November date for ‘Nollywood@20’ celebrations

FOR stakeholders of the Nigerian motion pictures, the need to celebrate the success of the home video phenomenon which became popularised in 1992 can only pave way for greater possibilities.

“After about 18 months of trying to put this together, we are calling the world to tell them our story,” said Zik Zulu Okafor, President of Association of Movie Producers (AMP), on activities lined-up for the celebration of 20 years of the Nigerian film industry, otherwise called Nollywood.

Stemming from the success recorded by Living in Bondage, the floodgate appeared to have opened to other direct-to-home video productions, which spread Nigeria’s unique stories and culture to other African countries and beyond, attracting scholars to the ingenuity of an unusual story-telling style.

Okafor told journalists at a press conference on Wednesday that beyond celebrating the success story of the industry, the event will also serve as a platform to discuss crucial issues that have stalled the growth of the sector. He said although activities for the event will kick-start with a Glam Night, scheduled for November 2, at Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos, other programmes include special anniversary thanksgiving services, coaching clinics, master classes, party raves, family fun day and a charity football match, among others. The event, he said, will climax on November 27, 2013 with Nollywood@20 Grand Awards Night.

According to Okafor, the Celebrity Glam Night and Grand Awards Night will recognise and celebrate Nigerian icons in the fields of business and economy, diplomatic community, public administration, academia, elite professionals and the film industry who have impacted on the film industry.

Also speaking on the project, foremost filmmaker and chairman of the workshop/training committee, Francis Onwochei, said professors from Harvard University and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), USA, have confirmed their participation in the master-classes. Onwochei, who revealed that Nollywood is the focus of at least 10 doctoral theses in both Ivy League institutions, said the master-classes and coaching clinics are being organised in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission and Mnet Africa.

He said the coaching clinics are meant for students, youth and rookies in the motion-picture industry, while the master-classes are meant to sharpen the technical and marketing skills of senior practitioners, as a way of advancing the Nollywood brand within and outside the country.

Marketing consultant to the project, Harry Willie of HQSC, stressed the importance of the attendance of VIPs from Corporate Nigeria, government and the diplomatic community to the Celebrity Glam Night. According to Willie, Nigeria has only just scratched the surface of the economic potential in the motion-picture industry. “When guests come in and witness the world-class entertainment content and see first-hand the inspiring dramas of the untold stories of Nollywood, the Nigerian business community will realise that Nollywood is perhaps Nigeria’s major untapped gold mine.”

The Nollywood@20, according to representatives of the various guilds and association in Nollywood, is an event which will run close to a month and will witness some of the classics its members have produced on terrestrial stations and the popular AfricaMagic platform on DsTV. Speaking on the screening of Nollywood movies during the period, Andy Amenechi, President of Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), said Nollywood@20 platform will deliver huge audiences and increase brand value for sponsors and partners. Amenechi said, so far, partners for the project include Mnet Africa, NTA, AIT, Silverbird, Metro FM, Brandpower and Nigezie.

The team acknowledged the support of the presidency, Lagos and Akwa Ibom states, Intercontinental Hotel, Nigeria Communications Commission, National Film and Video Census Board, Nigerian Copyright Commission, First Bank and Coca-Cola.

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