke up.

#Nigeria #svod #netflix #streaming #subscribers #amazonprimevideo #paramount #channels #africa #annual #international #filmfestival #executive #launch #millions

A Copy of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Sold for Over N1 Million

https://a.co/d/6swXgCI

The first edition of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series has become a collectors' item among art collectors of unique books and now selling for US$1, 882.91 which is equivalent to more than N1, 100, 000 with the current exchange rate of the US dollar to the naira 

Why is it a highly priced book?

* This is the first edition of the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

* The articles and photographs document the genesis of the phenomenon of Nollywood and the history of filmmaking in Nigeria since the first feature, "Palaver" directed by Geoffrey Barkas in 1926. 

* The fonts are unconventional and  seen as art form.

* The prophetic cover of the photograph of Kenneth Gyang, whose film, "Confusion Na Wa" starring Ramsey Nouah, OC Ukeje, Ali Nuhu and Tunde Aladese won the coveted awards for the Best Film and the Best Nigerian Film at the 9th annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2013.  Kenneth Gyang has become the poster child of the Big Picture of the future of Nollywood and Nigerian cinema on Netflix and international film festivals.

#Nigeria #Nollywood #africa #future #art #art #filmmaking #AMAA #movies #awards #KennethGyang #filmfestivals
#netflix #books #collectors

Nollywood Mirror by Ekenyerengozi, Michael Chima (2013) Paperback https://a.co/d/6swXgCI

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

Nollywood Must Stop Producing Many Crappy Movies

Nollywood Must Stop Producing Many Crappy Movies

The popularity of the phenomenon of Nollywood was based on overproduction of cheap home videos widely distributed and pirated in Nigeria and neighbouring countries in West Africa from VHS tapes to DVDs on the streets before the launching of cable TV channels between 2001 and 2004 and then uploaded by several authorized and unauthtorized people on YouTube from 2005 ; followed by the launching of Ibaka TV and iROKOtv in 2011.

The proliferation of low budget home videos in Nigeria made Nollywood the second largest producer of movies in the world after the Bollywood of India;  making news headlines all over the world and attracting both International vendors and investors. 

The biggest video streaming services in the world led by Netflix and Amazon are now competing for the best of the film and TV productions in Nollywood which compelled the producers to improve the quality of their movies to satisfy the criteria for international acquisition and distribution. But quantity is still the focus of the majority of producers and the production of substandard movies is doing more harm than good to the sustainable development of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

The productions of cheap movies have left the few cable TV channels and streaming services saturated with movies which subsequently reduced the market value of Nigerian movies in comparison to South African, South Korean, Mexican and Indian movies in international acquisition and distribution. 

The frequency of productions in Nigeria is increasing the crappy movies in both Nollywood and Kannywood that I am ashamed to watch many of the movies with even top A-List actors. 
Did the highly esteemed actors read the screenplays before acting their idiotic roles? Or the temptations of being paid hundreds of thousands of naira made them to skip and waive professional standards?

We have submissions of hundreds of Nigerian movies and yet international buyers can only accept less than 20 movies every quarter. 

Many producers are now selling their movies for less than the costs of the productions. 

Is it not embarrassing to spend more than N3 million naira to produce a movie in Lagos, Asaba or Kano and you end up selling it for less than N500, 000 for two years on a local TV channel?
The local TV stations are now rejecting many movies, because they are saturated with dozens of movies and series submitted to them.
The local TV stations don't need to produce original movies and series, because they are cheaper to acquire from hundreds of unsolicited movies and series sent to them. 

It is not good to produce more than 1, 000 movies every year, but we can only count the best on our fingertips.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter

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

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

Buy books by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima on 

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

Global Top 10 on Netflix Begins on Netflix and Ends on Netflix

Global Top 10 on Netflix Begins on Netflix and Ends on Netflix

FEATURE FILM & TV
THE GLAMOUR GIRLS REMAKE IS A FLAT TAKE ON A NOLLYWOOD CLASSIC
POSTED ONJUNE 30, 2022 BY THELMA IDEOZU
https://culturecustodian.com/the-glamour-girls-remake-is-a-flat-take-on-a-nollywood-classic/

Global Top 10 on Netflix begins on Netflix and ends on Netflix.

The popularity of a movie from the street to the internet is more about  publicity than quality.
Yes, it is a basis for bragging rights, but if your movie makes the Global Top 10 of Netflix, but fails to qualify for the Official Selections of the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlinale, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and fails to qualify for the nominations for the Academy Awards, you are still lagging behind the filmmakers who belong to that Ivy league of the best filmmakers in the world.
Moreover, Nollywood movies making the Global Top 10 have not stopped Netflix from losing hundreds of thousands of subscribers and not even up to 50, 000 of the millions of the followers and fans of the stars on  Instagram have subscribed to Netflix to watch their movies, except clicks of Likes and Thumbs Up for movies they have only seen the trailers. Because if all of them subscribed, Netflix will be celebrating gaining millions of new subscribers in Nigeria and not lamenting over loss of millions of subscribers worldwide.

I rate and regard the outstanding filmmakers who have made official selections and nominations and won awards at major international film festivals above those who.have not done so, but competing for bragging rights, Likes and Views on Instagram.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Founder/Producer,
Screen Naija YouTube Channel,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry,
247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter
https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://shadowandact.com/author/MichaelChima

#film #filmmakers #Netflix #filmmakers #filmmaking #Cannes #Toronto #Berlin #Sundance #Venice #Venice #Instagram #Likes #Views #braggingrights #subscribers #movies #Nigeria #instagram #quality #globaltop10 #awards #officialselection #nominations

NOLLYWOOD: How Can A So Called Booming Film Industry Be Full of Hungry Actors and Directors?

NOLLYWOOD: How Can A So Called Booming Film Industry Be Full of Hungry Actors and Directors?

Nollywood makes news headlines as a booming film industry, the second largest in the world after the Bollywood of India in the production of movies estimated to be worth over US$250 million annually which is less than the total budget of Avatar ($280 million), Tangled ($260 million), Spider-Man 3 ($258 million) or Pirates of the Caribbean sequels ($300 million).
See "Nollywood: The Nigerian Film Industry by Harvard Kennedy School on http://www.isc.hbs.edu/pdf/Student_Projects/Nigeria_Film_2008.pdf, which every literate person in Nigeria and others in the world should read

The realities in Nollywood are different from the booming headlines, because majority of the actors and directors are living in poverty from Lagos to Asaba.

Majority of the filmmakers are not well paid for their movies by the leading multinational cable TV network, MultiChoice Nigeria of the MultiChoice Group and many of them just wanted to have their movies on the DStv Channels of MultiChoice such as the Africa Magic for the publicity. Then only few of them smiled to the bank from the box office revenues of their movies distributed and exhibited by local film distributors and cinemas. The cinemas have not been making enough for a so called booming film industry without a film market. The highest grossing Nollywood movie from the box office in Nigeria, Funke Akindele- Bello's "Ọmọ́ Ghetto, The Saga" made less than N700 million which is not even up to the monthly incomes of the co-CEOs of Netflix, Reed Hastings who  earns more than $40.8 million annually and Ted Sarandos who  earns more than $38.2 million annually.
So, Nollywood is still far from the news headlines of a booming film industry.

#nollywood #bollywood #ceos #boxoffice #income #revenue
#film #netflix #filmmakers #africa #nigeria #network #india #school #bank #filmmarket #distribution #cinemas #actors #directors #spiderman #avatar #harvard #movies #dstv #multichoice #asaba #budget #hastings #sarandos #news #africamagic #piratesofthecaribbean

Nollywood : Between The Palme d'Or and Netflix d'Or

Nollywood : Between The Palme d'Or and Netflix d'Or

Well, if #Nollywood movies cannot qualify for the Official Selection for the competition for the Palme d'Or at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France, they have qualified for the Originals Selection of the #Netflix on the world wide web.

It would be great to have an annual Netflix Awards where Nigerian movies can make the Official Selection for competition for a Netflix d'Or.

If after more than 20 -30 years of making movies and your greatest achievement is having your movies on Netflix while your fellow filmmakers in other African countries are competing with the best filmmakers in the world in the Official Selection of the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival coming up from May 17 - May 28, 2022, is still better, because you to have something to cheer about than have nothing to brag about.

Cheers!

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

Nollywood Has Nothing Original To Show Us On Netflix

Nollywood Has Nothing Original To Show Us On Netflix

From all I have seen of NIgerian movies on #Netflix so far, including the Netflix's Nigerian Originals in movies and series, I don't see any that can compare and compete with the best from America, Asia, Europe and Australia on Netflix in screenwriting, casting, directing, production design, music and cinematography. 

There is nothing new that is different from the normal melodramas of #Nollywood on DStv, IROKOtv and public TV channels.

Too much makeup, inappropriate costumes without knowledge of appropriate costumes for storytelling with the cinematography and the music is out of sync with the different scenarios showing  apparent ignorance of using soundtracks for characterisations and the acting is plastic in many scenes like they want to copy scenes from the telenovelas of #Telemundo.

A total lack of originality.

The best NIgerian series is not on Netflix, it is "Oasis" currently showing on TVC.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 

247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter

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

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

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.

Top 20 Emerging Filmmakers Shortlisted For Netflix & UNESCO’s African Folktales, Reimagined Competition

PRESS RELEASE

Top 20 Emerging Filmmakers Shortlisted For Netflix & UNESCO’s African Folktales, Reimagined Competition

The shortlist contains a dynamic group of African creatives from across 13 countries in the region

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https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/media/top-20-emerging-filmmakers-shortlisted-for-netflix-and-unescos-african-folktales-reimagined-competition

LAGOS, Nigeria, February 2, 2022/ -- Shortlisted candidates from 13 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa; six winners will create short films that will premiere on Netflix (www.Netflix.com).

Netflix and UNESCO are excited to announce the 20 shortlisted candidates who will go forward in the exciting short film competition ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’. What’s more - the quality of submissions received resulted in one extra candidate being added to the list, making it 21 filmmakers on the shortlist! The candidates were selected following a rigorous evaluation process by a wide-range of industry professionals from across the continent who assessed over 2080 applications from across the continent in multiple languages. The shortlist contains a dynamic group of African creatives from across 13 countries in the region.

The  shortlisted filmmakers include (in no particular order): Nosa Igbinedion (Nigeria); Ebot Tanyi (Cameroon); Loukman Ali (Uganda); Tongryang Pantu (Nigeria); Walt Mzengi (Tanzania); Venance Soro (Côte d'Ivoire);Mark Wambui(Kenya); Volana Razafimanantsoa (Madagascar); Mohamed Echkouna (Mauritania); Nader Fakhry (Côte d'Ivoire); Anne Catherine Tchokonté (Cameroon); Mphonyana Mokokwe (Botswana); Anita Abada (Nigeria); Samuel Kanyama (Zambia); Machérie Ekwa-Bahango (Democratic Republic of Congo); Oprah Oyugi (Kenya); Ndiyathemba Modibedi (South Africa); Gcobisa Yako (South Africa); Akorede Azeez (Nigeria); Katya Aragão (São Tomé and Príncipe) and Voline Ogutu (Kenya). 

The 21 emerging filmmakers will go on to the next phase of the competition where they will be required to pitch their stories to a judging panel comprising of the mentors; Nigeria’s Femi Odugbemi, South Africa’s Bongiwe Selane, Leila Afua Djansi from Ghana, David Tosh Gitonga from Kenya, and Jean Luc Herbulot from Congo as well as representatives from Netflix and UNESCO who will act as guides in the process. The panel will select the final six filmmakers who will receive a production grant of US$75,000 (through a local production company) to develop, shoot and post-produce their films under the guidance of Netflix and industry mentors to ensure everyone involved in the production is fairly compensated. Each of the 6 winners will also receive $25,000.

“Congratulations to those who have been shortlisted! They should all be proud of the quality of their work. This competition showcases the extraordinary cultural richness that Africa has to offer that we want to share with people all over the world, as Africa is a priority for UNESCO.” - Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. 

Adding to UNESCO’s congratulatory message, Ben Amadasun, Netflix Director of Content in Africa siad, “We also want to thank our panel of independent industry professionals who undertook the mammoth task to read over 2080 applications until they found 21 strong submissions! The response from all the aspiring filmmakers who took time to submit their application also proves that there's a wealth of storytelling potential and talent in Africa and we at Netflix are excited to be part of this journey for more talented new voices to share their stories with the world.”

For more information about the competition, please visit www.netflix-growcreative.com/unesco.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Netflix.

About UNESCO:

We are the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In 2021, UNESCO published The African Film Industry: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Growth the first complete mapping of Africa’s film and audiovisual industries. In 2022 UNESCO will convene the Global Mondiacult Conference on Cultural Policies and Development, in Mexico.

About Netflix:

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 222 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

SOURCE

Netflix

20 Years Since The New York Times Named "Nollywood" in 2002

20 Years Since The New York Times Named #Nollywood

Norimitsu Onishi was the Chief of The New York Times’s southern Africa bureau, based in Johannesburg when he discovered the phenomenon of the first indie film industry in Africa in 2002 in the hustle and bustle of Lagos city, the heart and soul of the guerilla filmmakers of Nigeria.

How The Times Named ‘Nollywood’ in 2002

"It’s like Hollywood or Bollywood but in Nigeria — Nollywood!I told my editor."

- Norimitsu Onishi.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/insider/how-the-times-named-nollywood.html

The name of Nollywood has become the identity of the Nigerian film industry even though the making of the genre started in the 1980s which I have chronicled in my widely read and shared article, 
The Nollywood Phenomenon: From Analog to Digital - SHADOW & ACT
https://shadowandact.com/the-nollywood-phenomenon-from-analog-to-digital-2

The article shows the evolution of Nollywood over the years and how the digital cinema revolution has made a critical impact in the advancement of Nollywood since 2002.

It is now 30 years since the production of the first Nollywood blockbuster, "Living in Bondage" by Chris Obi Rapu in 1992 written and produced by Kenneth Nnebue and Okechukwu Ogunjiofor. And as we say in Lagos, many waters have passed under the Eko Bridge from 1992 to 2022.

Traditional filmmakers of the old school of filmmaking on celluloid still say Nollywood is video and not cinema. But top people in the global film industry said: Every region has unique stories to tell. And we should encourage them to tell their stories first and not be hindered by the technical requirements for professional film production. That the first thing is to supply on demand, because it was the overwhelming quantity of Nollywood home videos in the 1990s that attracted the rest of the world before the improvements in the quality. 

There have been significant improvements in the quality of the movies as Nollywood filmmakers have been adapting to current developments in filmmaking by using the same digital cinema cameras used by their counterparts in Bollywood and Hollywood following international standards in film and TV productions.

The improvement in the quality of the content has attracted the leading International acquisition and distribution companies, major studios and OTT video streaming services from America and Europe. Netflix, Disney and Amazon are now demanding for the best content in Nollywood and well produced movies have been acquired. 

There have been international productions of Nigerian movies featuring top Hollywood actors such as "The Amazing Grace" of 2006 directed by Jeta Amata, written by Jeta Amata and Nick Moran and produced by Jeta Amata and Alicia Arce with top roles by Joke Silva, Nick Moran and Scott Cleverdon; "Black November" directed by Jeta Amata in 2012, starring Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Fred Amata, Sarah Wayne Callies, Nse Ikpe Etim, OC Ukeje, Vivica Fox, Anne Heche, Persia White, Akon, Wyclef Jean and Mbong Amata; "30 Days in Atlanta" directed by Robert O' Peters and produced by AY Makun in 2014 starring Starring AY Makun, Ramsey Nouah, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD),Desmond Elliot, Vivica A. Fox, Lynn Whitfield, Karlie Redd, Majid Michel, Omoni Oboli, Racheal Oniga, Yemi Blaq and Juliet Ibrahim; "A Trip To Jamaica" directed by Robert O' Peters and produced by AY Makun in 2016 starring AY Makun,Funke Akindele, Nse Ikpe Etim, Dan Davies, Eric Roberts and others; "Esohe" directed by Charles Uwagbai and Robert O' Peters in 2018 starring Jimmy Jean Louis, Misty Lockheart, Desmond Elliot, Chris Attoh, Bimbo Manuel, Ufuoma McDermott, Toyin Aimakhu, Jemima Osunde and Monica Omorodion Swaida; "A Soldier's Story 2" of 2020 directed by Frankie Ogar and produced by Martin Gbados, starring  Eric Roberts, John J Vogel Jr, Alex Usifo, Akin Lewis, Segun Arinze, Linda Ejiofor, Somkele Idhalama, Michelle Dede, Daniel K. Daniel, Tope Tedela, Baaj Adebule, Samabasa Nzeribe and others; "Christmas in Miami" of 2021 directed by Robert O'Peters and produced by AY Makun starring Ayo Makun, Osita Iheme, Richard Mofe-Damijo, IK Ogbonna, Kent Morita, Raquel Lamanna, Manoj Chandra, Malcolm Burtchett, Nadya Marie, Tanya Price, Barry Piacente and Catherine Olsen and Adah Obekpa's "The American King" of 2021 starring Enyinna Nwigwe, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Andrew Howard and Nick Moran who has been playing prominent roles in the international productions of Nollywood movies since the 2000s to date. 
"The American King" is currently showing in movie theaters in America and coming up next month in cinemas across Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia from February 25, 2022.

It is importan we document the new developments in Nollywood since 2002 to date for film history and film studies. That is why I working on a documentary film on "Nollywood Rising: The New Generation".

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

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

Special hardcover editions are available for purchase from Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

 

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

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.

"The Hand of God" is One of the Best Films in 2021

#God

#netflix
#italy🇮🇹
#italian
#bestpicture
#cinematography
#academyawards
#Oscars 

#academyawards2022
#94thAcademyAwards

"The Hand of God" (Italian: È stata la mano di Dio), the 2021 Italian drama film written, directed, and produced by Academy Award winner, Paolo Sorrentino is affirmatively one of the best films of the year.

The Cinematography should get a nomination at the 94th Academy Awards  for  Daria D'Antonio.

It competed for the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize.

It is the Italian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

The Story:

In 1980s Naples, young Fabietto pursues his love for football as family tragedy strikes, shaping his uncertain but promising future as a filmmaker.

"The Hand of God" is a story full of unexpected joys, such as the arrival of football legend Diego Maradona, and an equally unexpected tragedy. Fate plays its part, joy and tragedy intertwine, and Fabietto's future is set in motion. Sorrentino returns to his hometown to tell his most personal story, a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.

Starring:Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo

My Verdict: It will get up to 4 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. 

Distributed by Netflix
Release date
2 September 2021 (Venice)
24 November 2021
Running time
130 minutes

Definitely one of the top 10 must see movies on my Top Watch List of 2021.

Over 1, 426 Nigerian Movies Produced in 2021 and None Selected for the 94th Annual Academy Awards

Over 1, 426 Nigerian Movies Produced in 2021 and None Selected for the 94th Annual Academy Awards

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said entries submitted by Nigerian filmmakers did not meet the eligibility rules.

 "After a series of deliberations by the Committee members, we regret to announce that there won’t be submission of film to represent the country for the 94th Academy Awards. This is due to the fact that the films received so far for screening failed the eligibility rule test set by the Academy,” said the NOSC.

Once again, Nigerian filmmakers have disappointed Nigeria. From disqualification for failing to meet the eligibility criteria in 2019 to failing to make the short list for the nominations in 2020; Nigerian filmmakers continue lagging behind other African countries in competition for the most coveted awards for the best films in the world with Somalia and six other African countries on the final list of the official submissions for the Best International Feature Film of the 94th annual Academy Awards.

The following is the official final list.

ALBANIA – Two Lions Heading to Venice / Dy Luanë drejt Venecias (Jonid Jorgji)

ALGERIA – Héliopolis / (هليوبوليس) / (Haliyūbūlīs) (Djafar Gacem)

ARGENTINA – The Intruder / El Prófugo (Natalia Meta)

ARMENIA – Should the Wind Drop / Երբ որ քամին հանդարտվի / Si le vent tombe (Nora Martirosyan)

AUSTRALIA – When Pomegranates Howl (Granaz Moussavi)

AUSTRIA – Great Freedom / Große Freiheit (Sebastian Meise)

BANGLADESH – Rehana / রেহানা মরিয়ম নূর / Rehana Maryam Noor (Abdullah Mohammad Saad)

BELGIUM – Playground / Un monde (Laura Wandel)

BOLIVIA – The Great Movement / El Gran Movimiento (Kiro Russo)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – The White Fortress / Tabija (Igor Drljaca)

BRAZIL – Private Desert / Deserto Particular (Aly Muritiba)

BULGARIA – Fear / Страх (Milko Lazarov)

CAMBODIA – White Building / ប៊ូឌីញ ស (Ivaylo Hristov)

CANADA – Drunken Birds / Les oiseaux ivres (Ivan Grbovic)

CHILE – White on White / Blanco en blanco (Theo Court)

COLOMBIA – Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

COSTA RICA – Clara Sola (Nathalie Álvarez Mesén)

CROATIA – Tereza37 (Danilo Šerbedžija)

CZECH REPUBLIC – Zátopek (David Ondříček)

DENMARK – Flee / Flugt (Jonas Poher Rasmussen)

ECUADOR – Sumergible (Alfredo León León)

EGYPT – Souad / سعاد (Ayten Amin)

ESTONIA – On the Water / Vee peal (Peeter Simm)

FINLAND – Compartment No. 6 / Hytti nro 6 (Juho Kuosmanen)

FRANCE – Titane (Julia Ducournau)

GEORGIA – Brighton 4th / მეოთხე ბრაიტონი (Levan Koguashvili)

GERMANY – I’m Your Man / Ich bin dein Mensch (Maria Schrader)

GREECE – Digger (Georgis Grigorakis)

HONG KONG – Zero to Hero / 媽媽的神奇小子 (Jimmy Wan)

HUNGARY – Post Mortem (Péter Bergendy)

ICELAND – Lamb / Dýrið (Valdimar Jóhannsson)

INDIA – Pebbles / கூழாங்கல் / Koozhangal (P.S. Vinothraj)

INDONESIA – Yuni (Kamila Andini)

IRAN – A Hero / قهرمان (Asghar Farhadi)

IRELAND – Foscadh (Seán Breathnach)

ISRAEL – Let It Be Morning / ויהי בוקר, ليكن صباحا (Eran Kolirin)

ITALY – The Hand of God / È stata la mano di Dio (Paolo Sorrentino)

JAPAN – Drive My Car /ドライブ・マイ・カー / Doraibu mai kā (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

KENYA – Mission to Rescue (Gilbert Lukalia)

KOSOVO – Hive / Zgjoi (Blerta Basholli)

KYRGYZSTAN – Shambala / Шамбала (Artykpai Suyundukov)

LATVIA – The Pit / Bedre (Dace Pūce)

LEBANON – Costa Brava, Lebanon / كوستابرافا (Mounia Akl)

LITHUANIA – The Jump / Šuolis (Giedrė Žickytė)

LUXEMBOURG – Io sto bene (Donato Rotunno)

MALAWI – Fatsani: A Tale of Survival (Gift Sukez Sukali)

MALAYSIA – Hail, Driver! / Prebet Sapu (Muzzamer Rahman)

MALTA – Luzzu (Alex Camilleri)

MEXICO – Prayers for the Stolen / Noche de fuego (Tatiana Huezo)

MONTENEGRO – After the Winter / Poslije zime (Ivan Bakrač)

MOROCCO – Casablanca Beats / علّي صوتك (Nabil Ayouch)

NETHERLANDS – Do Not Hesitate (Shariff Korver)

NORTH MACEDONIA – Sisterhood / Сестри (Sestri) (Dina Duma)

NORWAY – The Worst Person in the World / Verdens verste menneske (Joachim Trier)

PALESTINE – The Stranger / الغريب / Al Garib (Ameer Fakher Eldin)

PANAMA – Plaza Catedral (Abner Benaim)

PERU – Powerful Chief / Manco Cápac (Henry Vallejo)

POLAND – Leave No Traces / Żeby nie było śladów (Jan P. Matuszyński)

PORTUGAL – The Metamorphisis of Birds / A Metamorfose dos Pássaros (Catarina Vasconcelos)

ROMANIA – Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn / Babardeală cu bucluc sau porno balamuc (Radu Jude)

RUSSIA – Unclenching the Fists / Разжимая кулаки / Razzhimaya kulaki (Kira Kovalenko)

SERBIA – Oasis / Оаза (Ivan Ikić)

SINGAPORE – Precious Is The Night / 今宵多珍重 (Wayne Peng)

SLOVAKIA – 107 Mothers / Cenzorka (Péter Kerekes)

SLOVENIA – Sanremo (Miroslav Mandić)

SOMALIA – The Gravedigger’s Wife (Khadar Ayderus Ahmed)

SOUTH KOREA – Escape from Mogadishu / 모가디슈 / Mogadisyu (Ryoo Seung-wan)

SPAIN – The Good Boss / El buen patrón (Fernando León de Aranoa)

SWEDEN – Tigers / Tigrar (Ronnie Sandahl)

SWITZERLAND – Olga (Elie Grappe)

TAIWAN – The Falls / 瀑布 (Chung Mong-hong)

THAILAND – The Medium / ร่างทรง / Rang Song (Banjong Pisanthanakun)

TUNISIA – Golden Butterfly / فرططو الذهب / Papillon d’Or (Abdelhamid Bouchnak)

TURKEY – Commitment Hasan / Bağlılık Hasan (Semih Kaplanoğlu)

UKRAINE – Bad Roads / Погані дороги / Plokhiye dorogi (Nataliia Vorozhbyt)

URUGUAY – The Broken Glass Theory / La teoría de los vidrios rotos (Diego Fernández)

VENEZUELA – The Inner Glow / Un destello interior (Andrés Eduardo Rodríguez, Luis Alejandro Rodríguez)

The most likely Nigerian film that would have been eligible is the historical epic, "Amina" by Izu Ojukwu, but it is in English and not in the Hausa language of the original story.

The fact that the great opportunity to produce "Queen Amina" in the Hausa language was missed by the producers is a big disappointment, because the film directed by Izu Ojukwu would have fulfilled the criteria for the eligibility and most likely make the short list of the nominations for the Best International Feature Film category. But the producers were more interested in fulfilling the eligibility for Netflix than the eligibility for the Academy Awards.

Having a movie on Netflix is now the most coveted thing for majority of Nigerian filmmakers and not the qualifications for the Academy Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival.

They celebrate making it to Netflix like winning a million dollar lottery.

But Netflix pays more for the movies of South African, American, European, Asian and Arabian filmmakers than Nigerian filmmakers, because they know that there is a surplus of Nigerian movies selling cheap with their lower budgets and lower standards of filmmaking.

The producers of "Amina" were grinning excitedly like children who have been given Christmas presents in November before the Christmas day comes up in December while their fellow African filmmakers were competing and winning highly esteemed awards at the 27th biennial FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and fulfilling the eligibility criteria for the Best International Feature Film category of the 94th annual Academy Awards.

I congratulated the producers of "Amina", to commend their efforts, but majority of the critics said the film on the legendary Warrior,  Queen Amina of Zazzau in northern Nigeria should have been in Hausa language and subtitled in English. Yes. And that means the real historical film on Queen Amina has not been done.

I prefer that the film should feature the best actors in Kannywood, the Hausa language sector of the Nigerian film industry. And it should be a national film project of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) which is part of the statutory functions and should be in the priorities of the Steering Committee for the Reform and Commercialisation of the Corporation.

The 94th annual Academy Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), will honor the best films released since March 1, 2021, and is scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on March 27, 2022.

- 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://angel.co/u/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi 

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