Why Netflix is the First Choice of Filmmakers in Nigeria

Why Netflix is the First Choice of Filmmakers in Nigeria

At a meeting with one of the biggest film companies in Africa in February, they told me that Netflix is the first choice of Nigerian Filmmakers, because Netflix pays more for their content than Amazon Prime Video and other major competitors in the  streaming industry.

To be on Netflix is the dream of every Nigerian filmmaker for more money, more prestige and more privilege in the global film industry.

I was told that the filmmakers are willing to wait for even a year to be acquired by Netflix instead of being acquired by other streaming platforms within six months.

Netflix has over 230 million subscribers worldwide, including 74.3 million in the United States and Canada; 76.7 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 41.7 million in Latin America and 38 million in the Asia-Pacific region.

Filmmakers in Nigeria have improved the quality of their film and TV productions to meet the international criteria for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other leading foreign streaming services.

Nigeria produces over 1, 000 movies annually, but only few of them are acquired by Netflix. 

The Nigerian film industry popularly known as Nollywood has been a sociocultural and economic phenomenon in filmmaking in Africa and according to UNESCO, the  "Nollywood Model' could help unlock 20 million African film jobs.

Rahama Sadau, Beauty Queen of Kannywood in Nollywood

Rahama Sadau, who is the Queen of Kannywood is also an A-List actress in Nollywood has played major roles in many Nigerian movies in both Hausa and English and also speaks Hindi fluently. She is the winner of Best Actress (Kannywood) at the City People Entertainment Awards in 2014 and 2015. She also won Best African Actress at the 19th African Film Awards in 2015 by African Voice. In 2017. She became the first Hausa celebrity to appear in the top ten Hottest Female Nigeria Celebrities.

Throughout her career, Sadau has been a busy actress, appearing in both movies and music videos.

She is featured in the 34 Beauty Queens of Nollywood and Kannywood published in the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series.

#Rahama

#Kannywood

#Nollywood

#beauty

#movies

#actress

#actor

Wi-flix To Offer Spatial Sound Experience on its Platform with Dolby Atmos

PRESS RELEASE

Wi-flix To Offer Spatial Sound Experience on its Platform with Dolby Atmos

Becomes the first African owned Video-On-Demand platform to deliver Dolby Atmos Experience to its subscribers

HOOFDDROP, Netherlands, March 29, 2023/ -- Africa’s fastest-growing video-on-demand streaming platform, Wi-flix has announced the integration of Dolby AtmosTM. Wi-flix (https://Wi-Flix.com) customers with compatible Dolby Atmos enabled devices will be able to enjoy a growing library of film titles in Spatial Sound. With this breakthrough integration, viewers will be able to elevate the impact of their entertainment with the enhanced sound of Dolby Atmos to connect more deeply to the shows and movies they love with sound that moves all around with breathtaking realism.

In addition to Dolby Atmos, the service has also integrated Dolby AudioTM bringing users a wide array of titles available in realistic surround sound.

Louis Manu, Co-Founder of Wi-flix, Chief Commercial and Technology Officer said, “Our work with Dolby marks a significant milestone for us at Wi-flix as we are the first African owned video-on-demand platform to offer Spatial Sound entertainment experiences with Dolby Atmos. It’s incredible how for decades, Dolby has been the leader in transforming the entertainment experience in the cinemas and in the home. This milestone represents our continued commitment to bringing world-class streaming experience to our customers worldwide. We want to share this excitement with our Wi-flix customers all over the world who can now connect more deeply with their favorite movies, and TV series in a theater-quality experience in the comfort of their own homes through their Dolby compatible smart device. We hope our customers love the all-new experience”.

Karan Grover, Senior Director, India, Middle East and Africa, Dolby Laboratories said “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Wi-flix to deliver a truly remarkable entertainment experience with the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos to its customers. At Dolby, we are focused on bringing together art and science to heighten and immerse the sensory experiences for consumers. With this integration, consumers with Dolby-enabled Android TVs, mobiles, tablets and iOS devices & Apple TV can enjoy a truly remarkable entertainment experience from the growing library of top-notch content in Dolby in the comfort of their home and on the go."

“We have updated our catalog with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Audio enabled titles such as The Signal, Bilal, Freedom Force and Created Equal for our customers to feel the premium experience that Dolby offers. We are excited to launch our first Dolby Atmos enabled Wi-flix Originals in the coming months and can’t wait for our customers to see these high-quality content”, said Bright Yeboah, Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer at Wi-flix.

In the next few months, a lot more Dolby Atmos and Dolby Audio enabled titles will be updated in Wi-flix’s growing library of content.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Wi-flix.

Media contact: 
Dennis Obeng-Adjei Opare
da@wi-flix.com

About Wi-flix:

Wi-flix is a leading African-based live streaming and subscriber video on demand provider offering authentic, originally African, and international content to subscribers in Africa and the diaspora. The service offers premium content at an affordable price point as part of a bold agenda to democratize content in Africa.

Based in the Netherlands and founded by two young Africans with a deep understanding of the continent, Wi-flix is poised to become a leading content provider in Africa and the diaspora.

SOURCE

Wi-flix

Too Much Noise in Many Hollywood Movies; Nollywood Should Not Copy Hollywood

Too Much Noise in Many Hollywood Movies; Nollywood Should Not Copy Hollywood

There are noisy sound tracks in many Hollywood movies, especially the action film adaptations of comic books and other action movies.

For example, there was more noise than sense in "Catwoman" 2004 film.

The discordant noisy soundtracks

often make the movies to look like cover-ups for bad directing and  storytelling.

Sound is important in storytelling. But not noise.

When music is too loud, it becomes noise.

There are also anachronisms in the soundtracks of several of the movies. Having rock music in an historical movie on the Roman Empire and ancient kingdoms is not different from showing the emperor wearing a Rolex in 2000 BC.

Soundtracks should be in accordance with the period as the costumes and the sets in the production design.

Soundtracks for fighting scenes don't need to be noisy.

You don't need noisy soundtracks for an action or adventure movie to be exciting and thrilling.

Viewers should not have headaches watching movies.

Nollywood is now copying Hollywood by making parodies of American action movies and comedies. 

They have made their own "Gangs of Lagos" like the "Gangs of New York". 

What's next? "Pirates of the Niger Delta" like "Pirates of the Caribbean"?

The most annoying are shallow  parodies of the "Real Housewives of Hollywood" and "Real Housewives of Atlanta" with their own "Real Housewives of Abuja",  "Real Housewives of Lagos" and other copycats' versions with women wearing costumes copied from the annual MET Gala or Hollywood red carpets.

Nothing beats originality in creativity.

There are many untold original Nigerian stories waiting to be told in movies and documentaries and not copying Hollywood or Telemundo.

I am still waiting for a great film on the Biafran war. 

The film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's historical novel, "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Biyi Bandele in 2013 told half of the story of one of the bloodiest civil wars in Africa. There are still untold stories of the war that will be awesome movies.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

Why Did "Avatar: The Way of Water" Fail in Nigeria?

Why Did "Avatar: The Way of Water" Fail in Nigeria?

James Cameron's awesome sci-fi epic "Avatar: The Way of Water"  has been a huge box office success, breaking multiple records, and grossing over $2.177 billion worldwide so far. It was the highest-grossing film of 2022, the highest-grossing film of the COVID-19 pandemic era, and the fourth highest-grossing film of all time. But it has failed in Nigeria grossing less than $800, 000 in 7 weeks in the country where "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has made $2 million so far.
Why?

Poor marketing and publicity caused the failure of "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Nigeria in competition with the highest grossing Nigerian movie, Funke Akindele's " The Battle on Buka Street" that has grossed over $1 million so far in 7 weeks.

Both the local and international film distributors failed in the marketing and publicity of "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Nigeria.

General poor marketing and publicity have caused many Nigerian and foreign movies to bomb in Nigeria and not because there are not enough cinemas in the most populous country in Africa.
If "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" can make $2 million in 12 weeks in Nigeria, then "Avatar: The Way of Water" should have made over $1 million by now.

#Avatar
#avatarthewayofwater
#jamescameron
#blackpanther
#blackpantherwakandaforever
#boxoffice
#bomb
#filmdistributors
#movies
#Hollywood
#Nollywood
#cimemas
#film
#nigeria
#marketing
#media
#entertainment
#publicity
#success
#water
#africa
#covid

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

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michaelchimaeyerengozi_michael-ekenyerengozi-on-instagram-why-activity-7028882950041579520-2rXV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Idris Elba To Build Film Studios in Ghana To Attract Hollywood

Famous British actor and director, Idris Elba recently met with the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House, during his visit to Ghana.

During the meeting with the President of Ghana discussed building a film studio in the country. 

He also urged the president to create favorable policies for filmmakers to thrive. 

He noted that he has plans to shoot a movie in Ghana. 

In a video from their meeting that has gone viral on social media, Idris Elba was seen pitching the idea of establishing a film studio in the west African country.

He noted that there is a lot of filmmaking potential that the lack of facilities has stifled. He also spoke about the importance of government policies in boosting the film sector in Africa.

“We’ve studied the models of obviously South Africa’s incredible incentive package, and around Europe, obviously, Greece, Morocco, these are all places where they realize the value of the filmmaking dollar and have brought that policy into play,” he said to the Ghanaian president.

Idris Alba during a meeting with the President of Ghana discussed building a film studio in the country. 

He also urged the president to create favorable policies for filmmakers to thrive. 

He noted that he has plans to shoot a movie in Ghana. 

The blockbuster actor revealed that he has a movie he is currently shooting and would love to shoot some parts of that movie in Ghana. He disclosed that pre-production is set for August, and principal photography would begin in December.

#IdrisElba #Ghana #SouthAfrica #Nigeria #Filmmaking #FilmStudios #filmmakers #movies #actors 

#August #filmindustry

Read more on 

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/idris-elba-adds-ghana-to-list-of-african-countries-he-wants-to-partner-with/4z27x1x

Netflix Originals Won the Streaming Wars in 2022

Netflix’s "Stranger Things" taking the top slot among all series.

Netflix Originals Won the Streaming Wars in 2022 

#Netflix #streaming #movies #originals #series #viewers #streamingwars

Americans streamed more than 19 million years’ worth of content last year

Streaming services continue to gain momentum as audiences’ favored destination for content, but the past year of viewing behavior illustrates how dramatically content offerings have evolved since Netflix introduced audiences to original programming back in 2013.

Before the debut of House of Cards, the political drama series on Netflix, which was the first TV series to appear exclusively on a streaming service, virtually all other streaming content had been licensed from other sources. Perhaps viewed as an experiment or a risk by some at the time, original content has grown to become a competitive advantage for streaming services, as many original titles attracted viewers to the platforms, and in some cases, they outperformed acquired content.

In total, Americans streamed more than 19.4 million years of content last year, up 27% from about 15 million years in 2021. The increase was driven by the breadth of new and expanded services, coupled by the depth of content—particularly streaming originals. In the years following the arrival of House of Cards, annual viewership reviews would highlight the incredible support that deep libraries of acquired content would provide. That changed in 2022, as viewing minutes for top-performing original content dramatically outpaced top-performing acquired content, with Netflix’s Stranger Things taking the top slot among all series.

Read the full report on 

https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/streaming-unwrapped-2022-was-the-year-of-original-content/

Discover Nollywood from the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series on Amazon Books.

Hardcover versions available by special request 

Is Nollywood Really Booming?

Is Nollywood Really Booming?

The sociocultural phenomenon of the guerilla filmmakers of Nollywood, the first indie film industry in Africa has been attracting global attention making news headlines of the foreign news media since the early 1990s and making the stars of the low budget movies household names across Africa.  "Nollywood is booming" echoed from the street to the internet and on the popular cable TV channels called Africa Magic on DStv and GOtv of the MultiChoice Group of South Africa. 

According to a widely circulated report since 2020:

Nigeria’s film industry contributed 2.3% and about 239 billion naira ($660 million) to the GDP and projects that the industry will increase its export revenue earnings to over $1 billion. The motion picture and music recording industry exceeded 2020 projected $806 million revenue contributing about 730 billion naira ($1.8 billion) to the country’s GDP.

The country’s television and video market grew by 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 revenue in 2018. TV advertising accounts for 21.31% of total revenue.

https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/nigeria-media-and-entertainment

With other similar reports; to the foreign news media, Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry is booming with references to the success stories of DStv, GOtv and Showmax of the MultiChoice Group; the increasing numbers of cinemas with all the highest grossing Nollywood movies in the box office making millions of dollars annually since 2016; the exciting attractions of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other OTT platforms with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. But the fact is; Nollywood is not among the 10 biggest film industries in the world by box office revenues, TV budgets and revenues. 

Nollywood no longer produces the often reported over 2, 000 movies annually used to rank it as the second largest film industry in the world after Bollywood of India and ahead of Hollywood of America. Since the COVID-19 pandemic with the consequences of the lockdowns and restrictions of physical contact with others at work, productions of movies and TV series have reduced in Nigeria.

Nollywood is not the biggest film industry in Africa. 

South Africa has the biggest film industry on the continent with the biggest and largest film distributors and exhibitors; including the popular Durban Film Mart, Cape Town International Film Market and Festival and MIP Africa. The biggest GSM telecom network in Nigeria is MTN from South Africa used by the majority of Nigerians for data to use the internet and the MultiChoice Group of South Africa is the biggest and largest cable TV network in Nigeria. 

The local private and public TV stations in Nigeria cannot compete with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and other broadcasting services of South Africa in the entertainment industry.

The reports that Nigeria has the biggest film industry in Africa are  false.

Nollywood is booming continues to be echoing and repeated in the news reports, but the realities are different inside Nigeria.

Behind the showtimes of the cinemas in the big shopping malls of Lagos and other states; behind the glitz and razzmatazz of the red carpets of the premieres of movies and international film festivals in Nollywood; majority of the filmmakers with their casts and crews are struggling and suffering to make ends meet. Majority of them cannot afford brand new cars or SUVs and cannot afford to build or buy houses. 

Dozens of practitioners suffered and passed on in Nollywood last year 2022, but only the famous ones made news whilst the unknown ones passed away unsung. Many of them could not pay their medical bills.

Many of those who survived the critical financial challenges only survived by divine interventions of Almighty God through various means, including the kindness of several "Good Samaritans" who gave them helping hands to rescue them from their misery.

I had a catalog of movies, TV series and documentaries of the best quality, but all the TV channels in Nigeria could not afford to pay for the TV rights as low as US$750 per movie or episode for two years. They cannot even afford to produce content of premium quality and the employees are underpaid.

There is no single film and TV market in Nigeria and no film commission, except the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) without a film commissioner. 

The NFC does not know that there should be a film commission in every state in the country, including Abuja. 

Nollywood is far from booming, because even the fortunate ones among the filmmakers who  produced the highest grossing movies and series acquired by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Showmax and other major foreign film acquisition and distribution companies have not become multimillionaires in dollars like their counterparts in Hollywood. 

None of the highest grossing Nollywood movies made up to US$2 million.  

The Hollywood blockbuster "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has become the first film to make N1 Billion from the box office in Nigeria and one billion naira is less than US$2 million by the  current exchange rate of the dollar to the naira of $1 for N730. $1m is about N730 million. 

A movie in a booming film industry by global valuation should be making millions of dollars within three weeks and not struggling to make two million dollars within three months of the theatrical release. Nigeria does not have up to 300 screens and the population of the country is over 200 million, the largest in Africa. Exhibitors spend millions of dollars annually on recurrent expenditures of the cinemas in a country without regular power supply for electricity and they have to use big industrial generators with daily supply of diesel or petrol. There are days a cinema will not have up to 20 moviegoers and the generator will be used for power supply for screenings without interruptions.

I don't envy the exhibitors and investors. 

Uber is making more money in Nigeria than all the members of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).  

It is better, richer and safer to invest in an urban taxi transport service in the country than to invest in having cinemas in Nigeria. And guess what? An Urban taxi cabs service can still make money from Nollywood without sweat. How?

Nollywood creates thousands of jobs, but over 90 percent of these jobs are not permanent, because the jobs end once the production of a movie ends. Many of the  actors have to fast and pray to get new roles in the next productions. Majority of the actors, cameramen, camerawomen, gaffers and others are among the lowest paid employees in Nigeria. Their incomes cannot make ends meet for them and their dependants without any social welfare and without any insurance policy. 

Nollywood is still a developing film industry with multiple streams of incomes. But the lack of structure is hampering the economic growth.

Movie merchandise and film tourism are still unexplored sectors of Nollywood which can be avenues to create permanent jobs for many people and increase the revenues from the film industry. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

New Nigeria on Pinterest

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

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

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

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series 

First book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry available in paperback and hardcover versions.

Top 20 Movies for the Valentine

Top 20 Movies for the Valentine

As we look forward to the Valentine's Day on February 14, I am going to recommend top 20 movies of romantic comedy and drama to watch online.

1. Falling in Love Again 

Ricky and Tara are a recently divorced couple navigating the challenges of co-parenting their young son while recovering from the wounds of their failed relationship. But after moving on to new partners, they soon find the grass isn't quite greener and they might just want that old thing back. Will they take a second shot at love?

Dan Garcia

Director, Writer

Mike Mayhall

Director

Kyanna Mai-Lee Bosworth 

(American Crime Story, Terrell Carter (Empire), Micelle J. 

Costello (Good Girls), Erica 

Hubbard (Lincoln Heights)

#love #writer #parenting #valentine #couple #movies #lovers #romanticcomedy #comedy #drama #february14 #valentinesday

The Legacy of Peace Anyiam-Osigwe

 

The Legacy of Peace Anyiam-Osigwe 

Africa has beautiful stories to tell, says Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. At 16 years old, the Nigerian published her own magazine. She later continued bringing a “voice to voiceless issues” as a talk show host and film producer. Founder of the African Movie Academy Awards, Peace now dedicates her time to building cinemas in rural Africa, and helping other Africans tell the untold stories of their homeland.

Among other accomplishments, you’re a published poet, a TV/film director and producer, and creator of the African Movie Academy Awards. Of all that you do, what are you most proud of?

#Peace #Peaceanyiamosigwe
#Nollywood #Nigeria #Africa #movies #cinema #TV #series #filmmaking #filmmaker #legacy
#film #building

Source
https://blog.ted.com/fellows-friday-with-peace-anyiam-osigwe/

Once Upon a Time in NOLLYWOOD: The Documentary

 

Once Upon a Time in NOLLYWOOD: The Documentary 

"Once Upon a Time in Nollywood" is a documentary project of Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.

#Nollywood #pictures #film #movies #filmmaking #filmmakers #documentary #oscars #awards #nominations #harry #spare #mirror

View the photo gallery on http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2018/08/once-upon-time-in-nollywood-in-pictures.html?m=1

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Likely To Be The First Nollywood Movie To Make N1 Billion

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Likely To Be The First Nollywood Movie To Make N1 Billion

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" has made more than N300 million within only three weeks in the cinemas in Nigeria by pulling more crowds of moviegoers than James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water".

The current box office report from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) shows "Battle on Buka Street" at the #1 position with N361, 3556, 446 from 132, 525 admissions followed by James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" at the #2 position with N285, 562, 316 from 94, 402 admissions.

The "Battle on Buka Street" can have over 400, 000 moviegoers before March, 2023.

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Overtakes James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Top 20 Movies in Nigeria

Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" Overtakes James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" in Top 20 Movies in Nigeria

The current box office report from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) for the top 20 movies in Nigeria shows the Nollywood comedy, Funke Akindele’s "Battle on Buka Street" at the #1 position with N252, 625, 736 from 93, 223 admissions followed by James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" at the #2 position with N222, 372, 805 from 73, 449 admissions.

"The Battle on Buka Street" grossed more than N135 million on the first day of the opening weekend, the biggest single day for a Nollywood film in 2022.

"Battle on Buka Street" is a 2022 Nigerian comedy drama film directed by Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde. The film is jointly produced as a collaboration between Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN) and FilmOne Entertainment.The film had its theatrical release on 16 December 2022

Synopsis:
Half sisters, YEJIDE and AWELE are rival mama put sellers who are not strangers to competing; they were born a minute apart to different women and married to different men on the same day . To them, there is a silent competition where one woman must out do the other, but when a set of coordinated attacks on homes and shops in their community become frequent, these rival mama put sellers must come together and put their differences aside, proving that indeed blood triumphs over petty squabbles.

Starring

Funke Akindele

Mercy Johnson

Sola Sobowale

Tina Mba

Nkem Owoh

Femi Jacobs

Kelvin Ikeduba

Edited by Valentine Chukwuma

#BattleonBukaStreet
#Avatarthewayofwater
#Nollywood
#Hollywood 
#Jamescameron 
#FunkeAkindele
#comedy
#scifi
#fantasy
#movies

From the British Cinematographer Magazine

British Cinematographer Magazine · Premier House · 13 St Pauls Square · Birmingham, West Midlands B3 1RB · United Kingdom

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmJiUCHtpF1/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Introduction of Drylab's ROUGH CUTS Featuring Comet

 

Rough Cuts

A view of Rough Cuts featuring The Comet

A revolutionary new extension tool within Drylab Viewer, Rough Cuts enables you to easily edit your rushes in a dailies platform. It is simplistically and intuitively designed to allow for effortless and immediate edits, giving you instant visibility of whether your takes will play out as intended.

While we are constantly refining and updating our platform, Drylab's latest Rough Cuts development is a ground-breaking technical transformation; not only within Drylab, but within the global production software industry

See all on https://www.drylab.io/products/creator

Message Development For Screenwriting

Message Development For Screenwriting

Having a Message Development workshop is a must in screenwriting.
- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
prize winning writer and Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series, the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry published since 2013.

I see the ignorance of the knowledge of message development by the majority of screenwriters in Nigeria.
They don't understand characterisation before writing screenplays.

To remember the five elements of Characterisation, simply remember the acronym STEAL, which stands for speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions and looks.

Speech. Characters' personalities can be greatly defined by the words they say and how they say them. ...

Thoughts. ...

Effect On Others. ...

Actions. ...

Looks.

Everyone who wants to be a good screenwriter must understand message development in character development to depict the personality of every character in the screenplay for a movie or series.

As a professional scriptwriter for TV from when I was only 18 in Nigeria, there was no room for flippancy in the writing of the dialogue. And I wrote for three years before I left to work as a public health illustrator for the John's Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) when I was 21 to produce fully illustrated booklets on family planning methods in the different languages of Pidgin English, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa for the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) in the 1980s and later became a national program consultant for the UNICEF in Nigeria. I produced a fully illustrated booklet for nomadic education which would have been very effective in the primary education of the herdsmen and their families and would have been used for the prevention of conflicts between the herders and farmers in Nigeria.

Idris Elba to Join in Conversation at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in Abidjan

PRESS RELEASE

Idris Elba to Join in Conversation at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in Abidjan

Elba is an award winning actor, musician, filmmaker and philanthropist, well-known for roles such as Nelson Mandela

Access Multimedia Content

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, November 21, 2022/ -- The Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND 2022) (https://www.CANEX.Africa), taking place from 25 – 27 November 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, will feature international superstar Idris Elba. The actor is scheduled for the “When giants speak” Fireside Chat on Saturday 26 November, among other activities. Idris Elba will bring his wealth of experience and insights into the global film industry as part of the CANEX WKND programme, which includes panel discussions, Fireside Chats, Masterclasses and Live performances. With roots in Sierra Leone and Ghana, Elba represents the astounding success of people of African descent within the global entertainment industry. He joins a list of over 100 top speakers from Africa and the diaspora, representing a range of creative sectors, who have confirmed their participation in Africa's most sought-after gathering of creatives. Elba is an award winning actor, musician, filmmaker and philanthropist, well-known for roles such as Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, and DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Organised by African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, CANEX WKND is a major milestone in the Bank's implementation of its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme; a multi-faceted intervention aimed at supporting and developing Africa’s rapidly growing creative and cultural industries. Afreximbank has identified the African diaspora as an essential component of the CANEX programme. CANEX WKND will also feature some of Africa and the diaspora’s top creative names, experts, brands, and thought leaders that will include: Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya (Nigeria) Didier Drogba, Retired Professional Footballer (Côte d'Ivoire) Alex Okosi, Managing Director of EMEA Emerging Markets at YouTube (Nigeria) Elvis Adidiema, Director, Sony Music for French-speaking Africa (Congo) Abdul-Karim Abdullah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Culture Management Group (CMG) and Afrochella Festival (Ghana) Magali Ohouens, Modern Art Specialist & Exhibition Coordinator at Cécile Fakhoury Gallery (Côte d’Ivoire) Armando Cabral, Founder and Creative Director, Armando Cabral (Portugal) and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Author (Nigeria), amongst others. Sessions are open to all registered CANEX WKND delegates along with all Masterclasses that commence on Thursday 24 November. For more information and to register for free go to www.CANEX.Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CANEX WKND 2022.   Multimedia Content: Download CANEX 2022 Institutional Videos Spot TV 30" https://bit.ly/3XevO6d Welcome Video by Pathé’O https://bit.ly/3GE7W6d Annoncement Video Yemi Alade https://bit.ly/3UUXY4B   Annoncement Video Jospeh Dahouet-Boigny https://bit.ly/3tKM9C7 Download CANEX 2022 promotional material https://bit.ly/3XlRL31 Media Contact and Press Relations: M. Amadou Labba Sall W: +20 120 532 0254   Email: asall@afreximbank.com M. Toussaint Alain W : +225 07 89 13 12 97 Email : toussaint.alain@aol.com Social Media: Facebook: https://bit.ly/3tO1RfS Twitter: https://bit.ly/3hPHnQS Instagram: http://bit.ly/3UXxsHi LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/3UHjKZs YouTube: http://bit.ly/3UYuZfN SOURCE CANEX WKND 2022

www.APO-opa.com

AFRIFF 2022 To Host The African Premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

AFRIFF 2022 To Host The African Premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

The Walt Disney Company in association with Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and FilmOne Entertainment has officially announced that Nigeria will host the official African premiere of Marvel Studios’ "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" at the AFRIFF 2022.

In a statement by Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa, Co-founders of FilmOne Entertainment, official distributors of the movie in English West African territories, said: “Being instrumental to the release of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in West Africa is a proud achievement and a milestone for us and the entire FilmOne team, it will be celebrated for a long time. We are excited and fully committed to working with The Walt Disney Company to deliver a grand African premiere, even as we channel all our arsenal towards realizing a momentous box-office performance for the title.”

Chioma Ude, the Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF said: “We are excited and proud to be a part of the premiere of this milestone film here in Africa. This is huge for the continent of Africa as it symbolises to us further bridging the gaps between the global film industries.” 

“We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" to Lagos this November,” said Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager for The Walt Disney Company Africa. “Working closely with our long-term distribution partners FilmOne and this association with AFRIFF, we are anticipating a wonderful celebration with Nigeria’s cinema-goers and Black Panther fans.”

Directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" opens in cinemas from November 11th.

The duration of AFRIFF is from 6-12 November 2022 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Theme: INDIGENOUS FOR GLOBAL

Opening Film: Nanny

Prime Video’s award-winning psychological horror film by Nikyatu Jusu.

“Nanny” stars Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, and Leslie Uggams. The film follows Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal to West Africa, who is hired to care for the daughter of an affluent couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) living in New York City. Aisha is haunted by the absence of the young son she left behind. Aisha hopes her new job will afford her the chance to bring him to the U.S. but becomes increasingly unsettled by the family’s volatile home life. As his arrival gets closer, a violent presence starts to show up in both her dreams and her real life, putting her American dream, which she is working hard to build, in danger

Closing Film: Almajiri by Toka McBaror

The annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is the most vibrant film festival in Africa and the #1 international attraction and destination for film tourism in West Africa.

AFRIFF attracts over 100, 000 people annually from Nigeria, America and other countries with filmmakers, actors, movie aficionados and stakeholders in the film industry from within Africa, America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia since it started in 2010 with all the glitz and razzmatazz of glamour and fanfare.

Oscar Day

5 November 2022
11.00 AM - 7.00 PM

AFRIFF Oscar Day Outline: 

Oscars Student Academy Awards Forum 
Oscars International Film Awards Forum
Two special seminars on the behind-closed-doors selection and voting process of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS),  presented by long-time Executive Committee member and acclaimed filmmaker Lawrence David Foldes. 
Followed by the Nigerian Premiere of Foldes’ award-winning feature ”Finding Home” with a post-screening Q&A on the making of the film.  Register online a day before the scheduled events or onsite 2 hours prior, to gain access.

See the complete programme on 
https://www.afriff.com/

AFRIFF 2022 is attracting more global attention than the previous editions. Hotels, resorts and rendezvous hangouts in Lagos will benefit from the international guests and visitors.

The members of the international jury for AFRIFF 2022 have been announced and they are all accomplished professionals in the film industry.

AFRIFF 2022 JURY

DANNA STERN

Producer, Global Content Executive.
Stern is a seasoned executive producer working across borders, genres and formats. As the founder of the Israeli-based yes Studios, Stern created a distribution and development content powerhouse, focused on delivering premium content for international platforms. She has been credited with helping bring Israeli content to global audiences and is responsible for the successful launches of numerous titles including “Fauda", "Shtisel", “The Devil Next Door”, “On the Spectrum", "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" etc.

LAWRENCE DAVID FOLDES

Award-winning Filmmaker.
 
Critically acclaimed award-winning filmmaker behind several cult hits. He was recognized as the youngest professional filmmaker on record when he produced his first feature, the teen cult classic “Malibu High” at the age of 18.
 
This was followed by the cult underground horror favourite Don’t Go Near the Park (which became one of the infamous banned ‘Video Nasties”) and popular action features like “Young Warriors” starring Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine and “Nightforce”.

FEMI ODUGBEMI

Filmmaker and TV Producer 
 
Femi Odugbemi is a filmmaker and TV Producer. He is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has served as a four-time Head Judge of the prestigious Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA).
 
He has also been a Juror of the Emmy Awards, 3-time Head of Jury of the Uganda Film Festival, a Juror of the Johannesburg International Film Festival South Africa, and recently a Juror/Mentor of the NETFLIX/UNESCO African Folktales Re-imagined project.

KUNLE AFOLAYAN

Award-winning Filmmaker
 
Ace movie Producer/Director, Adekunle Ayodeji Afolayan is one of Nigeria’s foremost “2nd generation filmmakers “and the son of the highly respected Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade-Love), a passionate theatre artist who co-pioneered the movement from travelling theatre to the celluloid film format as introduced by Ola Balogun.
 
Having trained as a Business Administrator, and with a career in Banking, Kunle was cast into Tunde Kelani’s multiple award-winning movies Saworoide, earning him the first accolades and first appeared in the industry. In his commitment to self-improvement and professional excellence.

STEVE GUKAS

Executive Producer
 
Steve is a multi-platform producer/director with experience spanning Television, Radio, Theatre, Advertising and Film. He has a Diploma in TV Production from the NTA Television College in Jos and studied Theatre Arts at the University of Jos from where he graduated with a BA and is an alumnus of the prestigious London Film School.
 
Steve is the producer of award-wining Namibia – The Struggle For Liberation” the film premiered at the 2006 Pan African Film Festival in L.A. His other credits as producer/director include, “Keeping Faith” and “A  Place In The Stars”. He Co-Produced and Directed 93Days a feature film about the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has been screened at numerous film festivals along with several awards locally and internationally. This was followed by producing the award-winning film "Living In Bondage: Breaking Free", a sequel to the industry-defining film "Living In Bondage".

SYRINTHIA STUDER

Executive Vice President, Acquisitions for Paramount Pictures. 
 
Studer is responsible for acquiring films for theatrical release, as well as for worldwide distribution across multiple platforms. 
 
Among her recent acquisitions are the breakout comedy Book Club starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen, and the action-packed caper Overdrive, starring Scott Eastwood.
 
Studer previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Marketing and Acquisitions for Paramount Pictures’ Worldwide Home Media and TV Licensing divisions, where she launched and managed the studio’s efforts focused on ancillary-driven acquisitions, overseeing the negotiation and acquisition of groundbreaking domestic and international films.

WAFA' A HALAWI

Actress, Writer and Filmaker

A Lebanese/French actress, writer and filmmaker. started acting at age 5 and falls in love with theatre, where she finds a home.
In Lebanon, she joins the dance-theatre company Maqamat in 2001 and performs internationally. She also gets cast to act in Khalil Gibran’s play The Blind and various series by Elie Adabachi and Marwan Najjar. 
She also develops the feature fiction script Cello which wins international screenwriting prizes.
Wafa’a just completed filming in the Amazon, where she played the lead role in Brazilian director Marcelo Gomes’ new feature film.

JENNY ALONZO

Creative and Marketing Executive

Jenny is a dynamic, proven leader in content development & production, marketing, multicultural markets, and corporate media strategies/operations.
She has worked on some of the strongest brands including NBC, BET, Turner, IBM, FUSE, AFV, and The Wall Street Journal. 
A member of the executive team that launched Lifetime Television and its groundbreaking positioning of Television for Woman, Alonzo held multiple leadership roles including Senior Vice President of Production & Inventory Strategies, leading a team of 70+ that supported all marketing and creative services efforts for three networks, digital platforms, and multiple franchises. 
In 2021, Alonzo served as the Creative Director for the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos, Nigeria. 

NICKY WEINSTOCK

Founder & President, Invention Studios

Nicky Weinstock is the founder and president of Invention Studios, an independent creative production company developing a wide range of features and television series for both major American and international platforms.
Weinstock began his career in New York City as an editor at Random House and Riverhead Books, and then as the author of a nonfiction book and two novels, before moving to Los Angeles to develop series at 20th Century Fox Television. He went on to run Apatow Productions with writer/director Judd Apatow, where he produced movies including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, Get Him to the Greek and Bridesmaids. 

MICHEL ZGARKA

Production & Marketing Executive

Michel Zgarka is an experienced executive with a successful career of over 35 years in the production, communications, marketing, financial engineering and business development fields.
He is highly skilled in strategic and creative planning, marketing and personnel management for the media industry. Mr Zgarka has produced, directed and distributed numerous film and television productions for the international marketplace, including “GUMMYBAR” which garnered over 6 billion views on YouTube.
He has been a guest speaker at over 50 international entertainment industries events as well as the Delegate general of the Montreal Israeli Film Festival whose celebrating its 13th anniversary in 2018.

­ABOUT AFRICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AFRIFF)

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is a celebration of Cinema and filmmaking talent from Africa and the diaspora. It consistently delivers a rich programme to foster invaluable exchanges of ideas, production connections, and business relationships. It creates an energetic and exciting hub for entertainment industry professionals to make rewarding connections and has gradually gained a reputation for delivering incredible value. 

The objectives are to develop the film industry to a level where the products compete favourably with their contemporaries all over world; provide a growth opportunity for these film industry professionals to eventually export their products to the world; facilitate access to investors, equipment, technical and skill acquisition through several capacity development opportunities.

REGISTER ON
https://www.afriff.com/register