The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle Has Landed

By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

My allegory of the triumph of the eagle continues with this clip I produced with Gemini and Noiz. 

#eagle

#allegory

#filmmaking

#storytelling

#cinema

#success

#triumph

#victory

What the Eagle Said to the Lion

What the Eagle Said to the Lion:

You can be the King of the Jungle, but I am the King of the Sky.. 
I can fly  and soar higher over lands and rivers from coast to coast beyond the jungle where you cannot go.

A clip from my ongoing epic film, "Igwekala, Son of the Sky".

The saying "the lion might be the king of the jungle, but the eagle has never been his subject" is a popular modern proverb used to describe independent power and mutual respect among mighty forces. 

Meaning and Interpretation

Independent Domains: The lion rules the land as the traditional "king," but the eagle reigns supreme in the sky, meaning true power does not have to subjugate everything else to be valid.

Refusal to Bow: Just as an apex predator of the air answers to no terrestrial king, strong individuals or entities do not need to bow to external titles or dominant authorities.

Equal Might: It highlights that different entities operate in entirely different spheres of greatness, and dominance in one arena does not command loyalty or fear in another.

Story by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Produced and Directed by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Video and photograph by the author and producer   generated with Adobe Firefly
https://firefly.adobe.com/discover?tab=gallery 
Eagle sound effect from 
https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/search/eagle/ 

@Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima. All rights reserved. 

#igwekala
#eagle
#lion
#epic
#cinema

#power

#wisdom

The Fall of The Leviathan

◄ Isaiah 27:1 ►

In that day, the LORD will punish with His sword— His fierce, great and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; He will slay the monster of the sea.

HALLELUJAH!

All the glory and thanksgivings to Almighty God JEHOVAH JIREH!
I have successfully completed the production of "Ngozika and Magic Water Pot". 

My next film project with AI is 

The Fall of The Leviathan

From the screenplay:

Lightning striking the leviathan as it spits fire during a thunder storm.

Scene Beats & Dialogue: The View from the Vessel

Setting: The main deck of a wooden vessel tossing violently amidst 30-foot swells.

Beat 1: The Breach

Captain Okafor: (Gripping the wheel, shouting over thunder) "Hold the line! Brace the rigging!"

First Mate: "The sea is boiling under the bow! She’s rising!"

(Water erupts around the hull as the Leviathan crests the waves).

Beat 2: The Infernal Flame

(A blinding orange glow illuminates the deck through heavy rain).

Deckhand: "Look at the water—it's burning!"

Captain Okafor: "Shield your eyes! Hard to port!"

Beat 3: The Lightning Strike & Fall

(A bolt of lightning strikes the creature's crest mid-roar with a deafening crack. High-voltage arcs flood the frame).

First Mate: "It hit the beast! It's going down!"

(Silence falls except for heavy rain as the massive creature sinks into the churning sea).

#leviathan
#monster
#seamonster
#film
#cinema

The Aeneid 1

 

The Aeneid 1

Pictures from my storyboard for Virgil’s The Aeneid as an AI-generated historical epic that will be visually spectacular, deeply cinematic in 70mm format; blending myth and history.

Trojan hero Aeneas with Queen Dido of Carthage.

King Iarbas, the powerful North African king and fierce warrior ruling over local territories; the son of Jupiter Ammon, a fusion of the Roman king of gods and a North African deity as the suitor of Queen Dido.
Queen Dido setting herself ablaze and  cursing Aeneas for refusing to marry her.
This is pivotal moment in the epic, representing a final plea for vengeance against Aeneas.

"Nullus amor populis nec foedera sunto. / Exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus ultor...".

No love between our peoples, no pact between us... Rise up from my bones, avenger!

Aeneas in the underworld.

- By EKEYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

#epic
#film
#theeneid
#virgil
#aeneas
#dido
#Iarbas
#africa
#carthage
#rome
#troy

Ọba Kò So : The Return of Sango

 

Ọba Kò So : The Return of Sango

For Epic Yoruba Film

Ọba Kò So returns from the Lake of Fire to present day Oyo to fight against bandits and terrorists who have attacked the people and kidnapped the Alafin with his first wife and others. Can Sango rescue them? The kidnappers are not ordinary people. They are from the Nupe tribe. An epic battle awaits Ṣàngó in the ancestral kingdom of his mother.  Against whom? Of course, Ṣàngó cannot return with Oya from Odo Oya (River Niger). As we say in the Yorùbá language, "Ija yen a ga!"

History of Sango adapted from the records of Yoruba historians and IFA priests.

By the way, my father was the only non-Yoruba Ifa priest since he grew up among the Ijebus from the age of 9 and was also a hunter and a soldier of the Royal West African Frontier Force who fought in Burma during the World War 2 (1939-1945).

Who was Sango?

Sango, the 4th Alafin of the Oyo Kingdom

Sango is an historical Yoruba king who through the story of Oba Koso ("The King does not hang") has joined the ancestors, and in the new world has become one of the seven principal Orishas. In the Afro-Cuban Santeria, Sango is recognized as the god of lightning, thunder, drums, dancing, and yams. Because he shares lightning and fire with Oya, the godess of the whirlwind (and winds in general and "the gates of the cemetery"), Oya traditionally is said to be Sango's favorite wife, both warriors who, in the New World at least, ride to war together.

In Cuba and in Brazil, however, it is sometimes thought that Oya is also the wife of Ogun (the machete wielding blacksmith Vulcan), which offends traditional "monarchist" Yoruba insofar as among her other attributes Oya is also the principle of steadfast devotion and loyalty. There is a passage in Orisun Omi in which the young narrator states flatly that "Oya is the wife of Ogun," which does not play well in Ile Ife. On the other hand, Sango is said to have an eye for Osun (Aphrodite, Venus), so perhaps, devotion or not, the New World Voodoo is simply acknowledging that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Oba Koso

Oba Koso is one of Duro Ladipo’s most important plays, also the best-known work in the repertory of Yoruba operatic tradition. It was with this play that Ladipo marked the first anniversary of the Oshogbo Mbari Mbayo Club. The play, published in Three plays by Duro Ladipo in 1964, was translated by Ulli Beier.

Oba Koso, meaning “the king did not hang” is an eight-scene dramatization of the death of the Oyo king deified as the Yoruba god of thunder. In the play, Sango’s ultimate inability to control his two belligerent generals, Timi and Gbonka was brought to the fore. Employing divide-and-rule tactics, he had set the two against one another in the hope that they will be so weakened by war that neither of them will be able to pose a threat to his power. In the ensuing battle, Gbonka, one of the warriors, defeats Timi repeatedly, to Sango’s disappointment. Thereafter, Gbonka recognizes Sango’s duplicity and invades Oyo. Deserted by his supporters, Sango suffers defeat, withdraws from the capital, and hangs himself in humiliation. His followers band together and deify him: the king did not hang (oba koso), they claim, he simply metamorphosed into a god.

The Supernatural Story of Sango, Ọba Kò So  as shared by Bola Olalekan.

Adapted by historians, backed by Odu-Ifa and as told in folklores in the Yoruba religion sphere. Oranmiyan was the father of Sango, Oranmiyan the founder of Oyo kingdom and the youngest grandson of Oduduwa the progenitor married a Nupe woman who bore him Sango.

All stories about Sango are dramatic, it was said that he went in search of his father Ajagun and at a point, had to throw himself inside a burning lake to prove his lineage as Ajagun was the king of fire (this is in line with the debunked story).

Anyway,when Ajaka was Alaafin , Oyo kingdom was under incessant treat of war from Owu, Olowu was Ajaka’s cousin; who ruled Owu Kingdom. Olowu sent his warriors to capture Alaafin Ajaka and to bring him to Owu dead or alive. In their effort to rescue Alaafin Ajaka, the Oyomesi sent for Sango in the land of Nupe where Sango was living, Sango's fame was flourishing at Nupe, he was powerful, fearless and could spurt fire from his mouth. Sango was highly short tempered, he would spurt fire when angry.

Ajaka was sent on exile emanating from a vote of no confidence from the Oyomesi, Sango was made king after he rescued Oyo. He thus became the third Alaafin and ruled fearlessly.

Sango had three wives. Oya, who he loved dearly and became fond of, Sango would allow her to touch his hair which was an abomination but Oya later betrayed him by revealing his secrets of wizardry. Osun, the river goddess who was his favourite because of her cooking skills and Oba, who tried to win Sango's love by making a meal out of her ear for Sango. Sango later sent her packing resulting from a dispute between her and Osun, Oba left and out of frustration, turned into a river now called River Oba, which becomes turbulent whenever it meets with river Osun.

Sango was known to plait his hair into a style known as Suku, he designed it with red apparel and cowries (Laba and Yewu), he was known to hold double bladed axe (Ose Sango). Ram was is usual animal and still being uphold as symbolic pet of Sango by his followers, his favourite colour was red. He possessed a special sort of drum called 'Bata' and enjoyed eating bitter kolanut, porridge and yam. His followers of the glorious Yoruba Ifa religion still possess these features. They dress like Sango and could breathe fire, and are extremely pyromania.

The Latter Days Of Sango

King Sango had two warlords whose names were Gbonka and Timi, they were equally as lethal as Sango, Sango knew this and secretly planned to get rid of them.

He set the both of them up in a deadly contest with each other which later boomerang, Timi got killed and Gbonka who all of a sudden realised Sango’s hidden tactics, countered Sango and over powered him.

He banished Sango into the outskirts of Oyo. Sango was forced to desert Oyo and was said to have hanged himself at a place later called Koso. This, his disciple refuted, they claimed he only ascended to heaven to take charge of thunder and lightning. The popular saying “Obakoso or Olukoso” means King Sango did not hang.

Locations of target audience:

Nigeria, Benin,Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Vennezuela and Ecuador.

Population:

Over 600 million.

The Diaspora:

United States

46,936,733 (2020)

Brazil

14,517,961 (2010)

Haiti

9,925,365

France

3.3–5.5 million

Other countries with significant African, Mulatto, or Zambo populations in Dominican Republic (8.5 million), Cuba (7 million), Colombia (5 million), Venezuela (4 million) and Ecuador (1.1 million).

Special reference:

In episode 28 of the telenovela Celia, loosely based on the life of Celia Cruz (produced by Telemundo), the cultural ancestors of Celia's African heritage visit her in her dreams, chanting and invoking the presence of Chango

Important notes on Oya and Sango:

When it’s time to ravage their enemies, Oya, who had the power to summon wind, would lead the charge. With her power, she would blow off roofs, fall trees and breathe life into the fire set by Sango’s thunder. Generally, Oya was more than a wife to Sango. They were like Bob and Helen Parr of The Incredibles.

I welcome partnerships with Executive  Producers.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor, 
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry 
https://amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima…
https://linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi
Tel: +2347066379246

Video: Hollywood Style Penthouse on Lagos Island in Nigeria

2 Bedroom Penthouse with private cinema and swimming pool in a private estate on Lagos Island in Nigeria.

Price US$150 lol er night 

Caution: 150k

FEATURES:

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PRIME MOVIE'S 🍿 

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PRIVATE CINEMA 📽️ 

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CONTACT 

MATTHEW ETIM

+234 706 740 6622

Nollywood Has Gone Global: Nigerian Filmmakers Must Think and Work Globally

Nollywood Has Gone Global:  Nigerian Filmmakers Must Think and Work Globally

Nollywood has gone global.

We must think and work globally in content and context of telling and sharing our stories in the universal medium of filmmaking for the global audience.

Nigerian filmmakers cannot compete with the best in the world if they continue to think locally and compete locally for the local box office and going over the moon for grossing less than US$2 million for the first time in the 100 years of filmmaking in Nigeria since 1926 to 2026 when South African filmmakers have made films grossing over US$200 in the international box office.

The 2009, sci-fi film "District 9"  that grossed US$210.8 million was made by South African-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, Neill Blomkamp and was shot in South Africa;
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) made more than US$100 million;
Adventures in Zambezia ($34.4M);
Khumba ($28.4M);Tsotsi ($12M) and Sarafina! ($7.3M).
A new film, David (2025), a South African animated film produced by Sunrise Productions, has grossed over US$83.6 million worldwide as of February 6, 2026.

The Nigerian film industry should be inspired by the outstanding success stories of the film industry of South Africa.

South African filmmakers think and work globally with the best in the world.

You cannot see the big picture if you continue to gaze at the miniature of the tableaux.

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

#nollywood
#filmmaking
#filmmakers
#movies
#storytelling
#content
#cinema
#boxoffice
#filmindustry
#entertainment
#global
#nigeria
#southafrica
#david
#district9
#series

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ARwBb9YJu/

Nollywood Has A Critical Diversity Problem

 

Nollywood Has A Critical Diversity Problem

2026 will be a century of filmmaking in Nigeria since the first feature film, "Palaver: A Romance of Northern Nigeria"  was shot in the kingdom of Toro in 1926 by the English filmmaker and military officer, Geoffrey Barkas.

The making of "Palaver" has been published in the second edition of my NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

in 2014 and the publication is distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

Nollywood, the first indie film industry in Africa is known as the second largest in the world after the Bollywood of India in the quantity of film productions which are mostly videos and not on celluloid. And the phenomenal guerilla filmmakers have attracted global attention to the Nigerian film industry with many articles, essays, news reports and several books written by Nigerians and foreigners in the news media and academic institutions. And documentary films have been produced on the phenomenon of Nollywood.

Majority of the writers and documentary filmmakers have focused on the most dominant features of Nollywood and Kannywood which are largely dictated by the three major tribes of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa in Nigeria.

Majority of the actors and producers are from the three tribes and so their movies have been based on the narratives and perspectives on the sociocultural, socioeconomic and sociopolitical themes of their ethnicities. 

The few filmmakers from the minor tribes have been able to represent their regions and tell their own peculiar stories. But most of the peculiarities of their tribes have not been shown in Nigerian movies.

One of the most accomplished and prolific filmmakers is Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen from Benin in Edo State and has been the leading storyteller of the lives and times of Edo people and the foremost film studies scholar on Nigerian movies in indigenous languages,  Prof. Osakue Stevenson Omoera has studied and written on Imasuen's movies.

See "Audience Reception of the Benin Language Video Film in Nollywood" by Prof. Osakue Stevenson Omoera

Journal of African Cultural Studies

Vol. 26, No. 1 (March 2014), pp. 69-81 (13 pages)

Published By: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24758457

I am still waiting for the best film productions of Imasuen that will show the rest of the world the great myths and mysteries of the great Edo people of the Benin Empire such as an epic film on  Prince Ekaladerhan, whom the Ife people now called Oduduwa.

We have epics of Yoruba stories in Nollywood, but the filmmakers have often forgotten that the minority group of Nupe people can't be ignored in the historical films on Oyo Empire, because the demigod, "Sango", the third Alaafin of Oyo was born to an Oyo father (Oranmiyan) and a Nupe mother, who was the daughter of the Elempe (Nupe king). He is considered half-Yoruba and half-Nupe, having spent part of his youth in Nupe kingdom before becoming a powerful Oyo ruler known for wielding fire. 

Nupe people have been underrepresented in both Nollywood and in Kennywood, even though they are mostly Muslims.

See the cinematic image of a Nupe cavalryman wearing lifidi (padded armour). Drawn in 1911 by Carl Arriens.

This is enough evidence that Nupe must have great untold stories that will captivate the cinema.

Among the most popular actors and actresses are personalities from the minorities like Nollywood divas Kate Henshaw, Ini Edo, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Mercy Johnson Okojie. But they have been featuring in Nollywood English movies often focused on common themes of the lives of Igbos and Yorubas and not on their own tribes who are lagging behind in the shadows of the major tribes.

Mercy Johnson-Okojie

Mercy Johnson-Okojie produced the Igala epic "The Legend of Inikpi" in 2020. But she has ignored telling the peculiar stories of her Ebira tribe of Kogi State. 

The popular actor, Efa Iwara has not told us any of the stories of his Yakö people in the Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The diversity problem goes beyond tribal bigotry in the competition for leading roles for the principal cast in movies. 

There have been complaints of tribal discrimination against actors from ethnic minority groups in Nigeria.

They have been denied special roles in preference for actors from the major tribes who have the largest audiences of movie-goers at the cinemas and largest viewers of both public and cable TV channels and majority of the  viewers of videos streaming on YouTube channels, Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and other online platforms. So, the producers say their choice of the actors is based on popularity of the star power of an influential actor or actress and not based on tribal preference. 

A woman viewing two Nollywood actresses, Nunnsi Ojong and Celina Ideh from a minority group in southern Nigeria featured in my Lagos in Motion documentary film.

A scene from my "Lagos in Motion documentary film showing an Igbo actress Cynthia Agu and an Edo actress, Franca Aide.

Lest we forget, we are the best storytellers of our own stories and our stories are best told in our own languages.

We can't call the Nigerian film industry Nollywood when millions of people from the ethnic  minorities have been ignored and marginalized among the stakeholders. 

The estimated population of Nigeria is over 236,747,130 of which 30% are Hausa; 15.5% are Yoruba; 15.2% are Igbo; 6% are Fulani;. 2.4% are Tiv; 2.4% are Kanuri; 1.8% are Ibibio and Efik; 1.8% are Ijaw and 24.7% are from the remaining minorities of the over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa.

While 29.5% (Hausa-Fulani), 20.3% (Yoruba), and 16.6% (Igbo) were historically listed as major, this leaves roughly a third or more of the population as part of various minority groups. 

The Diversity Problem of Different Sexual Orientations 

The other cases of lack of diversity and inclusion In Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry come from sections of the society with people profiled as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) and the larger community of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer).

There have been cases of widespread LGBTQ+-phobia; prejudice, fear, hatred, or discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, encompassing homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. 

The causes of LGBTQ+phobia are often religious beliefs and traditional taboos.

The largest dominant religions of Christianity in Nollywood and Islam in Kannywood forbid homosexuality and in extreme cases of intolerance, homosexuals have been attacked and banished from film productions and treated as outcasts in the society.

Homosexuality is a crime in Nigeria. Therefore, the film industry does not accept a community of people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. And so will not promote

inclusivity, covering individuals who are not heterosexual or do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. But they cannot be ignored.

They have the fundamental human rights to tell their stories and amplify their voices in Nollywood and Kannywood and WE MUST PROTECT THEM from the violations of their liberties as bonafide citizens of Nigeria and fellow humans with the same equal rights to live and work in love 💕, peace and unity. 

Diversity and inclusion will accommodate the best talents and accelerate the sustainable development and advancement of the entertainment industry and the creative economy of Nigeria.

Key Components of a Diversity Problem

Unconscious Bias & Stereotyping: 

Prejudiced, automatic assumptions that affect hiring, promotion, and daily interactions.

Underrepresentation (The "Glass Ceiling"): A lack of diverse talent in top-level leadership roles, often due to systemic barriers.

Lack of Inclusion: 

Having a diverse staff but failing to create a welcoming environment where those individuals feel valued and supported.

Cultural Clashes & Communication Barriers: 

Misunderstandings due to differences in cultural norms, communication styles, and values.

Inequitable Treatment: 

Unequal pay, limited opportunities for advancement, or exclusion from key projects based on social identity. 

Consequences of Unaddressed Diversity Problems

Reduced Innovation: 

A homogenous group fails to bring diverse perspectives to problem-solving.

Lower Productivity & Morale: Cultural clashes and unfairness increase employee turnover and decrease productivity.

Reputational Damage: 

Organizations may face negative public perception if they appear non-inclusive. 

A diversity problem is generally solved by defining specific, unique challenges rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to inclusion. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The Founder/ CEO,

International Digital Post Network Limited,

Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC)

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

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

New Nigeria

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

Tel: +234 706 637 9246

PS:

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima (also known by the pseudonym Orikinla Osinachi) is a prominent Nigerian writer, publisher, and multimedia producer born on January 30, 1963, in Lagos Island. 

Professional Roles & Media Presence

He is the Founder and CEO of the International Digital Post Network Limited, the first Nigerian company to attract the IMAX Corporation to Nigeria, King of Kings Books International and Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC). He secured International partnership with the Cinewav of Singapore for the "One Village, One Cinema" initiative and partnership with the 

International Chamber of Media & Entertainment Industry (ICMEI) of India for the Bollywood To Nollywood Filmmaking workshops for international co-productions between India and Nigeria.

Writer & Publisher: 

He is the Publisher/Editor of several online platforms, including Nigerians Report Online, Nigerian Times, and the Founder and Publisher/Editor of the popular NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

Consultant: 

He has served as a social media consultant and previously worked as a National Program Consultant for UNICEF Nigeria and independent Production Manager of "Money Wise" business magazine programme on DBN TV.

Advocacy: 

He is recognized for his advocacy for girl-child education supporting the compulsory education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

Art, Literary & Creative Works

Chima is a notable artist with local and International exhibitions of his drawings and paintings. He  was the national curator for the 1993 World AIDS Day "Art Against AIDS" exhibitions at the National Museum and National Theatre in Nigeria.

He is a prolific writer who is the author of numerous books spanning fiction, poetry, and historical commentary: 

Books: 

He published his first book, Children of Heaven, in 1987.

His notable titles include Bye, Bye Mugabe, a collection of short stories; collections of his poems in Children of Heaven, The Prophet Lied and Scarlet Tears of London;  The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream on the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, In the House of Dogs and Diary of the Memory Keeper.

Prizes

Chima won the first prize in the national essay competition on What I Like Best in Nigeria organized by the Pop magazine in 1976.

His poem "Song of Patriotism" won the first prize in a national poetry competition on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1987.

His poem, "Empty Shells in Our Oil  Wells" was one of the finalists for the 2000 Music Society of Nigeria national poetry award.

His short story, "One Day at Obalende Bus Stop" won the third prize in the 2002 Lire en fête short story competition organized by the French Cultural Centre in Nigeria.

Early Success: 

He directed his first play at age 17 and at 18 he became the youngest independent professional scriptwriter for TV in Africa, writing episodes for the puppet drama series of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the largest TV network on the continent from 1981-84. See 

Nigeria: 'I Started Writing Professionally At 18' - allAfrica.com

https://allafrica.com/stories/201212030437.html

Visual Media: 

In 2016, he produced the photo album LAGOS in MOTION, documenting Africa's largest megacity from the principal photography of his first long documentary film project, "Lagos in Motion: Sights and Sounds of Africa's Largest Megacity".

Education & Affiliations

Education: He attended St. Gregory's College, Lagos, and later had further education from seminars and workshops by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1980, Book Development Council of Nigeria in 1982, Johns Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) in 1984 and 1990,  PATH in 1985, UNICEF in Nigeria in 1988, World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 and other organizations.

Memberships: 

He has been a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) since 1987, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC), Digital Cinema Society (DCS), International Law Office (ILO) and Online News Association (ONA). He participated in the Digital Media Law Project (DMLP), a major initiative based at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Originally founded in 2007 as the "Citizen Media Law Project," it provided legal resources and education for independent journalists and online media

Chima’s work often bridges the gap between sociocultural analysis and political documentation.

Focus on Nollywood

As a major stakeholder in the Nigerian film industry, Chima has documented its evolution through the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series: This is a comprehensive book series—available in print and digital formats—designed to capture the "big picture" of the industry for a global audience.

The First Edition celebrates Nollywood's icons, its emergence as an African phenomenon, and its strategy for breaking into global markets.

The Second Edition highlights "New Nollywood" developments (circa 2014), including the epic Invasion 1897, the evolution of digital filmmaking, and the first Hollywood star from Nigeria, Orlando Martins.

Film Festivals: 

He is the Founder and Festival Director of the annual Eko International Film Festival and Zenith International Film Festival.

Political Commentaries

His political writings focus on pivotal moments in Nigeria's democratic history:

The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: This book serves as a personal testimony and historical chronicle of the 2015 presidential election. It analyzes the principal actors behind the first time an incumbent president was defeated in Nigeria’s history.

Digital & Periodical Analysis: Through his platforms Nigerians Report Online and Nigerian Times, he provides ongoing commentary on Nigerian federalism, social justice, and leadership.

Satirical Critique: 

Works like Bye, Bye Mugabe use short stories to offer a broader critique of African leadership and political dynamics beyond just Nigeria. 

"Dahomey" is More Important to Me than "Emilia Pérez"

 

"Dahomey" is More Important to Me than "Emilia Pérez" 

I have ignored posting on the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards, because I was disappointed that Mati Diop's critically acclaimed multiple award winning documentary film, "Dahomey" was not included among the nominees after it was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Feature category and the Best International Feature Film category. 

This is the second time that her award winning film has not made the nominees after winning a highly coveted award at one of the Big Five international film festivals in the world. 

She won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for her feature film debut, "Atlantics" and was the entry of Senegal for the Best International Feature Film category of the 2019 Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. And her second feature film, "Dahomey" that won the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and the entry of Senegal for the Best International Feature Film category was not nominated.

The most likely predicted winner is of course, Jacques Audiard's controversial musical romantic crime drama, "Emilia Pérez" with the record of 13 nominations, the highest number for the 97th Academy Awards to be held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. But I doubt if the film can win up to five Oscars.

I don't know how the nominees are chosen, because the judges and specific  criteria are not known to the public, except the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) whose membership of the academy is based more on being recommended than on the merit of professional criteria. So, membership can be influenced by the familiarity with influential members of AMPAS. 

The content and context of "Dahomey" as an anticolonial historical film on repatriation have a more universal theme than a romantic crime thriller of sexual orientation and personal insecurities and sentiments.

It will be better and more meritorious if the winners of the highly esteemed critically juried Palme 'Or and Grand Prix of the Cannes Film Festival; Golden Bear of the Berlin International Film Festival or Berlinale; Golden Lion of Venice Film Festival; People's Choice Award and the FIPRESCI Prize, or International Film Critics Awardt at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic, Directing Award Dramatic, Grand Jury Prize Documentary and Directing Award Documentary at Sundance Film Festival qualify for the nominations for the annual Academy Awards.

I agree with the following statement by Tim Dirks, editor of AMC's Filmsite, has written of the Academy Awards:

Unfortunately, the critical worth, artistic vision, cultural influence and innovative qualities of many films are not given the same voting weight. Especially since the 1980s, moneymaking "formula-made" blockbusters with glossy production values have often been crowd-pleasing titans (and Best Picture winners), but they haven't necessarily been great films with depth or critical acclaim by any measure"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awards

 

 -;By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Founder, Publisher and Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

WOLE SOYINKA - ENI OGUN, An Accomplished Biopic on the First African Nobel Laureate of Literature

WOLE SOYINKA - ENI OGUN, An Accomplished Biopic on the First African Nobel Laureate of Literature

Joshua Ojo with Prof. Wole Soyinka.

Joshua Ojo's vivid biopic, "WOLE SOYINKA - ENI OGUN"is an outstanding historical film on the phenomenal life of the most lionized African writer, Prof. Wole Soyinka, the first African winner of the highly coveted Nobel Prize for Literature. 

This is the only one of the few films on the life of Soyinka to capture the essence of the spirit of the art and persona of his iconic genius in motion picture. And the first to be produced in his beloved mother tongue of the Yoruba language. The biopic produced to celebrate his 90th birthday is a must see and the film has been authorized by the Nobel laureate.

Official trailer

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m_nA7r4CH50FjxHdNlvaixNv5F44GQI3/view?usp=drivesdk

It chronicled his trials as a fearless sociopolitical human rights activist and triumphs as an intellectual luminary of the literary world with critically acclaimed books of poetry, drama and prose for which he became famous and awarded the Nobel Prize in  Literature in 1986 for with his writings, Soyinka "in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence."

The cinematic beauty of the film with outstanding portrayal of Soyinka by the award winning Nigerian actor, Lateef Adedimeji and other accomplished actors, including Jide Kosoko, Femi Branch, Segun Arinze, Dele Odule, Funky Mallam, Haffiz Oyetoro, Bimbo Oshin, Joke Muyiwa and Olaiya Igwe showed the accomplishments of the director in the art direction with the production design, casting, characterisation, cinematography and soundtracks based on the historical facts of the celebrated author with important emphasis on Ibadan and other locations of his life and the political circumstances of his imprisonment in the Kirikiri Prison for 22 months during the Nigerian-Biafran war from 1967-1970.

"This is my most challenging film production so far. Because of the historical importance and significance of the legacy of Prof. Wole Soyinka, I have to make sure of the accuracy of the sets used for the period in the history of Nigeria. KIRI-KIRI PRISON was built from the scratch in the studios. Soyinka's house was equally built with over 98 percent of the set built by the crew, except for the scenes of the roads and the other scenes shot outside Nigeria," the director said.

"I did the casting myself, because I really wanted actors to look like the real characters in his life. For the production design, I took my time as well to draw and sketch out how I wanted them to look and the guys in that department brought life to it.

I've been to Soyinka's house, so it was easy for me to recreate it."

"I had an accident two days to shoot. I was given two options: either to cut off my right leg or I do an emergency surgery, which I did. And I went back to location a week after the surgery, with an ambulance on stand by everyday. I'll shoot for 2 to 3 days and rush back to the hospital for check-up. That was how we shot for two months to complete the principal photography."

The film certainly is an outstanding achievement in filmmaking in Nollywood and African Cinema. It will attract millions of Yorubas in Nigeria and the Diaspora; especially in Brazil where hundreds of thousands of people are devotees of the Yoruba OGUN traditional religion which Soyinka has celebrated in his life and works. Millions of others who have read his popular plays, novels and essays will be anxious and curious to watch the film subtitled in English and should be widely available in other popular languages for the global distribution.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

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

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Happy Eid-ul- Mawlid To All Muslims

Monday, September 16, 2024 is  Public Holiday in Nigeria to mark the celebration of the Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Enjoy "The Message"

This epic historical drama chronicles the life and times of Prophet Muhammad and serves as an introduction to early Islamic history. This epic historical drama chronicles the life and times of Prophet Muhammad and serves as an introduction to early Islamic history.

The Making of The Message
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/08/07/485234999/40-years-on-a-controversial-film-on-islams-origins-is-now-a-classic

About Islamic Cinema in Nigeria

ISLAMIC CINEMA in Nigeria (ICN) is an initiative of the duly Incorporated International Digital Post Network Limited for the production, distribution and promotion of Islamic films for screenings at cinemas for the following purpose:

* The Promotion of the true Tenets of Islam as the religion of love, peace and unity for the benefit of humanity.

* Public enlightenment and entertainment for Muslims and non-Muslims with pure and true Islamic films.

* Correction of the misinformation on Islam as the religion of terrorism and Muslims as intolerant people who breed terrorists.

For Partnership and Sponsorship of the production, distribution, exhibition and promotion of Islamic films in Nigeria, contact:
International Digital Post Network Limited
Tel: +234 706 637 9246

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

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

Using Culture and Strategy:

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

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

The Cultural Web 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

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

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

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