I received good replies from intelligent and wise people who read the firrst important and timely letter I wrote to NOLLYWOOD. The following is an updated version of it
As written in
"For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers."
The wisdom of the world is nothing to the Wisdom of God.
It is important to accept wise counsel.
I have updated this message, because a big insurance company told me last week that when the company wanted to support Nollywood, the President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) of over a decade ago and the leadership of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) antagonized each other and refused to cooperate on the program. So, the company left and never wanted to support Nollywood again.
When I recommended that AMP should be changed to the appropriate Producers Guild of Nigeria (PGN), it is for the best interests of the Nigerian film industry.
Intrigues and shenanigans are childish and foolish in professional bodies.
Unprofessional practices have actually caused the untimely demise of several actors and producers in Nollywood without any insurance policy.
The good news is: I have attracted another multinational company in the entertainment industry and I have already recommended a thorough seasoned professional in Nollywood to them. Because, she is above aboard; a woman of substance; a woman of dignity, integrity and nobility of over 40 years professional experience in the Nigerian film industry; from the cradle of Nollywood, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) where I also started my career and was paying my monthly tax from the age of 17, when I was earning N400 monthly for four years before going on to work for the John Hopkins University''s Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) at 21 as a public health illustrator and later as a translator (through which I paid, the Nollywood actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo to do translation of English into Igbo for the family planning methods booklets fully illustrated by me for the whole Nigeria. I met him at the Radio Nigeria office in Ikoyi, Lagos).
Finally, from a dialogue in my "Once Upon a Time in Nollywood":
Even if you are driving a stolen car in Nollywood since 2010 to date, do your best to drive it well and maintain it, so that people will not even know the truth. I will even enjoy the jolly ride with you and your passengers 😀.
PS:
For those who are good enough for the production of documentary films, funding is available for you.
I don't know if anyone applied for the Sundance Documentary Fund I mentioned before the closing date. If you did not apply, you can apply for the 2024 round closing in April.
The Sundance Institute was funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
If you have a film festival with a film institute or foundation, you can apply for the establishment.
We need a Nollywood Museum for the Nigerian film industry from the making of the first feature, "Palaver" of 1926 to date.
See details on The MacArthur Foundation grants.
100&Change, our competition for a single $100 million grant, is open to any proposed solution to any critical problem of our time. Nonprofit and qualifying for-profit organizations may apply. The competition cycle repeats every three years.
PS:
Please, don't apply for funds to misappropriate the money to enrich yourselves. If you do so, I will also report the misappropriations of the funds which I have done before as a national Program Consultant for the UNICEF in Nigeria for NGOs.
We cannot point accusing fingers at the government for corruption when we are not innocent of corruption.
Corruption is corruption; from the closet to the Office of the President; from the bedroom to the boardroom.
I have seen greedy filmmakers in Nollywood who misappropriated hundreds of thousands to millions of naira given to them for film and TV productions. And the funders have been disappointed and discouraged from supporting Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.
- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,.
The Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013. Distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.
