Sunday 28 June 2009

Around and about Nollywood...

BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI
-- Onyiye Egenti’s film on BFI IMAX Cinema
Nigeria born Onyiye Egenti’s first film shot on 35mm-Black and White will show at the BFI IMAX Cinema in Waterloo, London on June 24 at 7pm. In an email message, the Master’s student at the London Film School (LFS) sent to the filmmaker Tunde Kelani to convey what she described as her ‘first real Achievement’ in the United Kingdom, Egenti disclosed that her film was selected along with some others out of numerous entries for a Talent Circle Festival. IMAX Cinemas, as she explained, aren't regular cinema houses ‘because they have the world's biggest screens, so it's a real big deal for people over here. (regular IMAX screens are about 20 metres (i.e. 72 ft) wide and 16.1 metres (53 ft) high’. She also said: ‘I think there is only one in the UK but I understand there are just about 300 IMAX cinemas in the world, most of them being in the US and Canada. Some countries here in Europe don't even have one. Students at my school have been congratulating me’. Egenti told TK as Tunde Kelani is fondly called: ‘I really wish you could be here for the screening. I must admit I'm a bit excited that my work has been noticed. But it simply means I have to push myself a lot more than ever before since this is just my raw beginnings. Does not even begin to scratch the surface. Still it's nice. It's not going to be a fussy thing, no red carpet or anything like that, just a full house of other serious Filmmakers in the industry to view selected works here’ she said?

With Sharp Corner, Kraftman Productions stages a comeback
Leading Production Company Kraftman Productions will return to the Television frontline next quarter with the first season of Sharp Corner -- a comedy series filed on location in Ota Ogun State. Based loosely on activities around Nigeria's most glamorous street, Allen Avenue, Ikeja... Sharp Corner is a restaurant cum beer parlor on Allen Avenue. The comedy series highlights the problems of Nigeria’s X generation and how they cope with rising unemployment, spiraling inflation, drug addiction prostitution, HIV/AIDS and many more. Whilst some optimists like 'Prof ' believe it will be well one day others like Boz make strenuous efforts to join the ‘haves’ by embracing the fast lane without immediate results. According to Producer Madu.C.Chikwendu, ‘It is true that SC uses comedy to paint a pessimistic picture of the Nigerian situation but this situation is real. Pessimism has since overtaken optimism and hope is becoming a very scarce commodity in Nigeria’. Shot on HD, Sharp Corner has Nkiru Okoronkwo as Associate Producer and Ifeanyi Ekwem as Director. It will premiere third quarter on STV, TVC and LTV 8.
…..confirms its participation in I-Joke
Kraft man Production also confirmed its participation in the I-Joke project ( http://i-joke.ning.com), which was launched at the last Cannes Film Festival in France. Initiated by European Producers Jan Helig (Germany) and Jenny Inchbald, the project brings together producers from over 25 different countries .Each Producer will present a short film (max 5 minutes) of a popular joke in that country. The jokes from different countries will now comprise a series that will be presented around the world. The projects aims to; create an international network and community that can work together, create a cultural exchange to promote better understanding amongst the international community in an inspiring and entertaining way, to share knowledge in way that everyone is equal and happy. The project is coordinated by Filmbit FilmProduction Germany & Future Artists UK. A statement signed by A.C Nwankpa, Head of Corporate Communication of Kraftman Production indicate that Nigeria is represented by Kraftman Production CEO Madu.C.Chikwendu

Preparation for TAVA hots up
Organisers of the maiden edition of the Television and Audio Visual award dubbed TAVA have started the countdown to the maiden edition of the award ceremony. The award ceremony will hold on July 9 at the Shell Hall of the Muson Center, Onikan, Lagos beginning at 6pm. Speaking to Moviedom during the week, Chair of the Organizing Committee, Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, assured that he was working with a team that will deliver an award scheme that will be reputed as the bench mark for other award schemes. Ogunjiofor who is popular as Paulo, a role he played in the phenomenal ‘Living in Bondage’, explained that the award is an annual event created to honour outstanding indigenous films, music video, television productions, commercials and general programmes as well as the most creative performers, outstanding television houses and audio-visual equipment. Tava has Perfect Pictures, Perfect Sound as its main theme. The African Independent Television (AIT), RayPower Radio and DAARSAT, owned by DAAR Communication Plc, is the official medial partner. Several Institutions and corporate organisations like the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication, the Nigerian Film Corporation, the National Film and Video Censors Board and the Nigerian Copyright Commission have endorsed TAVA awards and many are still pouring in. This support for TAVA is overwhelming and it is a thrust towards organising and showcasing the biggest and best event in audio-visual industry in Africa.

Here is ION Film Festival
Organizers of the touring film festival -- ION International Film Festival (www.ionfilmfestival.com) will in collaboration with the Rivers State Government hold a press parley and meeting with Nollywood stakeholders to officially launch ION International Film Festival Port Harcourt09.It is a touring film festival, which moves every year to a new location around the globe in an effort to promote global awareness, peace and unity. It went from Los Angeles in 2007, to Dubai in 2008 and after Port Harcourt it will move to Istanbul in 2010. This is the first time ION lands in Africa and will be hosted in PH, Rivers State on December 9-12. ION launched the call for entries in 12 official categories on 1st April and submissions are welcome by filmmakers before the deadline of Sept 30, 2009 -- International submissions through www.ionfilmfestival.com or www. withoutabox.com. those wishing to make submissions from Nigerian should check submission details at www.omcomm.org. The organisers stated that the press parley will offer interested stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the vision and program of ION PORT HARCOURT09. The press parley and the stakeholders meeting will hold at O’ Jez Restaurant, National Stadium on Tuesday June 30, 2009 at 11am.


Waka pass…
Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities

Who is afraid of Afolabi Adesanya
Why can’t some people allow others to drink water and keep cup. Why have they all decided to be concerned about when a man goes to bed or wake up? Oh, well, we thought we should ask because of the way one waka pass bumped into us during the week and insisted we must believe his tale, which is that the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) Oga Afolabi Adesanya has been arrested by men he said he couldn’t place. And because ‘arrest’ of different shapes and sizes have become the order of the day in Nigeria we nodded as if to say we had heard the waka pass but as asking is believing, we immediately pulled a call to a man at the NFC who should know. And trust Brian Etuk to jump at any opportunity at defending or putting the NFC on the front burner. He returned the rumour to sender tersely: ‘na di rumour mongers dem go arrest, not to my MD’. In other words, Oga Afolabi dey him office for Jos dey do the work wey government give am to do. In fact na no shaking full him countenance wen we eventually pulled a call thorugh to him. So therefore, case dis-m-i-s-s-e-d! Return to sender.

Andy Chukwu went to bed hungry
We ran into the actor, singer and director Andy Chukwu at the operation remove Ejike Asiegbu press conference held at Ojez Restaurant last week. We saw him when he entered Ojez (he arrived late) but before we could spell his first name, he had slipped into a corner of the bar. But by the time we joined him at the corner, he was half way into a battle with a plate of the delicacy called fufu and vegetable soup. The Andy we saw at that corner descended on the food as if he went to bed hungry the last night or that he wrestled in his sleep. True, only an angry and hungry man-like someone who lost a major wrestling fight in his sleep will angrily descend on a plate of food like Andy did. What was annoying to some other observers was that the fair and well built motion picture practitioner didn’t leave any work for the dish washers to do. We didn’t see him use his tongue but one waka pass suggested that oga Andy cleaned the plate as though he used his tongue to do so. To God be the Glory.

shaibu70@yahoo.com

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