Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Sunday, December 31, 2023

"Breath of Life" is the Best Nigerian Film of the Year 2023



2023 has been a great year for Nollywood.
Nigerian filmmakers made outstanding movies in 2023 and several of them won notable awards locally and globally, including C. J "Fiery" Obasi's multiple award winning mythological fantasy film, "MAMI WATA", Nigeria's entry for the Best International Feature Film
Category of the 2024 annual Academy Awards; , winner of the Best Nigerian Film at the 19th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
"MAMI WATA" premiered at the annual Sundance Film Festival and the cinematographer, Lílis Soares won the Special Jury Prize in the World Dramatic Competition for the film's cinematography in black and white. The film won three awards at FESPACO; Prix de la Critique Paulin S. Vieyra (African Critics Award), Meilleure Image (Cinematography Award) and Meilleur Décor (Set Design Award). The first Nollywood film to win these highly coveted international awards.
It is nominated for the Best  International Film Category of the 39th annual Independent Spirit Awards in the United States of America; the first for a Nollywood film.

Babatunde Apalowo's "All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White" was joint winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2023 annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

“Funmilayo Ransom Kuti" by Mrs. Bolalenle Austen-Peters won the Oronto Douglas' Overall Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay awards at the 2023 annual AFRIFF.
Editi Effiong’s crime thriller, "The Black Book" for Netflix became the first Nigerian film to be number one on the Global Netflix Chart of the most watched movies on the world's largest streaming platform.

"Orah" by Nigerian Canadian filmmaker Lonzo Nzekwe premiered at the 2023 annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Finally, Funke Akindele's new film "A Tribe Called Judah.” is the icing on the cake of the best Nigerian films of 2023.

In overall assessment of all these outstanding films, Nigerians Report Online has selected BB Sasore's "Breath of Life", the Best Nigerian Film of the year 2023.

 "Breath of Life" is an Unforgettable Journey of Discovery of the Power of Faith, Love and Triumph of the Human Spirit

"Breath of Life" is a period drama set in Ibadan in the 1950s. It is about "Timi", a gifted clergyman who turns into an "old lonely curmudgeon when his family is tragically taken from him. Until Elijah, a humble man with big dreams of becoming a priest, comes into his life. Through Elijah, Timi not only learns to live again, but also realizes purpose for all his gifts and wealth."

The Oscar performance of Wale Ojo as "Timi" has proven that he is indeed  more than an actor of actors, but also an auteur of genius in his excellent interpretation of one of the greatest portraits of unique and unforgettable characters in Nigerian drama.
No other actor in Nollywood would have been able to play a better  challenging role of such an iconic character of "Timi" as Wale Ojo did exceptionally well.
He is among the best actors in the world in the same class with Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins of Hollywood for his mastery of being absorbed in the personality of every character he has played the leading role in different movies. This is a rare  accomplishment among actors in Nigeria, because only few of them have such command in characterization and intellectual depth.

Overall, in concise and precise analysis, the "Breath of Life" is a breathtaking cinematic drama of intellectual and spiritual insights on the triumph of faith, love and the human spirit in the conquest of the existential realities of life in the world. The survival, triumph and victory of the human spirit in the vicissitudes of the trials of life.

The director, producer, cinematographer, screenwriter, composer of the soundtracks and production designer have made a film that will become one of the timeless classics of filmmaking in Nigeria. "Breath of Life" is more than the typical Nollywood movie. It is a beautiful story in motion picture that will resonate with people in different societies in the world, because it is a universal journey of discovery of the true essence of human existence on Earth.
It would be more appreciated dubbed in other languages for the rest of the world to share in the beauty of this drama of the worth of every breath of life.

"Breath of Life" is one of the best films of the year and the kind of Nigerian film that should have been in the Official Selection of the annual Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or.

Principal cast:
Wale Ojo, Bimbo Manuel, Sam Dede, Tina Mba, Sambasa Nzeribe, Genoveva Umeh, Chimezie Imo, Demola Adedoyin, Melly Atari and others.

Produced by
Eku Edewor and Aderinola Adeyokunnu.
Written and directed by BB Sasore, Ola Cardoso is the Director of Photography and Kelechi Odu is the Creative Director.


More details on
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Breath-of-Life/0MAIUKK9AP09W0F2HQ99XWI0DD

A must on the watchlist of everyone who loves great movies.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013, printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers in paperback, hardcopy and Amazon Kindle.
"





Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The Creative Economy is Driven by the Digital Economy

Image credit: 
https://city.cri.cn/20210507/633e86e4-7cc0-92c5-a18c-439c6dec1d4b.html

The development of the Creative Economy is hinged on the development of the Digital Economy in the 21st century.

The creative industry in the 21st century is driven by digital technology from the street to the internet. 
Monetization of every format of intellectual property (IP) is mostly generated by digital applications of production, acquisition, distribution, collection and exhibition of which the transactions for the revenues are through fintech applications and services.

We cannot have a robust creative
economy without the support of the digital economy. Both economies have become interlocked as can be seen in Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, X and the new developments by the MultiChoice Group in Africa. 

The largest revenues of the entertainment industry are online.
Where else can we have billions of downloads and views of content?

Recommended:
THE ROLE OF DIGITAL ECONOMY IN ADVANCING CREATIVE INDUSTRIES-CREATIVITY 2030 SEMINAR
https://city.cri.cn/20210507/633e86e4-7cc0-92c5-a18c-439c6dec1d4b.html

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Founder/CEO,
International Digital Post Network Limited,
Lagos, Nigeria.



Thursday, November 23, 2023

The Nigerian Creative Economy: Beyond Nollywood and the Entertainment Industry


The Nigerian Creative Economy: Beyond Nollywood and the Entertainment Industry

Overview

Nigeria - Media and Entertainment

According to PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2022-2026, Nigeria’s media and entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing creative industries in the world. It has the potential to become one of the country’s exports, with projected annual consumer growth rate of 8.8% (CAGR). PwC indicates that in 2021, Nigeria’s film industry contributed 2.3% ($660 million (239 billion naira)) to GDP. They project that the industry will increase its export revenue earnings to over $1 billion. The motion picture and music combined contributed about $1.8 billion (730 billion naira) to the country’s GDP in 2020.

The country’s television and video market grew 7.49% to $806 million in 2020, up from $732 million in 2018. The industry is projected to earn about $900 million in 2023. The market is driven by subscription revenue, which accounted for 72.26% of total TV/video sector revenue in 2018. TV advertising accounts for 21.31% of total revenue, while physical home videos account for 5.33%. Subscription-based movie streaming are very popular in Nigeria, attracting players like Netflix, Iroko TV, and Startimes. Although Netflix subscription has long been available in Nigeria, they made their official debut in Nigeria in February 2020, joining several major distributors of filmed content in Nigeria. In August 2022, Amazon Prime Video announced the launch of the localized version of its streaming service in Nigeria. According to an IMF report, the industry is projected to generate an estimated revenue of $10.8 billion by 2023 and account for 1.4% of GDP. The report indicates that in 2020, Nigeria overtook South Africa in pay TV subscription as the country currently has over 6.9 million pay TV households as of 2021.  It is projected to grow to upwards of 7.4 million by 2023. A new study by Research and Markets, shows that Nigeria will contribute about 10 million, or 21.2%, of Africa’s pay television subscribers by 2025.

The music sector of Nigeria’s entertainment industry also recorded significant growth over the years. Stakeholders include artists, musicians, producers, promoters, managers, distributors, and marketers. As of 2021, the music industry employed about a million people and generated over $8 billion for the economy. In the past six years, the growing numbers of new production studios and artists enabled a more vibrant and self-sustaining industry, producing globally recognized music. In this environment, Nigerian musicians have developed a vast spectrum of music genres. The industry has won prestigious awards with artists like Wizkid and Burnaboy claiming Grammy awards, attracting more and more investments..
https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/nigeria-media-and-entertainment
Which creative industries drive the creative economy of every country?




The industries are the following:
 Advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, research and development, software, computer games, electronic publishing and TV/radio.

As Dr. Reuben Abati said on The Morming Show of Arise TV on Thursday, November 23, 2023;
We cannot talk about growing the creative industry without a Cultural Policy.

Do we have a Cultural Policy?
Do we even have a Film Policy for Ñollywood and the Nigerian film industry?

Ñollywood is actually a dysfunctional film industry without a film market.
Without an insurance policy.
Without a single film commission.

Let me just go straight to my critical basics of the economics of the creative industry in Nigeria with an important query. And that's all. There is no need for a thesis on the economic crisis of Ñollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

Currently, the Nigerian film industry is a big canoe with holes and different sorts of characters with different agendas; including the real creative professionals, jobbers and of course the opportunists. 
They will make a big 
Kafkaesque and Soyinkasque drama.

Only the creatives with bankable assets and products can grow the creative economy. And not those who are expendable liabilities in the creative industry; that collected loans from the Bank of Industry of Nigeria and other banks and cannot account for the loans due to misappropriations and diversions of the millions of naira they collected. 

What happened to the N3 Billion Grant of the Project ACT Nollywood launched by the administration of former, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR?


Who were the benefitiaries?
Where are the assets and products of the beneficiaries?
Where are the 75 movies produced?
Where are the students trained in filmmaking?

Until there is a forensic report on the Project ACT Nollywood Grant, any establishment for an investment in the creative industry to grow the creative economy by the federal government lacks accountability.

Read the article on 
How The Project ACT Nollywood Grant Was Embezzled - by 
*Eyengho, is President, Association of Nollywood Producers, ANCOP, and Vice President, International Federation of Film Producers Associations, FIAPF.
http://www.metroparrot.net/2015/08/how-n3-billion-project-act-nollywood.html

The federal government should have a forensic report on the previous government investments in the creative industry before the establishment of a new initiative for the acceleration of creative economy.

- Ekenyerengozi MichaeI Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series.
Founder/President,
ZENITH International Film Festival,
https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2023/11/zenith-international-film-festivals.html







Sunday, November 12, 2023

ZENITH 2024 Inaugural International Film Festival

 


ZENITH 2024

Zenith International Film Festival: Coming Soon!

Zenith International Film Festival is an annual independent film festival for the promotion of the best in motion picture, from script to screen; where the most ambitious filmmakers will meet the most ambitious film distributors from all over the world.

Participation is strictly by application and competition is only by official selection. 

Only 20 films will be selected by the international jury.

The inaugural annual Zenith International Film Festival will be launched in Lagos before the end of 2024. 


 We may not be the first and we may not be the biggest, but our mission is to be among the best international film festivals in the world.

More details will be announced later.

#zenith
#filmfestivals
#officialselection
#nominees
#nominations
#awards
#prizes
#filmmaking
#movies
#actors
#nigeria
#filmmakers
#jury
#filmdistribution
#acquisition

#ZENITH2024

Friday, November 3, 2023

AFRIFF'S Closing Night: Breath of Life with Prime Video


AFRIFF's Closing Night: 'Breath of Life' with Prime Video"🎥

AFRIFF in Partnership with Prime Video to close the 12th Edition with BB Sasore’s Inspirational movie Breath of Life.

November 3, 2023,

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has announced Breath of Life, an inspirational story about life and destiny as its closing night movie. The selection made known by AFRIFF’s Founder & Festival Director, Chioma Ude, aligns with the organiser’s bid to promote more indigenous movies to a global audience that will grace the festival’s closing night hosted in partnership with Prime Video in Lagos, Nigeria. 

Written and directed by BB Sasore and produced by Eku Edewor, Breath of Life portrays the story of a former clergyman who loses everything he holds dear including his faith and goes on a journey of self-transformation when his life is taken over by his Christian houseboy. The film spotlights veterans and key characters led by Wale Ojo, Sam Dede, Tina Mba and Eku Edewor. Others include Chimezie Imo, Genoveva Umeh, Ademola Adedoyin, and Chidozie Nzeribe. 

Speaking on the movie selection as a choice for the closing night, Director and Screenwriter, BB Sasore said:

“Breath of Life is a testimony to how a person’s cause in life can change in the twinkling of an eye. It speaks to living a life of purpose and the need for it to be fulfilled. We believe AFRIFF and Prime Video audiences will enjoy the film and learn from the character’s experiences”.  

Breath of Life launches globally on Prime Video on December 15th, as part of the streaming platform's effort to showcase Nollywood at its best, by telling authentic homegrown stories in a range of genres to Prime Video customers around the world. The film highlights the story of a man who has lost his sense of purpose until an encounter with a young man who changes his life and destiny.

Breath of Life is produced by Nemsia Films co-founded by Derin Adeyokunnu and BB Sasore. The movie which is set in the 1950s was shot in Nigeria’s historic city of Ibadan.

Signed

Latasha Ngwube

Director PR & Media

for AFRIFF 2023

ABOUT AFRIFF

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is an international film showcase in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos. It presents a complete immersion into the world of filmmaking with participation from all over Africa and the Diaspora. Founded in 2010 by Ms Chioma Ude, an ardent film lover and entrepreneur, the festival is positioned to be the biggest annual appointment for African filmmakers in the region, celebrating the best African films and stories.

Our programming is themed around African films, filmmakers and African cinematic impulses making the rounds in the international film circuit in categories such as feature, shorts, student shorts, documentary and animation.

Africa International Film festival - AFRIFF

Ornife Legacy Place, 8 Professor Gabriel Olusanya Street, 105102, Lekki

+234 7033330439 I www.afrff.com I info@afriff.com I www.twitter.com/afriff I www.instagram.com/Afriff

www.facebook.com/Afriff I www.facebook.com/groups/Afriff I www.youtbe.com/c/AfricaFilmFest AFRIFF


Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Cinewav Cinemas for Every Location

 





CONTACT

Jason Chan

+65 9694 7817

Singapore.

In Nigeria

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

 Tel: +2347066379246


Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Women Disgracing Women


Women Disgracing Women

Believe it or not, women are their own worst enemies online and offline.

Every day I receive requests mostly from Caucasian women on Instagram and once I open them to view to accept or reject their requests, I am facing naked women showing me vaginas. And asking for sex.

Of course inviting you to sex cams. I have deleted and reported dozens of them. 

On Facebook, majority of them are  shameless Nigerian girls and women who are online prostitutes. 

Now, it is no longer decent to watch the music videos of Nigerian #Afrobeats singers, because they are fully engaged in the Sexploitation of young women dancing half naked in different simulations of sex.

Video vixens are prostitutes.

Of course, anyone displaying and portraying herself as a sex object is a PROSTITUTE or COMMERCIAL SEX WORKER.

Any younger or older woman in.relationshop for the financial benefits is a PROSTITUTE.

These debased and shameless women online and offline are Disgracing Women and Womanhood.

That is why Men don't respect Women.

Nigerian women are selling for $800 as sex slaves in Libya.

I paid $800 for the release of a 16 - year old secondary school girl trafficked to Libya from Benin in Edo State of Nigeria after 90 days in captivity in 2016 whilst I was still busy with the principal photography of my documentary film, "Lagos in Motion". 

A beautiful decent young woman told me that she will not join  Nollywood, because majority of the actresses are prostitutes using Nollywood as their camouflage. 

The UN Women should declare a global campaign against the Sexploitation of Women in movies, TV series and music videos.

Women must understand that they have more to offer the society than their sexuality. 

The power of Woman is in her brains and not in her loins.

I broke up with two beautiful young women, because they could not abstain from sex for one month. 

WOMEN MUST STOP DISGRACING AND DEGRADING WOMEN.

#women #sexploitation #sex #prostitutes #prostitution #music #musicvideo #movies #series #documentary #Nollywood #Benin #Edo #Nigeria #Libya #Lagos #photography #men #womanhood 

- By Ekenyerengozi MichaeI Chima,
Author of the "Diary of the Memory Keeper", "Scarlet Tears of London" and other books distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series
Nigeria Daily Twitter
https://twitter.com/nigeriadaily
New Nigeria on Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

Thursday, October 26, 2023

ORAH is the Opening Film of the 12th Annual Africa International Film Festival in Nigeria


Announcing the Opening Film: ORAH Opens AFRIFF 2023🎥

AFRIFF to open 12th Edition with Lonzo Nzekwe’s Powerful Crime Thriller ORAH  in keeping with the Festival’s Theme on “Indigenous 2.0 Global



October 26, 2023

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has announced its 12th edition, happening from the 5th to the 11th of 2023, in Lagos, Nigeria. In keeping with the festival's tradition, AFRIFF’s Founder and Festival Director, Chioma Ude, has announced the film ORAH as its opening night movie, a bold step to drive home its theme for the 2023 edition of Indigenous 2.0 Global before the participating Nigerian and international movie enthusiasts who will grace the festival’s annual opening gala night.

ORAH is written and directed by acclaimed Nigerian/Canadian filmmaker Lonzo Nzekwe (Anchor Baby). Produced by Nzekwe, Floyd Kane (Diggstown), and Amos Adetuyi (The Boathouse), the film was shot in Canada and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in late 2022. Speaking in anticipation of the Festival,  Chioma Ude said,

“Filmmaking is evolving rapidly in Africa, with Nigeria at the forefront of the renaissance, and this year’s edition is designed to continue to reiterate the opportunities for African films and storytelling to reflect ‘global’ perspectives for the sustained success of more local films globally. We intend to continue to empower our storytellers to explore ideologies and techniques that connect with a larger global audience. ORAH is positioned as the open-night movie to drive this expectation.” 

A character-driven crime thriller, Orah showcases the story of a female taxi driver in Toronto embarking on a revenge tour to avenge the death of her son, who is brutally murdered by a high-profile Nigerian criminal in a drug trafficking operation. Starring Oyin Oladejo as Orah Madukaku (Star Trek: Discovery), additional cast members include Lucky Onyekachi Ejim (Kim’s Convenience) as Bami Hazar; Agape Mngomezulu as Tariq Hazar (The Parker Andersons); Morgan Bedard (Hard Rock Medical) as Eli Pope; Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama (Titans) as Lace; Oris Erhuero (We Were Once) as Agent Garuba; O.C. Ukeje (Brotherhood) as Agent Uche Odi; Femi Lawson (Because We Are) as Jimoh Sholola; and Christopher Seivright (Take Note) as Vincent Bailey.

Developed over the course of 11 years, director and screenwriter Lonzo Nzekwe was “very grateful to finally begin shooting with the talented cast and crew assembled and honoured to be able to shoot part of the film in Nigeria, which plays such a key role,” he shared during principal photography. In Nzekwe’s words, I set out to create a tragically gripping and gratifying crime thriller with a gritty look that gives the audience a visceral, authentic experience of the life of our hero and her journey to avenge the death of her son. The exceptional talent of the actors cast in each role truly brings the story to life.

Not only does the script offer a strong and smart female role model in the lead role, but the supporting characters are well-rounded with traits of real, everyday people drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds and walks of life. I hope that ORAH’s themes of justice versus revenge, redemption, freedom, corruption, and family separation will have a lasting impact on its viewers and inspire them in a positive way. As a Nigerian-born Canadian filmmaker, I felt I was uniquely qualified to tell this story of an illegal immigrant who was smuggled into Canada and sold into sex trafficking at age 15 by her uncle.

The film was shot in and around Sudbury, Ontario, in the fall of 2022, with additional principal photography taking place in Lagos, Nigeria, in December 2022. With cinematography for ORAH by Ricardo Diaz (Subjects of Desire), production design by Mark Kowalsky (Frat Pack), costume design by Chantel Bedward (Stupid For You), editing by Marc Roussel (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), and music by Felipe Téllez (Tomorrow).

ORAH is produced by Circle Blue Entertainment and Freddie Films in association with IronFlix Inc., with the participation of Telefilm Canada, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), and ONCreates Film Fund. Level Film is the Canadian distributor.

Signed

Latasha Ngwube

Director PR & Media

for AFRIFF 2023

ABOUT AFRIFF

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is an international film showcase in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos. It presents a complete immersion into the world of filmmaking with participation from all over Africa and the Diaspora. Founded in 2010 by Ms Chioma Ude, an ardent film lover and entrepreneur, the festival is positioned to be the biggest annual appointment for African filmmakers in the region, celebrating the best African films and stories.

Our programming is themed around African films, filmmakers and African cinematic impulses making the rounds in the international film circuit in categories such as feature, shorts, student shorts, documentary and animation.


Saturday, October 14, 2023

The Most Popular Film Stills From A Nigerian Film and TV Production


The most popular stills in circulation from a Nigerian film or TV  production are from the second phase of the principal photography of my documentary film, "Lagos in Motion" in 2016.

I published the photo book of the stills.currently distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

View the NFTs exclusively on the Algorand blockchain
https://nftmyimage.com/@nigeriadaily
NFTs last longer than photos, videos and films that are not on the blockchain. 

The NFTs will be in the decentralized InterPlanetary File System.

The pictures show beautiful #Nollywood actress, model and beauty pageant Queen, Celina Ideh and other people in "Lagos in Motion" in the Toyota SUV as I was recording whilst the vehicle was moving us to another location in Lagos, Africa's largest megacity; on the Lekki- Ikoyi Link Bridge, Elegushi Beach, new Tejuosho Market and Onike in Yaba.

Film stills are very important in film studies.

Stills are essentially photographs taken on the set or during the production of a movie. They serve as a visual representation of the film, capturing key moments, characters, and set designs. These images are commonly used for promotional purposes, including posters, press kits, and marketing materials. And they are also used by scholars and students of film studies. 

#filmmaking
#filmproduction
#filmmakers
#filmstill
#screenshot
#documentary
#documentaryfilm
#movies
#series
#filmstudies
#students
#scholars
#Lagos
#Africa
#megacity
#photography
#book
#photobook
#Amazon

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.


Saturday, September 23, 2023

Fine Arts and NFTs in Celebration of Nollywood Diva Rita Dominic Anosike

Celebrated Nollywood Diva, Mrs. Rita Dominic Anosike is an international star and winner of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for the Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2012.













Of all her Public photographs, this one is my favourite which I have decided to convert from ordinary photography to fine arts photography; a very big part of the film industry that is worth millions of dollars in Hollywood, but totally ignored in Nollywood.  

Pop Art or Pop Photography of celebrity culture was the signature of Andy Warhol, the famous American artist and filmmaker whose monumental artwork,  "Marilyn Diptych" created in 1962 is a silkscreen painting depicting legendary Hollywood sex symbol of the silver screen, Marilyn Monroe showing 50 of the same photograph with 25 in yellow colour and 25 in black and white colour which many people came up with different assumptions in their interpretation of the artwork.  Each image of the actress is taken from the single publicity photograph of Marilyn from the film "Niagara" (1953).

Rita Dominic is not only one of e beauty queens of Nollywood, but one of the best actors in Nigeria and Africa. In celebration of her fame and accomplishments, I have made unique versions of her single photograph in fine arts photography and made the NFTs on the Algorand blockchain.

https://nftmyimage.com/@nigeriadaily

NFTs last longer than photos, videos and films that are not on the blockchain. 

The NFT will be in the decentralized InterPlanetary File System.

#RitaDominic

#RitaDominicAnosike

#Nollywood

#AMAA

#awards

#AndyWarhol

#Americanartist 

#filmmaker

 #MarilynDiptych

#silkscreen

#painting

#photograph

#photography

#PopArt

#PopPhotography

#celebrity

#culture

#Hollywood 

#sexsymbol

#MarilynMonroe 

#NFT


Wednesday, September 6, 2023

MultiChoice Shares Insights to Content Success at MIP Africa

PRESS RELEASE

MultiChoice Shares Insights to Content Success at MIP Africa

MIP Africa forms part of Fame Week Africa, a week-long festival focusing on African television, music, and film

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 6, 2023/ -- Authenticity, hyperlocal stories, and a visceral understanding of the audience are pivotal indicators for success in the African television and film landscape.

While various insights, overwhelmingly practical and actionable, were shared during a MultiChoice panel discussion at MIP Africa this week, these three indicators served as a throughline for how content creators could successfully pitch to become part of MultiChoice’s creative ecosystem.

The panel discussion, Unlocking Opportunities: MultiChoice and the African Film & TV Industry, took place at MIP Africa, an annual opportunity for African content creators, producers, and sellers to present their work to a global array of buyers, investors, and potential co-production partners. MIP Africa forms part of Fame Week Africa, a week-long festival focusing on African television, music, and film. MultiChoice plays a key role as a sponsor of both events.

According to Waldimar Pelser, Channel Director: Premium Channels at MultiChoice, their most valuable content creators understand their market. “The most productive conversations we have are with producers that consume our content and on a visceral level know who our audience is. (Our partners) have to understand who they’re making content for.”

In terms of what that content looks like, Pelser shared that content that can only be made locally, and that viewers would not be able to find elsewhere, reap the most success.

Popular genres include drama and unscripted reality, with the consensus being that while successful themes are universal, viewers want something “uniquely South African,” with the setting being locally specific and the story and storytelling showcasing an understanding of who the audience is. 

Viewers also tend to gravitate toward dramas with authenticity, warmth, and optimism, while there is generally a low tolerance for gimmicks – in any genre. In unscripted reality, shows where the audience can see themselves on screen generally enjoy success. “For unscripted it’s a mirror,” said Pelser. “We want to see ourselves on screen. (Shows) that remind us who we are – those tend to work.”

Tebogo Matlawa, Head of Scripted Content: Middle & Mass: South Africa at MultiChoice, echoed Pelser and said that while the audience wants to see themselves on screen, producers should also “look outside the bubble of their own existence” when working on content.

“Our audience likes to be involved and go on the journey” and for that reason, they’ve found that very family-orientated shows, with a female point of view, and generally not risqué, do well. While action and dramas have seen success, there isn’t much of an appetite for violence. “Always think, would you watch this with your grandmother?” he advised when considering pitches for scripted content for middle and mass markets.

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa, Head of Production, West Africa for MultiChoice Africa, as well as Nicola van Niekerk, Head of Content for Premium Channels and co-productions, reiterated MultiChoice’s success with hyperlocal content. “We need the connection; people need to feel. If not, what are you doing?” said Aghahowa. “Compelling characters in compelling situations that anybody can relate to – that’s what we’re looking for. Anything inauthentic will immediately be sniffed out by our younger audience.”

According to Van Niekerk, Showmax, specifically, has seen significant success with documentaries as well as dramas.

In terms of co-productions, Van Niekerk pointed to the necessity for producers to have an in-depth understanding of both the local and the international audience before pitching a project. “As a producer, you need to assess your story and say, ‘Where will this story work?’ Will it work in a very specific demographic hyper locally in South Africa, but where else will it work? Which other broadcaster will like that? And to know that you need to understand all of the broadcaster's strategies (on a global level).”

She warns against assuming that what works locally will work elsewhere. This helps to secure funding if the appetite and interest have already been assessed.

Van Niekerk said popular co-productions generally have three things in common: “It’s crime, it’s English and it’s in a beautiful setting. We can tell that those work the best.”

Lerato Moruti, Senior Manager: Reality and Entertainment for Middle & Mass: M-Net, said that successful reality shows provide a sense of tabloid voyeurism, with family-based reality shows that rate high with viewers. But, said Moruti, South Africans look for meaning in content, and respond well to “help TV”, specifically referring to the popular Mzansi Magic reality show Abandoned about orphaned children that seek out family members later in life.

For more on MultiChoice at MIP Africa visit: https://www.MultiChoice.com/Fame-Week.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MultiChoice Group.

SOURCE

MultiChoice Group



Thursday, August 24, 2023

Sex, Netflix and Showmax

Sex, Netflix and Showmax 💕💋💥

Every Nigerian man who can afford to buy condoms monthly can afford paying for Netflix and Showmax

I have done marketing family planning methods, including selling condoms for two years when I did on the spot market surveys of all the major markets in Lagos State, including the Mile 12 market on the mainland.

Do you know that majority of Nigerian men spend more than N20, 000 monthly on condoms? 
I mean each one spends more than N20, 000 on condoms monthly.

How much is the monthly subscriptions for Netflix and Showmax in Nigeria?
Oh! I forgot, Nigerian men need more sex than watching Netflix or Showmax? 
Seriously?
Wrong.
Nigerian men watch more TV than having sex.
How many hours do they spend on sex every day?
Of course, majority of us spend more hours watching movies and series than having sex weekly.

Netflix, Showmax and Amazon Prime Video can have more than 40 million subscribers in Nigeria by 2025 if they use social marketing strategies for their advertising and marketing campaigns. 
Static billboards and banners on the streets are not the best methods of advertising in Nigeria. And using celebrities have failed in several cases for the promotion of movies at the box office. 
Several movies featuring Nollywood stars with millions of followers on Instagram have bombed. 
Netflix acquired a movie by a popular celebrity with over 50 million followers on Instagram, but I doubt if even 100, 000 of her followers subscribed to Netflix to watch her movie.

If you can sell condoms, then you can sell subscriptions for Netflix and Showmax.

#sex #Netflix #Showmax #movies #series #condoms #Instagram #boxoffice #celebrities #subscriptions #subscribers #advertising #marketing #socialmarketing #followers #billboards #Nollywood #Nigeria #Lagos #surveys #communication #education #banners #information #family #planning #promotion #campaigns #Nigerianmen #men #women

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


Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Hollywood Film Distributor, Vision Films Inc Refuses To Pay Commission on "Eagle Wings" To Nigerian Agent

Hollywood Film Distributor, Vision Films Inc Refuses To Pay Commission on "Eagle Wings" To Nigerian Agent


Lise Romanoff, the Managing Director and CEO of Vision Films Inc, California, USA is presently in dispute with Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, an international agent for film and TV acquisition and distribution over her refusal to pay him the finder's fees and commission on the multiple award winning, Nigerian war film, "Eagle Wings" she acquired through him in 2022.
"She acquired the film after I pitched the film to her for acquisition."



Michael Chima, who is the Publisher and Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series, a publication on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry said that Lise Romanoff threatened to terminate the global distribution contract with the filmmaker, Paul Apel Papel if he insisted on requesting for his finder's fee and commission for the film widely  distributed on VODs and cable TV channels. 
The "Eagle Wings" on the war on the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in northern Nigeria has been showing on M-NET cable TV channels on DStv and streaming on Showmax of the MultiChoice Group, Africa's biggest multimedia entertainment company.

Lise Romanoff said there was no  agreement between Vision Films and Michael Chima. But he dismissed her statement.
"If she did not have any agreement with me, then why did she send me the contract agreement before it was signed by the filmmaker, Paul Apel Papel in the first quarter of 2022 and later sent me the updates on the global distribution of the film she acquired through me? And Vision Films sent me the latest update by email yesterday."

All discussions and transactions between Lise Romanoff and Michael Chima have been by emails without any formal contracts; from the theatrical release of "The American King" in Nigeria by the Silverbird Film Distribution through the recommendation of Michael Chima and she paid him for the publicity and also paid him commission on the box office revenue in July, 2022. She also paid him a minimum guarantee for recommending her to Wiflix, a VOD streaming service based in the Netherlands that is currently streaming several movies distributed by Vision Films Inc.
Therefore, Michael Chima has insisted that his finder's fee and commission on the global distribution of the "Eagle Wings" must be paid as Vision Films paid him for getting them the theatrical release of "The American King" in Nigeria and acquisition of the  rights for the streaming of a catalog of their content by Wiflix. 

Lise Romanoff, the Managing Director and CEO of Vision Films Inc,  California, United States of America, is a member of The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA).



Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Nollywood Versus Hollywood at the Cinemas in Nigeria

Nollywood Versus Hollywood at the Cinemas in Nigeria

"UNFORGIVABLE" is still on the top 20 box office movies showing at the cinemas in Nigeria. The daring drama on illicit sex, rape and court trial is for adults only.
Kisses n Roses, a Nigerian adult blog is showing the uncensored trailer which is also on YouTube.

There are millions of adults who will rush to watch the movie, but there are not enough cinemas for Nollywood movies in Nigeria.
The film distributors prefer Hollywood movies, because of the popular hype for them.
"Barbie" is over hyped and is the #1 Hollywood film in Nigeria.

"Orisa" is the #1 Nollywood movie. An epic Yoruba drama of mysticism, war and heroism.










FilmOne Limited has the largest cinemas in Nigeria and shows more of their own Nollywood and Hollywood movies than movies from other distributors that I cannot call competitors, because they cannot compete with FilmOne in film distribution in Nigeria.

With a population of over 200 million people, the cinemas are not up to 400 in about 70 locations in the most populous country in Africa.
There are states without a single cinema!

There should be a cinema in every neighbourhood in Nigeria like viewing centres with affordable tickets from N500 - N1, 000 per seat.

Cinewav of Singapore has offered  affordable solutions to make cinemas available in over 2, 000 locations in Nigeria. But the film distributors and exhibitors still want to have cinemas only in enclosures indoors at the upscale shopping malls in middle class locations for only the middle class and upper class people.

Growing Demand for Cinemas in Nigeria - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-48480401

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

Cinewav can roll out cinemas to the people in their local government areas in Lagos and other conducive and receptive locations in Nigeria. The Ikoyi Club, Ikeja Country Club, Metropolitan Club, Capital Club and other clubs can have Cinewav cinema outdoors and in halls every weekend.

There are more than 50 million people who can afford tickets for $1 per seat in cinemas.
We can have up to 50, 000 cinemas in Nigeria if investors can invest in the installations of low budget affordable cinemas for the majority of Nigerians in every neighbourhood in the country.
Let us bring cinemas closer to the majority of the people.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR ® Series distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.
#unforgivable
#barbie
#nollywood
#hollywood
#cinemas
#movies
#distributors
#boxoffice
#cinewav
#shoppingmalls
#filmdistribution
#distributors
#exhibitors