Wednesday, September 9, 2015

1 378 Film Projects from 30 Countries for Pan-African Triggerfish Story Lab

1 378 Entries from 30 Countries for Pan-African Triggerfish Story Lab

CAPE TOWN – The Triggerfish Story Lab received a whopping 1 378 entries from storytellers and filmmakers from 30 countries across Africa and its diaspora, all eager to write the continent’s next animated blockbuster or hit TV series.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Smile Closes USD365 Million Financing to Accelerate its 4G LTE Network Expansion in Africa

Smile Closes USD365 Million Financing to Accelerate its 4G LTE Network Expansion in Africa  

 Irene Charnley, Chief Executive Officer of Smile (PRNewsFoto/Smile)

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, September 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Smile Telecoms Holdings Ltd ("Smile"), which owns and operates mobile wireless 4G LTE broadband networks in the 800MHz band in Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, announced that it raised USD365 million of debt and equity financing ("the funding"). The funding will be used to expand Smile's existing 4G LTE mobile broadband networks and services, such that by the end of 2015, Smile will offer clear voice services and have national coverage comparable to the largest 3G network in each of its current countries of operation. Smile will also launch its broadband network in Democratic Republic of Congo ("DRC") early in 2016.

Nigerian Author Uzodinma Iweala's Novel Becomes Netflix's First Film for Cinemas


Nigerian Author Uzodinma Iweala's Novel Becomes Netflix's First Film for Cinemas
 Nigerian Author Uzodinma Iweala's multiple award winning 2005 novel Beasts of No Nation has become Netflix's first film for cinemas. The film adaptation and screenplay of the gripping war drama was done by Cary Fukunaga who is also the director of the thriller. Netflix bought the worldwide distribution rights for about $12 million and will be released simultaneously in cinemas and online through its subscription video on demand service on October 16, 2015. Bleecker Street will handle the theatrical release of the film.

The title of "Beasts of No Nation" came from the 1989 album of the same name by the Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, who passed away on August 2, 1997.
The novel won the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the Academy of Arts and Letters, the New York Public Library Young Lions 2006 Fiction Award, and the 2006 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. In 2007, Iweala was selected as one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists. A graduate of Harvard University and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, he lives in New York City and Lagos, Nigeria.

The leading actors include Idris Elba playing the war lord "Commandant", Abraham Attah as "Agu", Ama K. Abebrese as "Mother", Richard Pepple as "Father Friday" and Opeyemi Fagbohungbe as "Sergeant Gaz". It was screened in the main competition section of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and it has been selected to be shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. "Beasts of No Nation" is projected to be a box office hit to further boost the American film industry following one of the best summers ever at the domestic box office.
Ticket sales at North American cinemas rose an estimated 10.4 percent, to $4.48 billion, for the period between the first weekend in May and Labor Day, from the same period a year earlier, the analytics firm Rentrak said on Sunday. Hollywood’s summer, which was one week longer this year because of a calendar quirk, has historically accounted for up to 40 percent of annual domestic ticket sales.~ The New York Times

 

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Monday, September 7, 2015

Emirates Touches Down in Orlando

Emirates Touches Down in Orlando
Airline launches 10th gateway to the US with a one-off A380 service

United Arab Emirates, Dubai – 2 September, 2015 – Emirates launched its 10th destination in the United States with the start of daily nonstop passenger service between Dubai and Orlando International Airport on 1st September. A VIP delegation and a contingent of international media were aboard the inaugural flight, which carried passengers from 29 different countries to Orlando.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari is Sitting On A Keg of Gunpowder


President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari is sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
There will be crisis worse than the Boko Haram if he fails to arrest his fellow Hausa Fulami herdsmen rampaging, trespassing and slaughtering innocent Christian men, women and children in the middle belt and northern states of Nigeria. And they have even gone beyond the River Niger to attack, rape and murder women on farmlands in the south western states and also killed people in the south east and south-south of Nigeria.

 They are behaving like hyneas in the jungle.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Newspaper Columnist Kidnapped from Her Home in Nigeria

Newspaper columnist kidnapped from her home in Nigeria 

NEW YORK, 02 September 2015 / PRN Africa / -- A Nigerian newspaper columnist was abducted from her home early Sunday, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Nigerian authorities to do their utmost to find Donu Kogbara, establish a motive for the abduction, and apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators.

Red Star Express Plc. Posts N6.7Billion Turnover, Declares Dividend


Red Star Express Plc. Posts N6.7Billion Turnover, Declares Dividend


Lagos, Nigeria, 3 September 2015. Red Star Express Plc, leading logistics Company, today posted N6.7Billion turnover  for the financial year ended March 31, 2015 and a profit after tax of N611million representing one percent increase in profit over 603.9 million profit for last year.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Top Nigerian Filmmakers Nwadike and Bamishigbin Making Groundbreaking Film on Ebola


 Ralph Nwadike at an event in the Nigerian film industry.

Top Nollywood filmmakers Ralph Nwadike and Tunji Bamishigbin are making a groundbreaking thriller on how Nigeria overcame the Ebola epidemic.

When Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian diplomat visited Nigeria, it wasn't just another visit from a West African brother to another West African country. He brought EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) that almost changed the medical history in Nigeria. But for the grace of God and the eternal vigilance of Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh and her team, the about 20 deaths from Ebola recorded in Nigeria would have been more.
The movie chronicles that great episode, which also sadly took the precious lives of Dr. Adadevoh and some of the best medical staff practicing at the First Consultant Hospital.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Akpabio Versus Buhari on Traffic Laws

 President Muhammadu Buhari.

Akpabio vs Buhari on Traffic Laws
By Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi

Amazingly, of all people and things, Godswill Akpabio, a former Governor to the State of Akwa Ibom, who is now the Senate Minority Leader while in a convoy, his jeep reportedly ran the traffic light, hitting the vehicle of some US embassy officials of President Barack Obama; who according to President Muhammadu Buhari, played a significant part in ushering in a new change in Nigeria in terms of law and order.
Reports from the media showed that the accident happened in the early morning of the day as Akpabio was heading to the international airport for London with his convoy’s lights in full display and sirens blowing; as if he was in an authorized emergency vehicle as it relates to life and death matters.

 Senator Godswill Akpabio, is the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

This incident revealed that Akpabio has yet to liberate himself from the disease of traffic lawlessness which was so pervasive during the days of the Jonathan presidency, when the madness of blaring sirens indiscriminately by political and privileged leaders was all too common to the detriment of public peace and smooth flow of traffic.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Ejiofor and Oyelowo To Be Honoured in Hollywood for Outstanding Philanthropy

Nigerian born British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor won Best Actor at the Baftas for his role as "Solomon Northup" in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave

The GEANCO Foundation to Honor Actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and David Oyelowo at Hollywood Fundraiser 
Acclaimed Actors Will be Honored for Their Philanthropic Support of Health and Education Initiatives in Their Shared Homeland of Nigeria