Happy Birthday Dr. Chika Christian Onu, One of the Founding Fathers of Nollywood

Happy Birthday Dr. Chika Christian Onu, One of the Founding Fathers of Nollywood

Today is the birthday of Dr. Christian Chika Onu, one of the best and greatest filmmakers in Africa. He is famous as one of the Founding Fathers of Nollywood and the author of "The Unusual Story of the Early Years of Nollywood" distributed by Amazon and other booksellers.

Top Nollywood filmmaker, Christian Chika Onu received his PhD in Film Studies from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. 

He is famous as the director of the bestselling Nollywood movies "Living in Bondage 2", "Glamour Girls", "Peacemaker" and other popular movies for which he has won many awards in Nigeria and America. He is the co-author of "Nak-ed Beauty", the first Nigerian screenplay to be published and sold as book. The recce for the film production was completed on Bonny Island, Rivers State in 2008, but production has been delayed by the political violence in the Niger Delta. The screenplay is based on crude oil thieves and militancy before the Amnesty for Niger Delta militants, co-written by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka "Orikinla Osinachi" after four years research on Bonny Island.

Dr. Christian Chika Onu who also studied filmmaking at the highly esteemed Colorado Film School in Denver, USA. 

Chika Onu has always been an outstanding achiever with numerous awards since he won the first prize in the J. F. Kennedy International Essay Competition in 1973 and went on to excel as President of the Oak Theatre during his undergraduate years at the famous University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he was also the Associate Editor of “The Muse” Departmental Magazine. In 1979 he won the British Council Award for the Best Creative Writer (University Press); Prime Director Award by Video/Film marketers in 2002; Member, Movie Makers Hall of Fame, Abuja in 2006; Pioneer Director Award Best of the Best (BOBTV) Expo, Abuja in 2008 and many other accolades of which the most recent are the 2014 TV and Film Achievement Award by Los Angeles Nollywood Film Association (LANFA) in August and Life Time Achievement Award in Cinema by Nollywood Africa Film Critics Awards (NAFCA), Los Angeles in September, 2014.

Dr. Onu is also the co-author of Naked Beauty, said to be the first Nigerian Screen play to be published and sold as book.

Dr. Chika Onu is a Director of over a hundred Nollywood movies many of which have won Awards and gained popular admiration and acclaim in America, South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria. Ten of these chart bursting movies include;

Living in Bondage 2 (1994)

Glamour Girls (1995)

True Confession (1996)

Evil Genius (1997)

Karishika (1997)

Ukwa (2002)

Fire on the Mountain (2002)

Peace Maker (2003)

Submission (2003)

My In-Law (2004)

Dogs’ Meeting (2005)

Rings of fire (2005)

Python King (2006)

Sweet Potato (2011)

Great Messenger (2011)

Evil Kingdom (2013)

African Tradition (2014)

My Peace o Mind (2015)

Dangerous King (2016)

To Love a Crippled Prince (2018).

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE UNUSUAL STORY OF NOLLYWOOD

Sony Future Filmmakers Awards 2022

Sony Future Filmmakers Awards 2022

Supporting creative excellence within filmmaking

Win a visit to Sony Pictures Studio and gain exclusive insight into the industry.

Submit your best short films for free by December 13, 2022 

Enter now
https://www.sonyfuturefilmmakerawards.com/node/1

The winning and shortlisted filmmakers will be flown to Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood, for a three-day event.

Taking place in the historic Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City, California, the inspiring program provides invaluable opportunities to support career progression. The 30 successful filmmakers will gain unparalleled insight into all aspects of the filmmaking process. From pitching to legal to working with talent agencies and using cutting-edge technologies, the outstanding workshops provide exclusive access into the inner workings of the industry. Winners are announced during a black-tie awards ceremony at the Cary Grant Theatre.

Filmmaker winners
The Filmmaker competition elevates original voices that bring a fresh perspective to storytelling. The three winners receive $5,000 (USD), an FX9 Cinema Line Camera (plus lens), and are flown, along with the shortlist, to Los Angeles for a two-day workshop program and a black-tie awards ceremony.

Student Filmmaker winners
The Student Filmmaker competition rewards the talent soon to shape the industry. The two winners and their institutions receive a range of Sony camera equipment ideal for filmmakers. Winners are flown, along with the shortlist, to Los Angeles for a two-day workshop program and a black-tie awards ceremony.

Future Format winners
The Future Format competition challenges filmmakers to respond to a technical brief. The winner receives $2,500 (USD), a range of Sony camera equipment ideal for filmmakers and is flown, along with the shortlist, to Los Angeles for a two-day workshop program and a black-tie awards ceremony.

Awards Timeline
July 26, 2022

Competitions open 

December 13, 2022
Competitions close 

February 22, 2023
Winners announced during ceremony.
February 23 to 24, 2023
Two-day workshop program
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Photos of the Winners of the First #4BetterNigeria Video Contest

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has emphasised that regular dialogue and interactive engagement with Nigerian youths on patriotism for the promotion of love, national unity and peaceful co-existence with one another  will help surmount the current sociopolitical challenges of Nigeria.

Dr. Garba Abari.

The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Garba Abari made this known at the event of the closing ceremony of #4BetterNigeria Video Contest held in Abuja on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

“Nigeria is not as hopeless as it is defined on social media. We may have developmental challenges and that is part of the building processes that we just have to pass through just like many other countries of the world, perhaps with dire circumstances."

“Challenges are supposed to inspire us; they are supposed to bring out the best of ideas to expand our views and horizon with the view to surmounting them. It requires the hands of all; especially the young. The youth represents a huge part of our demography that cannot be removed,” he stressed.

Of the 200 entries that put in for the #4AbetterNigeria contest, three winners emerged and other outstanding participants. They were rewarded with T-shirts, face caps, mugs, smart phones and certificates of honour. Mr. Waheed Ishola, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Director, Lagos State in the Lagos Office of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) presented the prizes to them in his office in Ikeja, GRA. 

Victory Ashaka who won the second prize.

Pharez and his family.

Pharez Obioha, the youngest winner who won the third prize came with his mother and sister. 

The notable participants  included the popular author and startup evangelist, Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,  Publisher and Editor of 247 Nigeria, Chukwuemeka Benedict Osondu, Abiodun Wisdom Olamide and Tufayl Adelakun.

Emotions as Nokia Splashes Prizes in Cash Dash Promotion

Emotions as Nokia Splashes Prizes in Cash Dash Promotion

Mr. Rasheed Agoro is a Lagos based retiree who is being owed the sum of 450 thousand Naira as part of his retirement gratuity. Mr. Agoro’s optimism about prospect of being paid the money gradually waned as his repeated trips to Abuja yielded no fruits. Just when he gave, up got a call from Nokia informing him that he had just won the same amount of money in the Nokia Cash Splash promotion. In this age of scam calls, Mr. Agoro almost dismissed this call as another fast one by criminal elements in town. But this was real. Mr. Agoro was almost in tears when he picked up the check of 450 thousand naira in the Zain-Nokia Cash Splash promotion at a ceremony held at the Protea Hotel Ikeja. Other winners include Mrs. Bukola Aiyesimoju who was visibly excited as she received her cash prize of another 450 thousand naira.

The Zain-Nokia promotion, which was launched during Nigeria’s 50th Independence celebration, was Nigerians carting away a total of eighteen million naira in total. 5 people won N1millionwith with several others winning cash prizes ranging from 50 thousand Naira to 450 thousand naira. Before the grand draw in Lagos, draws were held in Abuja, Portharcourt and Kano.

Tunji Ademiluyi, Retail Customer Marketing Manager for Nokia West Africa said the move is part of effort by Nokia to reward loyal customers. He said the grand draw could not have come at a more auspicious time especial this yuletide when it is customary to give and receive gifts. The event is a climax of all the raffle draws that had been previously held in which several winners emerged. The promotion was aimed at encouraging Nigerians’ sense of pride in Nigeria as well as rewarding their loyalty to Nokia products and it was carried out across several states in the Nations four geo-political zones. The cash prizes ranged from fifty thousand Naira, one hundred thousand Naira, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira to four hundred and fifty thousand Naira only.

Other winners were, Okolo Victor, a student, Mrs Ronke Ajala, Wasiu Salami, Adeyinka Oshodi, Gabriel Adu and Theodore Gyuk who mentioned that the first thing he would do with the money was to purchase another Nokia phone.

Nokia is the world’s number one manufacturer of mobile devices by market share. Beyond its leadership status as a manufacturer of devices, Nokia is fast becoming a leading solutions provider in the converging Internet and communications industries providing internet services that enable users to experience media, messaging, maps and games.