Fashion Megazine Aigua Media with their eleven iconic sites including Catwalk Queen, Shoewawa and Dolly Mix are joining in the Sherlock Holmes fun and are looking for designers and fans to submit their designs for characters from BBC Sherlock series 1 and 2 for the Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards 2012.
You can choose to submit a design for Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, Irene Adler, Molly Hooper or Mrs. Hudson. Aigua will prepare the shortlist for a panel of judges to pick the winner for each of the 6 characters.
The awards will be held online and some online audience tickets will be available.
To enter simply send your design as a jpeg of no more than 1MB in size to fashioncompetition@sherlockholmesweek.com .
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Sad Facts About Modern Family Life in Nigeria Today
Sad Facts About Modern Family Life
~ By Justirich
Dear Nigerians, the reasons for mass failure of our teenagers in public exams are not far fetched.
1 FACEBOOK,YAHOO,TWITTER,MYSPACE and generally browsing on the internet instead of reading their books
2 ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE and EUROPEAN FOOTBALL LEAGUES, it is easy for an average Nigerian teenager to know the tha names of all Chelsea FC players but same youths cannot tell you the square root 25 in mathematics. Worse still is that these days instead of seeing inscriptions like UNIVERSITY or SCHOLARS on the exercise books, what you see are pictures of Paloma,Drogba,Beyonce,Omotola etc
3 DSTV,Home video and African movie magic, watching television and films endlessly.European champions league,English premiership,Barca,Blues,Chelsea,MANU etc
4 GSM and BLACKBERRY, the average Nigerian teenager uses the latest and expensive gsm phones just to show off that they belong,when they are actually nothing.
5 GSM TEXT LANGUAGE, I will not be surprised to see students write words like your(for YOUR), 2moro( For tomorrow) in their EXAM sheets
6 QUEST FOR CHEAP FAME AND WEALTH, The government,electronic media(tv and radio) and companies have not been helpful at all.The average Nigerian youth especially the girls want to BE silver Birds most beautiful Girl and get cheap money and fame(Nobody has remembered all the previous miss world,but we still remember MOTHER THERESA),they want to win IDOLS WEST AFRICA, they want to be in NOLLYWOOD, they want to be TWO-FACE,they want to win Maltina Street Dance ,they want to win STARQUEST and GULDER ULTIMATE SEARCH
Warning is that wealth gotten by vanity shall DIMINISH.
7 The new craze of TALENT SHOWS: Suddenly The only talents our youths now have are music,dancing,acting and stand up comedies, they no longer have talents for maths,physics and entrepreneur-ism.
Check out the list:MTN PROJECT FAME,BIG BROTHER,STARQUEST,MALTINA DANCE HALL,AMBO,GUILDER,IDOLS WEST AFRICA,PEAK TALENT HUNT ETC…What a bad distraction
It is only COWBELL that sponsors national mathematics competition and give scholarships to outstanding students in UME exams
8 EVER BUSY PARENTS, Parents are always in search for money,business and jobs,they live home 5am and come back 10pm leaving their children to the care of house helps and teachers in private schools. THEY have forgotten that out of the 24 hours in a day their children will only spend 8am-2pm(6 hrs) in school and in hands of the teachers the remaining 18hrs is spent in the home(wether sleep or not). These same ever busy parents can not look into the books of their teenagers,they don't monitor waht the teenagers watch nor who they associate with.
9 WEAK GOVT POLICIES:The people in Govt see all these vanities on tele and radio and they will not nip them in the bud, because they are naïve and corrupt and so the rot continues.
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Friday, July 6, 2012
Millions of Fans Gear Up for the Annual Sherlock Holmes Week 30th July - 5th August
6 Jul 2012 12:00 Africa/Lagos
Millions of Fans Gear Up for the Annual Sherlock Holmes Week 30th July - 5th August
LONDON, July 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide will take part in a week of celebration of the world's most famous detective in the first annual Sherlock Holmes Week from 30th July - 5th August. Holmes has had a resurgence in the last two years with two major Hollywood motion pictures and the success of BBC Sherlock. The week is backed by the main societies and organisations in the world. http://www.sherlockholmesweek.com is the website where fans can register their local events and take part in competitions.
The motto of the week is "By the fans, for the fans," and local groups are being encouraged to celebrate the week in their own way -- from special screenings to picnics. Events have been confirmed across the USA, UK and as far afield as Thailand and Canada. The theme of this year's week is to promote the Save Undershaw campaign -- a trust striving to save the former home of the creator of Sherlock Holmes -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (http://www.saveundershaw.com and http://www.facebook.com/saveundershaw). The campaign was recently captured in the book "Sherlock's Home - The Empty House," which featured contributions from Holmes legends Stephen Fry and Mark Gatiss.
Image: http://www.ereleases.com/pic/2012-SherlocksHome.jpg
There are two major competitions. The Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards 2012 on 2nd August enables fans to design costumes for characters from the first two series of BBC Sherlock. The best three from each character will be selected by a leading blog that covers all manners of craft, including costume design (Crafty Crafty) and entered into Awards -- with some very special judges and wonderful prizes. High quality entries will be submitted for coverage on Crafty Crafty and their sister site Dollymix.
Steampunk Holmes is the most eagerly awaited interactive book in history. Several years in the making, this Steampunk version of Sherlock Holmes will have a series of books in all formats, but most stunning on the iPad. This competition for Holmes fans gives them the chance to be a part of publishing history and have their artwork included in the first book: Steampunk Holmes - The Legacy of The Nautilus. Information on entering the competitions is on the website.
Image: http://www.ereleases.com/pic/2012-SteampunkWatson.png
Supporters of the week include the top fan sites Sherlockology, The Baker Street Babes and I Hear of Sherlock. Special guest will be leading mentalist Joe Riggs aka The Real Sherlock Holmes.
The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate 3 will feature celebrities and experts from around the world coming together for the 3rd debate -- the first two featured head-to-head clashes between BBC Sherlock and Warner Brothers Sherlock and included fans from more than 23 countries.
So who can get involved? Any Sherlock Holmes fan, wherever they are. The team have already been contacted by fans as far away as Japan and China. It seems that the popularity of Sherlock Holmes is truly global.
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Sherlock Holmes Week
CONTACT: Steve Emecz, 0044(0)7837550025, steve@mxpublishing.co.uk
Web Site: http://www.sherlockholmesweek.com
What is Sherlock Holmes Week?
An annual event for fans all around the world to celebrate all things Sherlock Holmes.
When is it?
30th July - 5th August 2012 and a similar week each year.
How do we get involved?
Organise your own local Sherlock Holmes event, and we'll post it up here for fans all around the world to see. There will be some big events to get involved with too (like The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate 3) - and the Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards 2012 ) but this is all about by the fans for the fans.
#believeinsherlock - we do.
An annual event for fans all around the world to celebrate all things Sherlock Holmes.
When is it?
30th July - 5th August 2012 and a similar week each year.
How do we get involved?
Organise your own local Sherlock Holmes event, and we'll post it up here for fans all around the world to see. There will be some big events to get involved with too (like The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate 3) - and the Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards 2012 ) but this is all about by the fans for the fans.
#believeinsherlock - we do.
Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards 2012
 |
United Kingdom
2nd August 2012
From 18:00
London
Online - Some Audience Tickets
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Creative Matters: Optimizing Facebook Pages for Brands
Creative matters: Optimizing Facebook pages for brands.
The new Timeline format for Facebook Brand Pages, introduced earlier this year, offers exciting new opportunities for reaching audiences with your brand story. Early marketing research indicates the Timeline format can help enhance engagement and interest in your brand. A study by Simply Measured showed an average increase of 46% in engagement per post and a 14% increase in overall fan engagement for pages that have moved to the Timeline format.
With the Timeline format, it’s important to have a clear understanding of how to best leverage its components and features in order to optimize the brand experience on your pages.
This 45-minute session will provide:
Practical insights and considerations that can help you best take advantage of this new format based on your social marketing goals
Recommendations on how to use these pages to express your brand visually with engaging features such as a cover image, profile pictures, views, and apps
Key considerations for the types of posts to leverage to support your brand story
Click here to fill out the form to watch the on-demand webinar and download the presentation.
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20-Year-Old Ghanaian Man Rapes 3 Year Old Girl To Death
A three-year-old girl reportedly bled to death at Yobong Kura in the Tain District after she was allegedly defiled by a 20-year-old man.
The suspect, identified as Mahama Oldman, who is currently in the custody of the Wenchi Police, is said to have inserted a stick into the genital organ of the girl several times after defiling her.
Oldman is alleged to have perpetrated the dastardly act in the full glare of the deceased’s mother about 7 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, 2012.
The suspect is alleged to have threatened the girl’s mother with a machete if she did not stay away.
The deceased’s mother is said to have returned from fetching water for her household chores, only to find Oldman defiling her daughter.
Click here to read the complete sex crime report.
Also Recommended:
Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the ‘rape’ of Nafissatou Diallo: The IMF and Africa
A tale of the Ugly IMF and the rape of Beautiful Africa
Nafissatou Diallo {GhanaNation}
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Muhammad Ali To Receive National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal
5 Jul 2012 17:30 Africa/Lagos
Muhammad Ali To Receive National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal
Ceremony culminates nationwide celebration of the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution
PHILADELPHIA, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the centerpiece of the nationwide celebration of the U.S. Constitution's 225th anniversary, the National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony will recognize Muhammad Ali as a champion of freedom. Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter joined National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner at a special announcement this afternoon, during which Liberty Medal sponsors and partners praised Muhammad Ali as a living embodiment of the Constitution who exemplifies everything the award was established to honor: individuals of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.
Ali will receive the medal in a public ceremony on Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia. Action News Anchorman Jim Gardner will host the live broadcast of the Liberty Medal ceremony on WPVI-TV/6abc. The event also will be streamed live on www.6abc.com.
Ali has long served as an icon of constitutional ideals and the realization of the American dream – all the while challenging and expanding the very definition of "We the People." The Olympic gold medalist and boxing legend has been an outspoken fighter for religious and civil rights; a conscientious objector who took his battle to the Supreme Court and won; an ambassador for peace and justice worldwide; and a tireless humanitarian and philanthropist. Even as he celebrated his 70th birthday this year, Ali has continued to break new ground as an advocate for those suffering from Parkinson's disease, a disease he has battled since 1982.
Given his history of activism for the cause of freedom, Ali was selected in 1987 by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the vitality of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He was featured in the Tournament of Roses parade, launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th anniversary commemoration.
"It is very fitting that Muhammad Ali, a representative for the bicentennial of the Constitution, be awarded the prestigious Liberty Medal in 2012, as the nation celebrates the 225th anniversary of our founding document," said President Bill Clinton, Chair of the National Constitution Center. "Ali embodies the spirit of the Liberty Medal by embracing the ideals of the Constitution – freedom, self-governance, equality, and empowerment – and helping to spread them across the globe."
The Liberty Medal ceremony will mark Ali's return to the National Constitution Center. At a special Flag Day ceremony on June 14, 2003 – just before the Center's official opening – he was the first to raise the American flag that hangs in the Grand Hall Overlook and had previously flown over every state and territory capitol.
"Muhammad Ali symbolizes all that makes America great, while pushing us as a people and as a nation to be better,'" said National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner. "Each big fight of his life has inspired a new chapter of civic action. We look forward to welcoming him back to the Center, particularly during this momentous 225th anniversary year."
"As the Liberty Medal recipient during this historic year for the Constitution, Muhammad Ali represents how far we have come as a nation and the spirit of determination, ambition, and civic service that will propel America forward for 225 more years and beyond," said Doug DeVos, Chairman of the Center's Executive Committee.
"While many know Ali as a legendary boxer, his contributions outside of the ring carry even greater significance," Governor Tom Corbett said. "A true champion for the people, his biggest triumph lies in his legacy as a philanthropist, activist, and example of all that our Constitution represents. He is most deserving of this high honor."
"Muhammad Ali is an outstanding nominee to receive the 2012 Liberty Medal," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "For more than half a century, Ali has been committed to fighting for peace, justice, and civil rights for all in the spirit of this award. The City of Philadelphia, the birthplace of American liberty, is proud to host this prestigious ceremony honoring Muhammad Ali."
A descendant of pre-Civil War era American slaves, Ali grew up in the segregated South, where he experienced prejudice and discrimination firsthand. Upon returning to the United States after winning an Olympic Gold Medal in Rome in 1960, he was turned away from a "whites-only" restaurant.
In 1967, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Armed Forces due to his religious beliefs. As a result, he was arrested, fined, stripped of his boxing license and title, and found guilty of draft evasion. Though Ali was prepared to pay the price for his convictions, the Supreme Court reversed the decision in 1971, ruling that his refusal stemmed from his constitutionally protected religious beliefs. Ali regained his title in 1974 and retired from the ring in 1981.
He has since devoted his life to helping promote world peace, civil rights, cross-cultural understanding, interfaith relations, humanitarianism, hunger relief, and the commonality of basic human values. His work as an ambassador for peace began in 1985, when he flew to Lebanon to secure the release of four hostages. Ali also has made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea; delivered over $1 million in medical aid to Cuba; traveled to Iraq to secure the release of 15 United States hostages during the first Gulf War; and journeyed to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison. His recent attempt to free two American hikers held captive in Iran reinforces his tireless commitment to promoting freedom, tolerance, and humanity around the world.
Throughout his boxing career, Ali's highly publicized fights in locales such as Kinshasa, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur brought increased global attention to the developing world. Today, he continues to serve those in need overseas, providing over 232 million meals to the world's hungry. Ali has hand-delivered food and medical supplies to children in Cote D'Ivoire, Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco, among other countries.
In addition to his international efforts, Ali is equally devoted to helping charities at home. He has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals, and helped organizations including the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics. He also annually participates in "Celebrity Fight Night," which generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ali once said, "I've always wanted to be more than just a boxer. More than just the three-time heavyweight champion. I wanted to use my fame, and this face that everyone knows so well, to help uplift and inspire people around the world."
In November 2005, Ali and his wife Lonnie opened the Muhammad Ali Center in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Both an education center and museum experience, the Ali Center inspires children and adults to be as great as they can be, and encourages people around the globe to form new commitments in their lives in areas of personal growth, integrity, and respect for others.
Muhammad Ali has received some of the world's most prestigious awards. He has been honored by Amnesty International with their "Lifetime Achievement Award." Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations and former Liberty Medal recipient, bestowed him with a citation as "United Nations Messenger of Peace." Ali also was named the "International Ambassador of Jubilee 2000," a global organization dedicated to relieving debt in developing nations. In 2005, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. Given annually, the medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. The Liberty Medal was first administered by the National Constitution Center in 2006, when Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were honored for their bipartisan humanitarian efforts on behalf of the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.
Last year's medal was awarded to former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. Other past Liberty Medal winners include Nelson Mandela, Shimon Peres, Kofi Annan, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Bono. The Medal also has been awarded to organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CNN International. Six recipients of the Medal subsequently have won the Nobel Peace Prize.
National Constitution Center Board member Ira Lubert of Independence Capital Partners will sponsor the Liberty Medal award in 2012, as he has for the past six years. Citizens Bank is underwriting the VIP Reception for the 2012 Liberty Medal. Citizens Bank has supported the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center since 2006. Hublot, the luxury Swiss brand that brings the "Art of Fusion" to watchmaking, will celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Constitution with a limited edition "U.S. Liberty Bang" timepiece.
The City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also support the Liberty Medal.
The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution. Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers. As America's forum for constitutional dialogue, the Center engages diverse, distinguished leaders of government, public policy, journalism and scholarship in timely public discussions and debates. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, the national hub for constitutional education, which offers cutting-edge civic learning resources both onsite and online. Freedom is calling. Answer it at the National Constitution Center. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A complete list of Liberty Medal winners follows.
Past Recipients of the Liberty Medal
2011
Dr. Robert M. Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
2010
Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister
2009
Steven Spielberg
2008
Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader
2007
Bono and DATA
2006
George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton, former U.S. Presidents
2005
Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
2004
Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan
2003
Sandra Day O'Connor, Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
2002
Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State
2001
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General*
2000
Dr. James Watson and Dr. Francis Crick, co-discoverers of the structure of DNA
1999
Kim Dae Jung, President of South Korea*
1998
Senator George J. Mitchell, Irish peace negotiator
1997
CNN International
1996
King Hussein I of Jordan and Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister of Israel
1995
Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees
1994
Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic
1993
F.W. de Klerk, President of South Africa* and Nelson Mandela, President of the African National Congress*
1992
Thurgood Marshall, former Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
1991
Oscar Arias, President of Costa Rica and Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)*
1990
Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President*
1989
Lech Walesa, founder of Solidarity, Poland
* Liberty Medal recipients who subsequently won the Nobel Peace Prize
SOURCE National Constitution Center
CONTACT: Ashley Berke, Director of Public Relations, +1-215-409-6693, aberke@constutioncenter.org; Lauren Saul, Public Relations Manager, +1-215-409-6895, lsaul@constitutioncenter.org
Web Site: http://www.constitutioncenter.org
2 Jul 2012 23:49 Africa/Lagos
Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center Receives Largest Gift in Its History
Celebrity Fight Night Donates $3 million
PHOENIX, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix has received a $3 million donation from Celebrity Fight Night that will be used to help dramatically expand the renowned facility and its programs.
Dozens of doctors, patients and staff applauded as Abraham Lieberman, MD, the center's director, personally received the donation recently from Jimmy Walker, founder of Celebrity Fight Night. Since the annual charity event began 18 years ago, it has contributed more than $22 million to the Center. Today's gift was the single largest ever received by the Ali center.
Dr. Lieberman said the funds would be used to more than double the current size of the facility. The expansion will include new clinical areas, physical and speech therapy areas and community education meeting rooms.
The current Ali center was opened in December 2010 on the campus of Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital. It is one of the most comprehensive Parkinson's treatment centers in the world, coordinating patient care, physical therapy, pharmaceutical and surgical care, research, and patient education and outreach. The Center has been designated a Center of Excellence by the National Parkinson Foundation. At an inspiring 2010 event, Muhammad Ali and his wife, Lonnie, officially opened the new treatment center in downtown Phoenix.
"Thanks to the donations from Celebrity Fight Night, we continue to increase the numbers of patients we see, as well as the number of people who come to the Center for our education and social programs," said Dr. Lieberman. "We have also increased our ability to develop new drugs and treatments for Parkinson's disease."
Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984 and today Celebrity Fight Night is his signature event. "We are proud that Celebrity Fight Night continues to grow and succeed every year. Because of its remarkable success we are able to make this large donation," says Sean Currie, executive director of the star-studded charity event. "Thanks to the participation of many of today's biggest stars from around the country, as well as some of the nation's biggest philanthropists, the annual event gets bigger and better every year."
-Barrow-
About Barrow: Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, is internationally recognized as a leader in neurological research and patient care and is consistently voted as among the Top 10 hospitals for neurology and neurology in the United States. Barrow treats patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, including brain and spinal tumors, cerebrovascular conditions, and neuromuscular disorders. Barrow's clinicians and researchers are devoted to providing excellent patient care and finding better ways to treat neurological disorders.
SOURCE St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
CONTACT: Sara Baird, +1-602-406-3312
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| Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time | |
| 6, 2012. |
06:12 2012 UNEP Ozone Africa Media Award is open! / Call for Entries / Register now - Eight (8) more weeks to go
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Thursday, July 5, 2012
Seizing The Future – 4 Defining Factors For The Urgent Transformation Of Nollywood
Seizing The Future – 4 Defining Factors For The Urgent Transformation
Of Nollywood
~ By Femi Odugbemi
The biggest challenge facing Nollywood today is wrapped in one word: CHANGE! Nollywood as an interesting curiosity in the wider world of cinema is no longer enough. The film festival circuit has exhausted its focus on it. The researchers and reporters have documented its emergence and structure and architecture voluminously.
The key players have enjoyed the tourism and travel of being invited to different parts of the world to be paraded and examined as any other of nature's curiosities.
20years later, (if you count that "Living in Bondage" was produced in 1992) perhaps NOW is a good time to consider an honest list of interventions we need to urgently transform Nollywood for the future.
In my humble opinion there are 4 urgent interventions that should form our most important pursuits:
1. We need to improve the ‘film language’
Nollywod films are reminiscent of old Hollywood B movies. The stories are culturally relevant, easily accessible, shot as low-budget cinema verite pieces.
The story is the film. There is almost an unspoken pact with the audience for the viewer to make allowances for its shortcomings in lighting, production design, sound and acting. It is a model that has worked to build an audience in the environment that Nollywood emerged.
It is now a model that has outlived its purpose and must give way to a Nollywood future where the filmmaker understands and speaks the language of film. The dialects can be learnt: compelling scripts, exciting lighting and cinematography, good sound mix, interesting art direction, arresting performances by talented and trained actors.
This is not to say that narratives, which challenge and experiment with and against classical forms in ways that engage only niche audiences, should not be produced. The caveat in this case is that the challenge and experiment must be so bold and original that these stories break out and find audiences beyond their niche market.
However, such boldness and originality can only be achieved when the filmmaker understands and has mastered the classical forms.
Why is this important?
To the outside world, Nollywood is a novelty that intrigues. We need to seriously broaden the critical and artistic appeal of our films and go from a mere curiosity to offering products that compete in major festivals and can be acquired for international distribution. Funding for films that win enough business to create the
kind of model sustainability we all yearn for, does not come easy. It is more than just about the content of the film, it is also about the context and craftsmanship of the product. Craftsmanship is 80% of what sells films distributed by major studios across the world. We must keep storytelling ability and add on technical craftsmanship that will open up new audiences for Nollywood.
2. To achieve the above we have to better emphasize and encourage professional training. At the moment a lot of our training institutions are basically teaching very little in terms of the curriculum that can change the status quo. We must focus more on training with emphasis not on equipment technology as much as on the Artistic use of technology. It is not necessarily about spending more money as being more efficient with money spent. Sad to say that after more than 20 years of Nollywood no major Nigerian University has a solid film school with a curriculum that is comparable to anything available internationally. The spate of half-baked training programmes all over the backyards of Nollywood personalities wont take us far and certainly wont change status quo. We need institutional
interventions in curriculum that is well researched and standardized so that emerging filmmakers are skilled in the creative thought-processes that has scholarship as its foundation.
The biggest “change” needed in the area of training to move us forward is actually in our attitude to training. Too many of us who have managed to sell more than 5,000 copies of a self-distributed dvd tend to regard any further training in the art of filmmaking as a waste of time. We need to think bigger and to reflect big thinking in our content creation. The missing artistic element of craftsmanship is why critical recognition eludes us yet. Critical artistic recognition is however key to investment and co-production collaborations in the film industry. Co-Production is a key funding channel for any film industry and we need to tap into it to broaden opportunity for our filmmakers.
3. The creative industries are in the midst of a pivotal shift,
driven by emerging technologies. The extraordinary growth of Apple and the Android tablets and Blackberry and iPhones and the emergence of Facebook and Twitter and Google Plus has created amazing ways for people to connect with each other and with new ideas and concepts and to share data and content in user-friendly ways. This insatiable appetite for content is creating new opportunities for for digitally-driven content such as Nollywood creates.
Content is the foundation of the "connected experience."
The challenge for Nollywood's future is how to leverage technology to deliver generation-next content that creates compelling consumer experiences and connects audiences across devices, networks, time zones and geography. We need to start distilling the trends that will fundamentally transform how content is created, distributed and consumed in the next 5-10years.
4. So what is the impact of the documentary film genre in the future
evolution of Nollywood?
Well, Fiction and Fact-based films share dimensions of reality and therefore are in measures, both elements of documentary. Conversely, history in Africa also has dimensions of fiction since history is interpretations and interpretations are perspectives. Especially in Africa where oral traditions ensures a healthy dose of invention. I believe we are beginning to build a critical mass of viewers and
filmmakers who are finding that the power to understand and define their personal journeys as Africans, as Nigerians can find expression in the documentary artform.
Aside from that, the political power of images as a cultural postmark in a globalized world is an awareness that I believe makes documentary a sub-conscious canvass for Nollywood's dramatic explications. As I said at the last I-Rep Documentary Festival, If we say we want to change the narrative of Africa, if we say we want Africa to be empowered economically and politically, it is critical for us to begin to manage the images of Africa. The cultural values of African communities are important contributions to the world. Our biggest weapon for documenting those values are our fiction films which by effect embed in their narrative, nuances and postmarks that impact as the documentaries of our African experiences.
###
(Femi Odugbemi is a Past-President of Independent Television Producers Association (ITPAN), He is also Co-Founder/Executive Director of i-Rep International Documentary Forum and MD/CEO of DVWORX Studios Lagos).
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Corruption of Democracy in Nigeria
Since independence, our governments have been a matter of few holding the cow for the strongest and most cunning to milk, Under those circumstances everybody runs over everybody to make good at the expense of others.
~ Chief Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀, March 6, 1909 – May 9, 1987).
In realistic terms of modern democratic government, the Nigerian government is an insult to every citizen of this country.
From the local government to the state house, what we have is a dysfunctional system of political arrangement masterminded by both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposing parties in government.
When you investigate every public office, you cannot find accountability at all levels of governance.
Everyone seems to be an opportunist who found his or her way into office by corruption since most of them are political beneficiaries of their political godfathers, jobbers and errand boys and errand girls.
The whole political scenario is a black comedy of errors that is now a tragedy of horrors as Nigerians are plagued by endemic corruption and nightmarish insecurity since the subjects are totally disconnected from their so called elected leaders.
None of the elected legislators is really accountable. So, they cannot really claim to be better or holier than the President. They are just the same political opportunists with different labels.
A foreign journalist trying to get more information on any of the political parties cannot even do so from their websites and even though all of them proudly display their pages on the popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, they are just there for decoration, because they are not as functional as they claim on the pages of their sponsored newspapers. In fact they look like scam sites or at best very amateurish.
The PDP's website speaks volumes of the dubious democracy of the self acclaimed biggest political party in Africa and perhaps also the most corrupt too.
It is a shame that the ruling party of the so called "Giant of Africa" cannot even have a good functional website!
Citizens cannot even contact or connect with their elected representatives as those in America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
What a predicament that has befallen Nigerians.
Go to the offices of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Ministry of Aviation and other ministries and look at how they are run and you will weep for Nigeria.
If you see the thousands of illiterate drivers on Nigerian roads from Lagos to Maiduguri, you will wonder how they got their driver's license from the Federal Road Safety Commission [FRSC].
No wonder these illiterate drivers have turned our roads to highways of suicide!
The foreign service is full of square pegs in round holes, because the so called ambassadors are political appointees and proxies of the ruling party and their loyalists.
No wonder Nigerian embassies are mere diplomatic decorations in foreign countries.
The public health care facilities such as clinics and hospitals are the most frightening places to go for medical service.
The list is endless.
When foreign authorities report that Nigeria is a failed state, no intelligent and rational citizen in Nigeria will deny this fact.
Lest we forget, the poor masses are not holier than the rich ruling class, because they are also corrupt. So, the poor and the rich are just unequal crooked fingers soiled by the same stinking mess.
God cannot even defend the poor in Nigeria since majority of the worst corrupt public officials and their accomplices in the private sector actually came from poor backgrounds, including their President who once had no pair of shoes.
But he did not tell us if he had slippers and sandals, because some slippers and sandals are more expensive than ordinary shoes.
The comic side of the whole Nigerian drama is seeing among the masses, those who have cheated to pass their examinations in secondary and tertiary schools pointing accusing fingers at the politicians who have bribed and rigged their way into political office.
You see cheating lovers and adulterers, pickpockets, petty thieves, fraudsters and other lunatic fringe of the Nigerian masses marching on the streets protesting against the corrupt politicians in the corridors of power and swearing to heaven to damn the corrupt political office holders when they are not even innocent of the same corruption. Most of them are just waiting for their opportunities to join the band wagon of kleptomaniacs in government!
Mothers and fathers have become pimps of their daughters hawked to the highest bidders from Lagos to Abuja.
The list is endless.
In view of the above cases of the social, economic and political calamities of corruption and hypocrisy in Nigeria, one cannot be shocked by the gang Molestation of modern democracy in Nigeria.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
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| 5 Jul 2012 | |
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