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Nolly Silver Screen
ISSUE 04
MAY 2014
10
Nollywood
Cross Over
Stars
Maami
out now
on DVD
October 1
Behind
the scenes
pictures
Write
&
W
Cinem in
a
Nollyw tickets
ood D
VDs
Gift ha
mper
2014 Africa Movie PORNOGRAPHY IN
Academy Awards NOLLYWOOD:
A
rising
trend
Nominations
MICHELLE
BELLO
Blazing Nollywood’s trail
EDITOR’S NOTE
www.nollysilverscreen.com
REVIEWS
NEWS
W
hat a journey it was to the 2014
Africa Movie Academy Awards nominations in Johannesburg, South Africa.
It was a great experience for me to
rub minds with people who are equally as passionate about African cinema.
Get the full list of nominees (p. 10),
red carpet pictures (p. 13) and my
personal essay (p. 5). We really cannot
wait to see who will clinch the coveted
prize statuette this year.
Our cover girl, Michelle Bello epitomises the drive of New Nollywood;
hardworking, grounded and visionary.
Read about her 2014 AMVCA win and
her next plan for Flower Girl (p.7).
We also have interviews with Ghollywood star Eddie Watson (p. 9),
the creative force behind Render to
Caesar , Desmond Ovbiagele (p. 12)
and the producer of Murder at Prime
Suites, Jumafor Ajogwu (p. 14).
Read the reviews (p. 11), attempt the
Nolly Pop Quiz (p. 9) and write to us
(p. 2). Enjoy!
COMPETITIONS
INTERVIEWS
GHOLLYWOOD
AWARDS
RED CARPET
CINEMA LISTINGS
ARTICLES
PHOTO: ODUTAYO ODUSANYA
1
SHORT FILMS
WEB SERIES
AUDITIONS
Isabella Akinseye
@iakinseye
FESTIVALS
DOCUMENTARIES
THEATRE
SOME OF THIS EDITION’S CONTRIBUTORS
Agina Eberechukwu
Gloria is a graduate
Wilfred Okiche
of Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria. She is
a freelancer and contributes entertainment
stories for The Nigerian
Telegraph. Check out
her piece ‘Pornography
in Nollywood: a rising
trend’ (p. 9).
believes in God, medicine, music and movies.
A medical doctor, occasional writer, columnist
and profiler. He profiles
10 Nollywood actors
who have crossed over
from English speaking
movies to acting in other
languages and back (p.
3).
The first Nollywood
movie she bought was
August Meeting.
The first Nollywood
movie he bought was
Letters to a Stranger.
Follow @aginaebere
Follow @drwill20
Gbolahan
Adams Oluwaponmile
Innocent Ekejiuba
is
an alumnus of Obafemi
Orija is studying Food
runs his own media company where he has handled numerous projects
for different clients over
the years. He sees himself
venturing into animation,
developing his comic
brands and staging an
exhibition. View his cartoon strip ‘Rollicking Nollies’ which focuses on the
Africa Movie Academy
Awards (p. 4).
The first Nollywood
movie he bought was
Ije.
Follow @gadamsyn
Science and Technology
at the Federal University
of Agriculture, Abeokuta. She loves writing and
has published several
works in the newspapers.
She interviews people on
their favourite Nollywood
movie title for the Vox
Pop section (p. 4).
The first Nollywood
movie she bought was
Mother Dearest.
Follow @ o_ponmile
Awolowo University. He
is the Deputy Editor
of Nolly Silver Screen
(the website and the
magazine). An avid blogger and budding graphics designer, he reviews
Phindile’s Heart and
Yellow Fever (p. 11).
Check out his Nolly Pop
Quiz (p. 9) and ‘Top 5
Nollywood cinemas’ (p.
12).
The first Nollywood
movie he bought was
Games Men Play.
Follow @Prince_ice
2
Write
‘n’
win
CONTENTS
May 2014
FEATURES
3 10 NOLLYWOOD CROSS OVER STARS
5 MY JOURNEY TO THE 2014 AFRICA MOVIE
ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS
9 PORNOGRAPHY IN NOLLYWOOD: A RISING
TREND
12 TOP 5 NOLLYWOOD CINEMAS
t you have
Write to us about wha
and stand a
enjoyed in this edition
lous prizes.
chance of winning fabu
giving out 2
This month, we will be
osal DVD. Also
copies of After the Prop
a tickets to see
up for grabs are cinem
Nigeria and a
a Nollywood movie in
gift hamper.
13
rscreen.com
Email: info@nollysilve
media
Get in touch via social
lysilverscreen
www.facebook .com/nol
llysilverscreen
www.google.com/+no
rscreen
www.twitter.com/nsilve
ollysilverscreen
www.instagram.com/n
INTERVIEWS
7 MICHELLE BELLO: BLAZING NOLLYWOOD’S TRAIL
9 Q & A WITH EDDIE WATSON
12 UP, CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH DESMOND
OVBIAGELE
14 TALENT ON THE RISE: JUMAFOR AJOGWU
READERS’ CORNER
rocks!
The mag
Nneji Eke
COMPETITION
2 FREE GIVEAWAYS
I saw the magazine...serious passion
project there o! I really admire your
resilience.
all the stories too.
for
s
Thank
Ibraheem Aladejobi
REGULARS
1 EDITOR’S NOTE
1 CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOS
2 READERS’ CORNER
4 CELEBRATIONS THIS MONTH
6 ON SET
10 NEWS
11 REVIEWS
13 RED CARPET
14 DVD RELEASES
One thing I enjoy ab
out Nolly Silver
Screen is the simplicity
and honesty in
their opinion. That’s
what journalism
should be.
Jumafor Ajogwu
6
EXTRAS
4 VOX POP
4 WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE STARS
9 NOLLY POP QUIZ
NOLLY SILVER SCREEN TEAM
PUBLISHER
Quill and Scroll Creatives
EDITOR
Isabella Akinseye
DEPUTY EDITOR
Innocent Ekejiuba
GRAPHICS & LAYOUT
Isabella Akinseye
CONTRIBUTORS
Olumuyiwa Awojide
Gbolahan Adams
Agina Eberechukwu
Wilfred Okiche
Oluwaponmile Orija
EDITORIAL BOARD
Temitayo Amogunla
Bola Atta
Bola Audu
Toni Kan
CONTACT US
Email letters to [email protected]
Nolly Silver Screen is a monthly online magazine of
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Reproduction in whole or in part without permission
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You can now read your
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Silver Screen on
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3
s
ar
10 Nollywood Cross OvBYerWILSt
FRED OKICHE
When you think Nollywood, the first thing that comes to mind is the English-speaking Nigerian stars and the films that they
appear in. However, a lot of them have proved themselves versatile and proficient in languages and interpreting roles that
demand for more ethnic input. These 10 stars have made the leap from English films to those in the indigenous languages and
back again.
PHOTO CREDITS: LEFT (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM) Premium Times; CNN.com; Nigeriafilms.com; Nigeriafilms.com; BellaNaija.com
RIGHT (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM) Nigeriafilms.com; 36ng.com; Nairaland.com; Nigeriafilms.com; Theeagleonline.com
emost fany
uo
ur
Ez
e
ik
M
boy
The Nollywood lover
FThue nqukeeen Akindele
of crossover, Funk
e Akindele
started her career
in television as le
ad
in the United Nat
ions Population Fu
nd
sponsored progra
mme I Need To
Know.
After finding it di
fficult getting wor
k in
the English films,
she crossed over
to
the Yoruba sector
and soon becam
e
a top actress/prod
ucer. Her 2009 fil
m
Jenifa became wild
ly successful and
its follow up Retu
rn of Jenifa was ev
en
more commercial
ly successful.
ng
mous for his roles in English speaki
pace
films was looking for a change of
Dayo
role when actress cum producer
film
her
Amusa offered him the lead in
perUnforgivable released in 2013. His
uba
Yor
formance had only a few lines of
to
but it was considered good enough
phy at
win him the Best Yoruba Actor tro
s.
the 2013 Best of Nollywood Award
ladesu-Eprekemeinasdeone of
a Ja
Omosotexoly ma
y reign
Om
important to
Africa’s finest now but it is
to successnote that she has been able
th English
fully combine working in bo
tility has even
and Yoruba films. Her versa
o words in
had her mumble a few Igb
in the East.
some of her English films set
e Tony Umez
She has appeared alongsid
s like Kosoand Shola Shobowale in film
rogun and Oyato.
ridriguguezez
od
-R
bo
om
J
e
UThch
e recently pregnant Mrs. Ro
as a
achieved fame and success
s like
film
scriptwriter and actress in
ducing
Adure. She later moved to pro
production
movies and set up her own
s. In 2011,
studios - Uche Jombo Studio
a title
she appeared in the Yorub
Dayo
Dewunmi Iberu produced by
Amusa.
Ke
nneth Okonkwo
Ken
neth Okonkwo became the first
modern Nollywood leading man
after his pioneering performance in
the
Kenneth Nnebue groundbreaker
Living
in Bondage. Speaking mostly in Igb
o,
Okonkwo followed that appearanc
e in
films like Betrayal but soon made
the
transition to English speaking mo
vies.
Of recent, he has appeared alongs
ide
Mercy Johnson in the award winnin
g
comedyDumebi the Dirty Girl.
Yomi Fash-Lanso
Most of the coun
tr y was introduced
to
Yomi Fash Lanso
after his break ou
t role
as a gold digging
hustler who mak
es
good in Wale Ade
nuga’s iconic tele
vision series Super
Stor y. Following th
is
success, he has ap
peared in countle
ss
Yoruba films incl
uding Jenifa and
Omolade and do
es the occasional
work
in English speaki
ng films.
oh
m
U
p
ho
is
B
e
Im
has found
o
wh
Umoh is a comic actor
Ka
te
He
nshaw
Ms.
Henshaw is one of Nollywood’s
enduring leading ladies and has bee
n
in the game for 20 years now. A Bes
t
Actress Africa Movie Academy Aw
ard
winner (AMAA) in 2008 for the film
Stronger Than Pain, Henshaw made
the
leap to the Yoruba film divide in 201
1
as lead actress in Saheed Balogun’s
Eti
Keta and impressed many with her
delivery of her few Yoruba lines.
d by Emem
success in movies produce
ademy. He
Isong and her Royal Arts Ac
films like
has appeared in indigenous
where he
Uyai, Udeme Mi and Edikan
bio tongue.
has spoken in his native Ibi
sh films like
He has also starred in Engli
d
In the Cupboard and Weeken
Getaway.
oh
w
O
m
NOwke
emy
oh is an Africa Movie Acad
but is best
Award winner for Best Actor
cter Osuofia
known for his comic chara
multiple
which he has parlayed into
e to his
successful films. He stays tru
s like Ofor
roots, appearing in Igbo film
itching
na Ogu and Ode-Eshi and sw
pearances
them up with crossover ap
as and
in films like Wisdom of Thom
Stronger Than Pain.
Liz Benson
Time was when Liz Bens
on was queen of
Nollywood and what a
reign she enjoyed. No one could m
atch her in terms
of star power and this
translated easily
into film roles in all ge
nres. She had the
country under her spell
and we were
pleasantly surprised (a
nd rewarded) when
she made her Yoruba
speaking debut in
Tunde Bamishigbin’s Ee
ku Ida. She
followed this appearan
ce up in 2007 with
another fine outing in
Toko Taya.
4
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE STARS
“Hone your craft. Work on
your craft. Who you know
may get you in the door
but your work ethic will
keep you in the room.”
CHET ANEKWE
Nollywood actor
VOX POP
What is your favourite
Nollywood movie title?
Last Flight to Abuja
BIMBO SOLANKE
Figurine
TAIWO ADIGUN
“You don’t get about directing because
you see or saw someone else direct.
You’ve got to be inspired and when
you get inspired, take time to learn the
job. Go to school and study directing or
learn on the job like I did under a very
good director.”
JOHN UCHE,
Nollywood director
BY ISABELLA AKINSEYE
3
Genevieve
Nnaji
17
Chris
Attoh
Phone Swap
DEOLA ALAMU
Igboya
GBEMI
Keeping My Man
DEBORAH TAIWO
Maami
TOLU OLULADE
Mr. and Mrs.
DEOLA SHONUKAN
BY OLUWAPONMILE ORIJA
MAY CELEBRATIONS
18
Kalu
Ikeagwu
19
Yemi
Blaq
30
Susan
Peters
5
My journey to the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Awards Nominations
You know what they say about time when you’re having fun; it flies
by quickly. The nominations night was upon us and I was prepared
– camera and phone in hand. On the bus ride to Emperor Palace
Hotel, Johannesburg, I began tweeting and as soon as we arrived,
I started ‘snapping’ away. In between updating social media and
getting names of the people I had ‘snapped’, I was able to talk to
a South African filmmaker interested in collaborating with Nigeria.
And yet people say that South Africans and Nigerians are always
at logger heads? Not at the AMAAs. And though the night started
slowly, the familiar faces from back home began to appear in front
of my lens; Ramsey Nouah, Lydia Forson, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Fathia
Balogun, Chinedu ‘Aki’ Ikedieze and Funso Adeolu. Others included
Fred Amata, Paul Obazele, Chinwe Egwuagwu, Fidelis Duker, Chidi
I started paying more attention to the Africa Film Academy which
runs the awards and trainings when Malawi’s President, Mrs. Joyce Nwokeabia, Charles Awurum and Norbert Ajaegbu. And though
there was no President Banda, the delegation from Malawi was led
Banda got involved. Still, my affair with the AMAAs started and
ended on the pages of the newspapers and blogs; viewing pictures by her daughter, Mrs. Edith Akridge. There were also representaand reading reports. All that changed in 2013 when Confusion Na tives from government of South Africa and Namibia. There were
Wa won Best Picture. I just wanted to watch the movie and see
people from radio, TV, online and print media. Worthy of note,
what an ‘AMAA film’ looked like. Did the film really deserve the la- Martin Ayankola and Martins Oloja, the Editors of two of Nigeria’s
bel? Was it different from the usual Nollywood fanfare? And all the leading newspapers – The Punch and The Guardian were both
noise about a Nigerian trained director – Kenneth Gyang? These
present. Segun Arinze kicked off the event and performed superbwere just some of the questions that were swirling in my end. And ly as the compere of the night.
that was the beginning of my journey to the 2014 AMAA nominations.
As expected, there was music, dance, speeches and food before
the nominations proper. Listening to Ms. Peace Anyiam-OsigMy earliest memory of the Africa Movie Academy Awards was the
glitz, glam, a Hollywood star and a Nigeria dominated awards.
And of course, Bayelsa State. That was almost ten years ago. Then
things began to change albeit gradually. Perhaps, the criticism
was getting too much for the organisers and they began to work
hard to legitimise the ‘African’ claim in their name. All of a sudden,
countries like Ghana, South Africa and Kenya began to clinch more
awards. But that wasn’t enough, the critics wanted more; they
wanted a hitch free event devoid of lengthy and boring speeches
and one that had perfect logistics. That is not to say that there
were no good reports but bad news sticks.
THE AFRICA FILM ACADEMY MEANS BUSINESS. AMAA FOR THEM
IS NOT JUST ABOUT
PRETTY CLOTHES AND POPULAR FACES; IT IS MORE ABOUT CON
NECTING AFRICA AND
PRESENTING A POSITIVE IMAGE THROUGH FILM TO AN INTERNA
TIONAL AUDIENCE.
Confusion Na Wa is not your typical Nollywood movie. It sits comfortably with the works of Tunde Kelani and Kunle Afolayan which
all serve as my evangelism tools in converting the naysayers and
critics who think they have seen it all on the Africa Magic channels. This movie scores on many fronts; intelligent script, attention
to detail and great cinematography. It is a film you’ll watch with
your ears and mind wide open and your brain fully awake. So with
my confidence in the AMAAs boosted, I wanted to support their
efforts in my own little way as a writer, photographer and digital
marketer. It was a brand I now wanted to be associated with.
As Editor of Nolly Silver Screen magazine and website, I started
sourcing for materials about the 2014 edition and contacted Shaibu Husseini of The Guardian newspaper to be put on the mailing
list. He promptly redirected me to Tope Ajayi of Portion Consult
Limited reminding me that his role as a jury member would not allow him to function in a ‘marketing’ capacity. Let me just stop here
and say that when it comes to transparency, the AMAAs win hands
down. There are no secrets about the membership of the jury, the
numbers of films submitted, the screening process and what to expect generally. I was personally invited to come and see for myself
during the screening process in Lagos. Unfortunately, I was unable
to make it but I still got a report and pictures on Nollywoodaccess.
com. Timely press releases were sent out and the website updated
regularly. The opportunity presented itself again for me to witness
an AMAA event – this time it was the nominations party in Johannesburg, South Africa.
I already had expectations based on the last two Nollywood
awards I attended: Nollywood Movies Awards and Africa Magic
Viewers Choice Awards. These events had a lot of Nollywood people in attendance. People dressed like they were on the runway in
Paris – all wanting to turn heads. Cars were given away and choice
venues used not to mention the musicians who performed. To cut
a long story short, a lot of money was spent from the marketing to
the event proper.
So arriving in South Africa, I was expecting a lot of popular faces. Maybe I would see Hlomla Dandala or the filmmakers behind
Othelo Burning. From Nigeria, maybe the duo of Omotola JaladeEkeinde and Genevieve Nnaji would make an appearance. And
who knows President Banda might even come? I arrived a day to
the event so I was able to network and speak to other participants
– a handful of filmmakers and gentlemen of the media. In those
two days, I learnt a lot from conversations over our meals. We
talked about Nigeria, South Africa, Nollywood, the economy and
AMAA. Clearly, people were excited to be here and speculations
were rife on which country would dominate the nominations.
we speak passionately about the role of film in changing people’s lives, I was convinced that The Africa Film Academy
means business. AMAA for them is not just about pretty clothes
and popular faces; it is more about connecting Africa and presenting a positive image through film to an international audience.
She spoke about the need for the Nigerian and South African
government to forge better economic and cultural co-operation.
“Our leaders should invest in our future and creative energy of the
young people be it in music, film, fashion and other areas through
appropriate funding and regulatory framework that will make the
creative industry viable just as the governments in India and United States did for their creative entrepreneurs.” Indeed, there is still
so much that can be achieved. Mrs. Ebizi Brown, Director General
of Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency had some good
news to share. She said Bayelsa was ready to host the 10th anniversary of the awards and was also building a film city. “We have
beautiful and exotic locations that are good for shooting of your
films. We have stayed with AMAA in the last 10 years and we will
continue as a state.”
Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for – the announcements of the nominations into the 27 categories of the awards
came. And as the Jurors took turns in letting us know who made it
into this year’s list, it became obvious that the battle for supremacy would be fought between Nigeria and South Africa. South Africa’s Of Good Report, Felix and The Forgotten Kingdom gave Nigeria’s Apaye, Omo Elemosho, Accident and B for Boy a good run for
their money. Ghana also showed promise with Potomanto, Good
Old Days: Love of AA and Northern Affair and Kenya with Ni Sisi.
Other successful countries included Mali, Cameroun, Mauritius,
Tanzania, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Malawi among
others. The Diaspora was represented by Bahamas, Trinidad &
Tobago, USA, Canada, Jamaica and Venezuela. Unfortunately, no
award will be given in the category of Best Film by an African living
Abroad due to quality of films received which the Jurors found
inadequate.
The night ended with an energetic performance from Kcee Limpopo which had everyone on their feet. And my cherry on the cake,
I spoke to a filmmaker from Burkina Faso who was interested in
collaborating with Nolly Silver Screen which is testament to the
fact that AMAA does unite filmmakers across Africa. Ten years in
the business is no feat and I can only imagine what the organisers
have in store for us. Bayelsa, here I come!
The 2014 AMAAs will take place on 24 May.
- ISABELLA AKINSEYE
6
PICTURES FROM THE SET
OF KUNLE AFOLAYAN’S
OCTOBER 1
7
MICHELLE
BELLO
Blazing Nollywood’s trail
BY ISABELLA AKINSEYE
Have you always wanted to work
behind the cameras?
Yes. Once I made the decision to be a
filmmaker, I wanted to direct and produce. Reading a script and getting it
translated into scenes and ultimately a
whole movie is what is exciting to me.
Did your educational background
prepare you for a career in the
film industry?
My first degree was in Communications,
specialising in Visual Media and I subsequently did my Master’s Degree at Regent
University specifically because they have
a great programme in Directing which I
found extremely useful once I finished
and came back to Nigeria.
What inspired the Flower Girl
story?
I was seeing a lot of divorces happening
amongst the younger generation (those
in their 20s). They would get married and
in a year or two would get divorced and I
started thinking ‘why, what is going on?’
Then I started to realise that it was because they were marrying for the wrong
reasons. I spoke to my priest and a marriage counsellor and they told me all kinds
of horror stories of couples. I started to
get different perspectives and I thought,
‘that’s scary, that’s my age group!’ There is
a lot of infidelity and people just don’t respect the institution of marriage anymore.
People just think, ‘I am in love, I want to
get married, let’s see what happens.’ A few
years later the love fizzles out, problems
start and it’s too much to handle and people get divorced.
So what is true love?
True love is not just ‘convenient’ love. In
the main characters of the film you can
see the different kinds of love going on.
There is selfish love represented, sacrificial
love and idealistic love which we all expe-
rience as young women (thinking we have
found the perfect guy). So the film was really for the younger audience for them to
think about their relationships and whether they are marrying the right person. As
a society, people need a reminder of what
real love is all about.
How was it collaborating with
your brother Jigi on the film?
We had a lot of fun collaborating together. My brother is a genius when it comes
to screenwriting so bouncing off ideas
about the characters and different scenes
was very easy to do with him. We worked
long hours on the script for months and
then we went on to do several drafts of
the script. He came up with the character
of Stella as Kemi’s eccentric best friend.
We also added Sapphire’s character in
later drafts. One has to be very patient to
always improve on your previous draft by
adding new or adapting various elements
to make the story the best it can be.
What would you say was the
hardest thing in directing Flower
Girl?
sions,what has been the reaction
by the different viewers?
It was doing the big scenes which involved a lot of extras such as the wedding
scene at the beginning of the movie, the
club scene in which we had to deal with
more than fifty UNILAG students who
were there as extras and the scene at the
Lagoon Restaurant. The airport scenes
were especially hard to get done because
there was a time restriction involved so
there was a lot of pressure to shoot those
scenes quickly but they were definitely
worth it.
The movie has a few versions. The first cut
was released in Nigeria and Ghana and
then there was the international shorter
version which Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun
worked with us to re-cut. The response
from the UK audiences was fantastic. The
first cut was a bit longer and had a few
more scenes in it and was really tailored
to the African market and everyone loved
it that way. We are preparing the version
for the DVD release as well which will
have more bonus features, deleted scenes
and bloopers added to it.
As a woman in a male-dominated
industry, how have you been able
to hold your own?
What needs to happen for Nollywood to become truly international?
I don’t give any thought as to whether it’s
a male or a female involved in a project.
For me, it’s important to respect everyone
regardless of their sex. I am lucky enough
not to have had any negative experiences
over the years so it hasn’t been an issue
for me. For me, every time I do come
across female directors or producers, I
think it’s fantastic and I’m glad there are
now more females in the industry. We
support each other when we can.
First of all, we need to develop great stories that are universal and that can cross
over to the international market. We have
a lot of amazing stories from different
genres that we can tell but you need the
right team to develop them that would attract not only the right investors but also
an international cast. Also, our technical
abilities need to be on an international
level. The market is definitely there, it’s
just a matter of putting the right structures in place.
The film has gone to several
countries and festivals, share with
us some of your high points.
Congrats on your win at the 2014
AMVCAs. Were you expecting it?
First came the Ghana premiere which
was wonderful. The reception there was
overwhelming as there was so much love
shown to us by both the journalists and
the fans. They were all very supportive. A
big shout out to all the fans over there!
One of the major high points was when
the film was screened in the UK in September 2013 as it was our first cross over
into international territory. The feedback
and reviews were amazing. The movie subsequently won two international
awards over there: the Best African Film
at the Black International Film Festival,
and the Favourite New Nollywood Film
at the Screen Nation Awards. The movie
was also screened in Los Angeles at the
Hollywood Black Film Festival and the response there was fantastic too. Winning
two awards in Nigeria during the AMVCAs
meant a lot to us too.
Tell us about the planned French
version of the movie.
The movie is going to have French sub-titles and not be dubbed in French as there
is so much that could be lost in translation.
The film has different ver-
Thanks! It really meant a lot to me winning the 2014 AMVCA Trailblazer Award.
I wasn’t expecting it at all. In fact, I didn’t
even know that that category existed!
When they called out my name, I froze
in my seat for a few seconds before it
sank in and then I shot up and went to
the stage. It was hilarious. But on a more
serious note, I feel so very honoured to
have received the award. I’ve been working in this industry since 2007 and receiving the award has shown me that all my
hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. There’s
always something new to learn and I
realise that just because you have won an
award or two, you can’t sit back and gloat
and think that fame is going to last you a
life time. You have to be able to remain
at the top and bring your ‘A’ game every single time you release a production,
whatever it may be. I am really grateful
to the AMVCAs for acknowledging me, as
well as seeing my future potential.
Any plans for the new car?
I just plan on enjoying having it! It’s a
sports car and is a really smooth car to
drive. It’s got state of the art gadgets
inside so I’m having great fun figuring out
how everything works. Thanks Hyundai!
Do you have
any new film in
the works or is
the focus still
on Flower Girl?
The focus is still
on Flower Girl for
the moment as the
film is going to be
screened at the
Paris Nollywood
Week in June.
We’re also having
discussions with
some other countries that are interested in screening
the movie. We
have some other
plans for the movie, which include
it coming out on
DVD and TV in
addition to it being
entered for awards
in other festivals.
There are also
other films that are
in the works right
now that are being
developed.
You spoke about your mother
supporting you, what does family
mean to you?
Family means a lot to me. My parents
have been very supportive over the years
in so many ways. I’ve been extremely fortunate that they let me follow my dreams
and didn’t try to force me to study the
more travelled roads. I love them very
much.
In one word, Michelle Bello is...?
Faithful.
What is the one thing you can’t
do without on set?
The particular individual who acts as our
prayer warrior.
If there was anything you could
change about yourself, what
would it be?
I’d be taller! Lol!
COVER PHOTO: Michael Oloyede of TIDG
Visuals. Make Up Artist by Michelle March
and hair by Teresa of Pacific Hair Artists.
OTHER PHOTOS: Courtesy of Michelle
Bello.
8
9
Pornography in Nollywood: a rising trend
BY AGINA EBERECHUKWU
The issues around the Nigerian
film and video industry known
as Nollywood are at once lifting and depressing for many
people. There are debates that
revolve around its moral, economic and cultural values. The
arguments and counter arguments usually boil down to the
nature of its content in particular nudity and sex scenes.
For him, it is important that filmmakers “show the morals behind
every sex scene used in a movie and not concentrate on the commercial aspect of it as that passes the wrong message.”
For an Entertainment Editor, Tomi Adeyemo, “Some of the nude
bodies you see on screen could be for artistic purpose which is
trying to portray certain things. For example, when talking about
slavery, you don’t expect the director to use fully clothed people
to depict that. Lupita had to be naked in 12 Years a Slave to drive
home that point.”
Mrs. Catherine Izuagba, a mother and housewife, is alarmed at
Nollywood over the years has the rising trend of pornographic content in Nollywood movies. “I
don’t support it but that is what the audience wants and I feel for
transformed all aspects of
my kids because they really don’t have enough educational proits production process from
screenplay to acting. A sample grammes to watch. My advice to movie makers is that they should
go back to where we are coming from (days of Sesame Street and
of opinion from movie lovers on their perception of the Tales by Moonlight). For the sake of our kids and sanity of the sysevolving trend of pornographic tem, more educational films should be produced.”
scenes in our movies raised some salient issues regarding morality
and how it has affected our age long culture and traditions.
According to Chigozie Macdom, “I
Movies such as Domitilla, Glamour Girls, The Prostitute, Room 027 hardly watch Nollywood movies. There
and Destructive Instinct are considered to be sexually explicit. Also is no moral lesson learnt. Sometimes
on the list are Dirty Secret, Strippers in Love, Corporate Maid, Sin- they act like animals. I don’t think I can
ful Act, Pregnant Hawker and Lesbian which all contain elements of play some Nollywood movies for my
guests not to talk of watching it with
pornographic content.
my kids.”
For web designer, Jude Ogunsanya who determines what movie
Having heard from others their opinion
to watch from how much ‘noise’ people make about it, he firmly
on Nollywood movies, it is important
believes that ‘sex sells.’ “People want to see it and discuss it but
because they want to be discreet about it, they result to movies or to note that nudity is not exclusive to
some other sites to satisfy their curiosity.” He added, “Sex revolves movies alone but also extends to Nigearound entertainment industry so people don’t really bother about rian music videos. It is only proper that
we maintain and uphold our age long
it anymore rather they look forward to seeing what is new or latvalues (which are fast diminishing) as
est.”
Africans. In addition, the censor boards
should do everything within its powers
For Paul Ubanaese, a social media critic, he belivieves that what
to checkmate activities of desperate
you see or tag pornography is only a matter of choice. “Actually I
see more sex scenes or porn in music videos than I see in Nollyproducers who see making such movwood movies and what we call pornography here is nothing com- ies as a tool for cheap publicity and to
fast track their climb on the ladder of
pared to what we see in some foreign movies.”
success.
Eddie Watson is a Ghanian
actor.
What is your educational
background?
I read Economics at university.
What is one tip that has
saved you as an actor?
Humility. Being humble is
more difficult than being arrogant. See how easy it is for
people to exhibit arrogance
with just an improvement
in their social or economic
status. One of our African
proverbs says, “The child that
washes his hands very well
shall eat with kings.” Psalm
22:26 says, “The meek shall
eat and be satisfied.”
What was the first Nollywood movie you saw in the
cinema?
Mirror Boy.
Q & A with Eddie Watson
BY ISABELLA AKINSEYE
What quality do you love
most in a woman?
I love a woman that communicates very well with her
partner. Beauty and intelligence are pluses but what
I think holds a relationship
together the most is good
communication.
At what age did you get
married?
33.
NOLLY POP
QUIZ
BY INNOCENT
EKEJIUBA
1.
Which award is
nicknamed ‘A Constellation of Stars’?
What is your favourite
food?
Cassava leaves stew with rice.
2.
Who did the score
of the short film Blink?
What is your fashion fetish?
Earrings and tattoos.
3.
Who directed the
short film In Iredu?
Which football team do you
support?
Accra Hearts of Oak (Ghana),
Invincible Eleven (Liberia) and
Real Madrid (Europe).
4.
What is the name
of the first work of
Stanlee Ohikuare featured on Nolly Silver
Screen website?
Who is your secret Nollywood crush?
Hard to choose; I think Nigeria is blessed with a lot of
amazing talents and beauties.
5.
Which Nollywood
online streaming site
was rated as number 1 in
the first edition of Nolly
Silver Screen magazine?
PHOTO: COURTESY OF
EDDIE WATSON
Answers can be found
online.
2014
AFRICA
MOVIE
ACADEMY
AWARDS
NOMINATIONS
The nominations for the 2014
Africa Movie Academy Awards
were announced on 2 April
2014 at a gathering of filmmakers and press at Emperor
Palace Hotel, Johannesburg,
South Africa.
EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2014
AWARD FOR BEST SHORT
FILM
Haunted Soul – Kenya
Siriya Mtungi – Tanzania
Dialemi – Gabon
New Horizon – Nigeria
Nandy l’orpheline – Mali
Living Funeral – Nigeria
Phindile’s Heart – South Africa
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
DOCUMENTARY
Hamu Beya – The Sand Fishers
– Mali
Portraits of a Lone Farmer –
Nigeria/Denmark
Kushaya Ingagasi – South Africa
Daughters of the Niger Delta –
Nigeria
Sincerely Ethiopia – Ethiopia
OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA
2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM
IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
The Forgotten Kingdom – South
Africa
B for Boy – Nigeria
Omo Elemosho – Nigeria
Onye Ozi – Nigeria
Ni Sisi – Kenya
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
DIASPORA SHORT
Passage – Bahamas
Heaven – USA
Tickle Me Rich – Trinidad and
Tobago
Red – USA
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
Finding Samuel Lowe: From
Harlem to China – USA/Canada
Freedom Summer – USA
No Bois Man, No Frad – Trinidad
and Tobago
Through the Lens Darkly: Black
Photographers and the Emergence of a People – USA
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
DIASPORA FEATURE
Tula: The Revolt – The
Netherlands
AZU – Venezuela
Kingston Paradise – Jamaica
Retrieval – USA
N E W S
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
CHILD ACTOR
Tobe Oboli – Brother’s Keeper
A Mile from Home – Nigeria
(Nigeria)
Apaye – Nigeria
Once Upon A Road Trip – South Lebohang Ntsane – Forgotten
Africa
Kingdom (South Africa)
Hlayani Junior Mabasa – Felix
Felista’s Fable– Uganda
Potomanto – Ghana
(South Africa)
AMAA 2014 AWARD
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
YOUNG/PROMISING ACTOR
SOUNDTRACK
Evelyn Galle Ansah – Good Old
Once Upon A Road Trip –
Days: For the Love of AA (Ghana)
South Africa
Petronella Tshuma – Of Good
Onye Ozi – Nigeria
Report (South Africa)
Tope Tedela – A Mile from
Felix – South Africa
Home (Nigeria)
Of Good Report – South Africa
Potomanto – Ghana
Kitty Phillips – The Children of
Troumaron (Mauritius)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
Shawn Faqua – Lagos Cougars
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL
(Nigeria)
EFFECT
A Mile From Home – Nigeria AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
Omo Elemosho – Nigeria
ACTOR IN A
Secret Room – Nigeria
SUPPORTING ROLE
Ni Sisi – Kenya
Desmond Elliot – Finding Mercy
Of Good Report – South Africa
(Nigeria)
Thapelo Mofekeng – Felix (South
Africa)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
Yomi Fash-Lanso – Omo
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
Elemosho (Nigeria)
Felix – South Africa
Aniekan Iyoho – Potomanto
Northern Affair – Ghana
Nothing for Mahala – South
(Ghana)
Africa
Tshamano Sebe – Of Good
Of Good Report – South Africa
Report (South Africa)
The Forgotten Kingdom –
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
South Africa
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING
ROLE
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
Vinaya Sungkur – The Children
ACHIEVEMENT IN
of Troumaron (Mauritius)
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Once Upon A Road Trip – South Patience Ozokwor – After the
Africa
Proposal (Nigeria)
Good Old Days: Love of AA –
Marie Humbert – Potomanto
Ghana
(Ghana)
Of Good Report – South Africa Barbara Soky – Brother’s Keeper
The Forgotten Kingdom –
(Nigeria)
South Africa
Lee-Ann van Rooi – Of Good
The Children of Troumaron –
Report (South Africa)
Mauritius
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
Zengo Ngqobe – Forgotten
Of Good Report – South Africa
Kingdom (South Africa)
Kanayo Kanayo – Apaye
Accident – Nigeria
Once Upon A Road Trip – South
(Nigeria)
Africa
Mothusi Magano – Of Good
Potomanto – Ghana
Report (South Africa)
Felix – South Africa
Joseph Benjamin – Murder At
Prime Suites (Nigeria)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
Adjatey Annan – Potomanto
ACHIEVEMENT IN
(Ghana)
SCREENPLAY
Majid Michel – Brother’s Keeper
B For Boy – Nigeria
(Nigeria)
Of Good Report – South Africa
Accident – Nigeria
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Potomanto – Ghana
Felix – South Africa
Uche Nnadili – B for Boy
(Nigeria)
AMAA 2014 BAYELSA STATE
Linda Sokhulu – Felix (South
GOVERNMENT ENDOWED
Africa)
AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN
Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha –
FILM
Accident (Nigeria)
Apaye
Clarion Chukwurah – Apaye
B For Boy
(Nigeria)
Accident
Uche Jombo-Rodriguez,
Murder at Prime Suites
Monalisa Chinda and Daniella
Omo Elemosho
Okeke – Lagos Cougars (Nigeria)
10
Joselyn Dumas – Northern Affair
(Ghana)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A
DIRECTOR
Roberta Durrant – Felix (South
Africa)
Chika Anadu – B for Boy
(Nigeria)
Andrew Mudge – Forgotten
Kingdom (South Africa)
Harrikrishna & Sharvan Anenden
– The Children of Troumaron
(Mauritius)
Dilman Dila – Felista’s Fable
(Uganda)
Joyce Mhango Chavula – No
More Tears (Malawi)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
ANIMATION
The Hare and the Lion – Burkina
Faso
Thank God it’s Friday – Morocco
Leila – Nigeria
Khumba – South Africa
The Brats and Toy Thief –
Mozambique
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
ACHIEVEMENT IN
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Northern Affair – Ghana
Of Good Report – South Africa
Ni Sisi – Kenya
Good Old Days: Love of AA –
Ghana
Apaye – Nigeria
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
DIRECTOR
Harrikrishna & Sharvan Anenden
– Children of Troumaron
(Mauritius)
Shirley Frimpong Manso –
Potomanto (Ghana)
Andrew Mudge – The Forgotten
Kingdom (South Africa)
Jamil X.T. Quebeka – Of Good
Report (South Africa)
Teco Benson – Accident
(Nigeria)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR
BEST FILM
The Children of Troumaron –
Mauritius
Potomanto – Ghana
The Forgotten Kingdom – South
Africa
Of Good Report – South Africa
Accident – Nigeria
The jury decided that there
will be no nominations for the
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST
FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING
ABROAD.
The 2014 AMAA will take place
on 24 May 2014 at the Gloryland
Centre, Bayelsa State.
Nolly Silver Screen
proudly supports the
2014 AMAAs.
11
REVIEWS
Title: Dry
Title: Yellow Fever
Genre: Trailer
Genre: Documentary
Director: Stephanie Linus
Director: Ng’endo Muk’ii
Year: 2013
Year: 2013
Even though official trailer is not out, the unofficial
version of Dry which was released last year in the
heat of the ‘Child Not Bride’ debate is one of the
best trailers to come out of Nollywood in recent
times. Having followed Stephanie Linus’ work over
the years, it is clear to see that the woman has really
upped her game. Well done!
A recent trend in Nollywood is that we have a number of producers embracing ‘agenda’ movies and
sacrificing the tenets of good filmmaking at the expense of a message. For me, the mark of a true artist
is in balancing the two. In the unofficial trailer of Dry,
Linus does not hold back in putting burning issues of
rape, child marriage, obstetric fistula and the societal
stigma that comes with it in our face.
She does not just tell us about them, she shows us
through the character of a young girl who is forced
into an early marriage with devastating results. This
girl as we discover represents 1 in every 10 women
in Nigeria that suffer complications after childbirth
as a result of obstetric fistula. The saddest thing is
that she could be your child.
If I had to summarise the effect of this trailer in one
phrase; it would be – emotional connection. I believe
all the characters from Linus to Liz Benson Ameye
who are trying to make a difference in the lives of
young women. I believe a nameless male doctor who
agrees that his duty is to save lives but “did not sign
a vow of poverty.”
I see the health care centre burnt down and my heart
goes out to the community. I see girls and women
suffering at the hands of their so-called sisters and I
can relate with their story. I hear the simple yet ironical request of our protagonist; she says she “wants to
be a girl again” and I want to rewind things.
I want her to go back to playing with her friends,
attending school, growing up and marrying the love
of her life – not the person who paid for her like an
item in a grocery store. I never want that girl to be
my sister, mother, aunty, friend or even enemy. Nobody deserves to be used and left to Dry up from
the inside out.
The review will not be complete if I don’t comment
on technique. From the background music to the
selection of scenes, the cast and crew deserve two
thumbs up. The dialogue interwoven with the text on
screen helps to drive the plot forward and engage
the viewer. I have most of the information I require
including the name of the production company and
the chilling statistics. The only thing missing is the
names of the actors as they appeared in view but
given that this is an unofficial trailer, we can let that
slide.
Verdict –Watch Dry because it is really just that
good but if you still need an excuse; it communicates
a powerful message in a compelling yet creative way.
- ISABELLA AKINSEYE
Yellow Fever contends the
uncomfortable issue of African women’s comfort with their skin colour. A vital
message and distinct feature of the documentary. Another admirable feature
is the beautiful blend of elements such as animation, poetry, narration and
immaculately artistic dance to show coordination in thoughts and depth of
message. Where the documentary fails is that the poetic part of the narration
sounds too mundane and seems disconnected from the narratives. More importantly, the documentary fails to grant a resolution to the issue raised as it
inadvertently pushes for dull admission of facts rather than move for a reversal of ideologies.
- INNOCENT EKEJIUBA
Title: Phindile’s Heart
Genre: Short Film
Director: Claudia Noble
Year: 2013
Phindile’s Heart reminds us of why short
films exist. The direct and head on approach in it is commendable. What is
adorable about the production is Phindile and her acting and what is beautiful
about it is the camera work and cinematography. What we see here is an amateurish work with a deep message and a
big heart. The full extent of the amateurishness of the short film is obvious in the sound production and the acting. But
nonetheless, only the quality of sound production is a turn off, as the amateurish acting adds to the adorableness of the production.
- INNOCENT EKEJIUBA
GUEST REVIEW
Brave is a short film inspired by a true story,
based on the lives of a young couple who
seem to have happiness, love and comfort.
Tragedy strikes on a night which was meant
to be special and marks the beginning of a
nightmare both may not wake from and
suddenly, love is not enough.
Wole Ojo and Adesua Etomi’s execution of
the simple and well written story was
heartfelt and made it easier for the message
intended to be delivered beautifully. Brave’s
remarkability couldn’t have been possible
without the impressive vision of a young
indie filmmaker who we should watch out for
in years to come.
Title: Brave
Genre: Drama
Director: Lowladee
Year: 2014
The Verdict
The editing was the least impressive element
for me but on the bright side, the movie
doesn’t try too hard to impress. It’s a simple
movie with a strong message which I enjoyed
well and wanted to be longer than 30 mins.
- OLUMUYIWA AWOJIDE of movie review
site www.sodasandpopcorn.com
TOP 5 NOLLYWOOD CINEMAS
BY INNOCENT EKEJIUBA
1. Silverbird Cinemas
Up, Close and
Personal
with
12
Desmond
Ovbiagele
With a carefully laid down schedule, the cinema has
been able to provide steadily Nollywood movies
every week. Also, Silverbird has probably the largest collection of Nollywood movies and they screen
them longer than most other cinema houses. More
so, because of size and spread, this chain is one of
the two most used cinemas for Nollywood movie
premieres.
2. Genesis Deluxe Cinemas
This is the other
most preferred
destination for
Nollywood movie
premieres. Genesis
Deluxe
Cinemas are in
three strategic
locations and this has helped their appreciation of
Nollywood movies. They have a cinema house in the
South-West (Lagos), South-East (Enugu) and SouthSouth (Port Harcourt). While GDC is better known for
having the latest Nollywood movies as they arrive,
but what they don’t do is screen the movies for a
long time. They flow with the wind.
3.Film House Cinemas
With three
cinema houses (two in the
South-West
and one in
the South-South), Film House sure has a spread.
Yoruba movies screen for a longer duration than
other Nollywood films in its Ibadan branch.
4.Kada Cinema
INVESTMENT BANKER TURNED FILMMAKER
After over a decade in investment banking, I needed a different avenue for
self-expression and specifically wanted to contribute my ideas in the arena of
the local film industry.
INSPIRATION
I appreciate films that stimulate both intellect and emotion, and Michael Mann
(director of films such as Heat, Collateral and The Insider) is one of the most
adept practitioners of this level of art.
PROFITABILITY OF NOLLYWOOD
On the typical micro-budget, Nollywood is potentially profitable, but at the
budgetary levels required to achieve the production values requisite for not
only local cinema exhibition but also international festival selection, Nollywood
is definitely struggling. Paucity of available screens in the country, piracy risks
in DVD distribution and marginal popularity of online viewing make it hard for
investors to recoup their capital.
RENDER TO CAESAR
I functioned as writer, producer, director and also raised the requisite financing
as executive producer.
WRITING VS DIRECTING VS PRODUCING
I would probably lean more toward the purely creative functions of writing and
directing but appreciate the importance of producing to ensure that the original vision is protected right up to the end.
CHALLENGES ON THE WAY
Challenges were several, including raising the considerable amount of funds
required, securing the multitude of locations used, sound pollution from generators in filming vicinity and compressing a very aggressive shooting schedule into a 35-day window (with overseas-based lead actor only available for 2
weeks). Most of all, shooting right through Christmas and New Year (i.e. the
traditional time when everyone travels out for the festivities).
MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE ON SET
Located in the Edo state, Kada Cinemas is one with
an unusual dedication to Nollywood movies. Nollywood movies get a lot of screening here, but what is
surprising is that they screen older movie more than
the more recent titles.
5. Ozone Cinema
One does stand out particularly – whilst shooting a criminal chase scene in an
isolated area, a passing motorist saw the prop weapons in use, assumed that a
live robbery operation was in progress, and promptly ran her car into a nearby
ditch before taking off for dear life! Fortunately no one was hurt, she saw the
funny side of things after realising what was going on, and happily took pictures with our celebrity cast on set.
PRIVATE SECTOR IN NOLLYWOOD
Private sector can broaden and deepen the ongoing practice of product placement and sponsorship of local movies, albeit with greater subtlety in their
visibility to avoid turning off the very audience they are aiming to attract. However, all around the world it is the governments that serve as the lifeline to their
domestic industries by providing grants and other assistance on a transparent
basis.
FINAL WORDS
A decent cinema in a good location (Yaba, Lagos)
but when it comes to Nigerian content, the Ozone is
always found wanting. Nonetheless, new releases do
tend to get only one week of screening time before
they are removed.
Don’t compromise on quality no matter how long it takes – in the end, it’s
always worth it.
INTERVIEW: ISABELLA AKINSEYE
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DESMOND OVBIAGELE
13
2014 AFRICA MOVIE ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS
PHOTOS BY ISABELLA AKINSEYE
TOP (L - R) Peace Anyiam-Osigwe; Chidi Nwokeabia; Collins Talker; Temitope Ajayi; Isabella Akinseye.
BOTTOM (CLOCKWISE) Fred Amata, Norbert Ajaegbu, Fidelis Duker, Azuka Ogujiuba, Johnny Muteba, Bond Emeruwa and Chidi Nwokeabia; Azuka Ogujiuba, Mercy Michael and Mary Ekah; Chidi Nwokeabia, Fred Amata, Paul Obazele, Peace AnyiamOsigwe, Fathia Balogun, Lydia Forson, Chinwe Egwuagwu, Madu Chikwendu and singer; Lydia Forson, Shaibu Hussein and Bola
Aduwo.
DVD RELEASES
14
Maami and the complete Mainframe
collection now availabe on DVD
Award winning movie Maami produced by Tunde Kelani alongside other
Mainframe films was released on DVD during the 2014 Easter celebrations. The
movie which has shown at film festivals features Funke Akindele, Wole Ojo, Tamilore Kuboye, Tolani Abatti, Olumide Bakare, Fatai Rolling Dollar, Yinka Davies,
Kayode Balogun and Biodun Kupoluyi. The film which follows the life of a helpless mother and her son is based on Femi Osofisan’s novel of the same name
Maami.
Other DVDs also released included Ti Oluwa Nile 1, 2,3, Koseegbe, Agogo
Eewo, The Campus Queen, Saworoide, Thunderbolt (Magun), The Narrow
Path, Oleku and Arugba.
-ISABELLA AKINSEYE
TALENT ON THE RISE: JUMAFOR AJOGWU
What inspired you to produce Murder at
Prime Suites?
The same inspirations that make me do
other movies; transformational content,
inspired me to produce Murder at Prime
Suites.
Jumafor Ajogwu is a Nollywood screenwriter and producer. He speaks to us about
his latest effort Murder at Prime Suites
which was nominated for Best Nigerian Film
at the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Awards
Nominations.
What were some of the challenges you
faced and how did you overcome them?
Making a movie in Lagos State is always a
great challenge. The traffic can hinder you
from getting to your desired location but
this can be overcome with proper planning.
We set out a good plan for every stage of
the filmmaking and I think that was our escape route and of course, God.
Briefly describe your educational
background.
I have a B.Sc. in Zoology from Nnamdi Aziki- What should viewers expect from this
we University, Awka.
movie?
They can expect the extraordinary.
What inspired to get involved in filmmaking, in particular, producing?
What informed the casting of major NolI would first start by saying I started off as
lywood actors and the director?
a screenwriter. I have always loved writing
Every member of the cast in this movie desince the age of 10. When I came into film- served their role. We took a lot of time castmaking as a writer, I guess I didn’t have my ing and interviewing all of them. We wanted
scripts made the way it was written. So I
passion and professionalism and I think we
got it. The director doubled as the screenknew I had to develop and produce them.
writer so he knew exactly what he wanted. I
can also say that he is one of the best directors in the country.
What are your hobbies?
Football and writing. I support Man-U.
What is your take on the government’s
contributions to Nollywood?
The government needs to put good policies
in place to checkmate piracy and also, invest
in setting up more theatrical houses. It is
only by doing this that we can have value
for the efforts we put in in filmmaking.
Which other areas of filmmaking would
you like to explore?
I would love to explore directing but that is
still very far to come by. I will need to conquer my ambitions in producing first. I have
set targets.
What next should we expect from you?
Just expect something bigger.
INTERVIEW: ISABELLA AKINSEYE
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JUMAFOR
AJOGWU