OUR RICH DIVERSITY: A Celebratio​n of Nigerian Filmmaking

Bank of Industry & Nigeria Olympic Committee in collaboration with Lufodo Productions presents Nigeria Film festival celebrating 20 years of Nolloywood coming on August 7 & 8, 2012 at Nigeria House, Theatre Royal Stratford East, London.It has been 20 years since the release of Kenneth Nnebue's seminal and hugely influential film Living in Bondage.
Nigerians have been making movies for at least three decades, with the works of pioneering directors of the 1970s and 1980s like Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah and Hubert Ogunde, to show.
There is no doubt that Living in Bondage and other movies shot quickly and less expensively on video, heralded a new era for Nigerian movies. It is no longer news that in the past two decades, there has been exponential growth in both production of Nigerian movies and audiences for those movies. Nollywood, as the Nigerian film industry is popularly called, has become a globally recognised phenomenon. As technology advances and a new generation of filmmakers emerges, Nollywood is set for a future in which more sophisticated production values, more efficient distribution channels and above all, more innovative storytelling become the standard.

OUR RICH DIVERSITY: A celebration of Nigerian filmmaking is conceived as a 'mini' film festival, showcasing some of the most distinctive Nigerian filmmaking from the past and present. It is by no means exhaustive or even very comprehensive; that would require a much larger retrospective. As the title implies, we have simply set out to represent the incredible range and diversity of Nigerian movies, which is in turn a reflection of the rich diversity of the country itself.

The roster of filmmakers includes the veteran Tunde Kelani alongside the young talents Kenneth Gyang and Chris Ihidero. The producer/director Amaka Igwe and the writer/producer Emem Isong are representative of the ceiling-shattering force of women in the industry. The films themselves are richly varied: works from the early era of Nollywood mingle with recent releases, fictional narratives are paired with Femi Odugbemi's documentaries, locations range from Kano to Abeokuta to the highlands of Cross River, and stars like Ali Nuhu and Ini Edo share the screen with scores of emerging talents.

OUR RICH DIVERSITY: A Celebration of Nigerian Filmmaking is part of the cultural strand of New World Nigeria, an initiative of the Bank of Industry to promote Nigerian commerce and culture to the world during the 2012 London Olympics. This film festival has been organized by Lufodo Productions and is fully sponsored by the Bank of Industry.
The Bank of Industry (BOI) is one of Nigeria's oldest and largest development financing institutions, and is geared towards supporting and promoting the growth of Nigerian industry and enterprise. BOI has provided financing for commercial ventures in a variety of sectors, including energy, manufacturing, and media.

Lufodo Group is a full-fledged media and entertainment services company based in Lagos, Nigeria. Lufodo productions have included the film The Kingmaker and the celebrated stagings of Ahmed Yerima's Little Drops, and Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. The Lufodo Academy of the Performing Arts (LAPA) is the educational and training arm of Lufodo Productions.

August 7
1pm. Rattlesnake
4:30pm Blood and Henna
7:30pm Maami, preceded by Good People Great Nation

August 8
12:45pm Arugba, preceded by Oriki
4pm Violated, preceded by Big Daddy
7:30pm I'll Take my Chances

*All screenings will be followed by a brief Q&A with the filmmakers.
For tickets call Nigeria House on 0208 279 1177

Issued by DayoOlomuPR

More women are wanted in the Film Industry - Ego Boyo

 As a way of encouraging more women to venture into the film industry, Temple Productions is organised a workshop for women in film and those who are trying to break into the industry. The workshop held yesterday, December 3, 2009 in Lagos.

Reel Women: A workshop for Female Filmmakers, aimed at educating women creatively on the opportunities in film production.
“Women have always been involved in various aspects of film making and are becoming more and more involved in production. And now more than ever, opportunities exist because of the pioneering efforts of a few,” said Ego Boyo, veteran female actress and managing director of Temple Productions. “There is a need to maximize these opportunities by creating a forum to enlighten and empower women interested in a career in film and for those already in the Industry.”

Ego Boyo, who also doubles as the initiator of the Reel Women, described the workshop as “a passionate idea conceived to manage the challenges faced by female film makers.”

Organisers argue that the workshop will provide an invaluable opportunity for networking and a platform for mentorship by renowned film directors, producers, financiers, script writers, legal luminaries, and actresses in the industry, at no cost to the beneficiaries.

There will be discussions on issues like sexual harassment, talent development, and other salient challenges women go through in the film industry. The one-day workshop will also feature break out and mentoring sessions as well as speeches on a wide range of topics, like how to break into the industry, personal comportment, style, and everything in between.

Speakers at the workshop include film director and writer, Amaka Igwe; award winning actresses Kate Henshaw Nuttall and Joke Silva,  and Ifeoma Williams, an image consultant; and Sandra Oyewole, a Partner at Oyewole & Co, among others.

Speaking with one of the speakers at the workshop on the telephone yesterday, the person of Kate Henshaw Nuttall, ' the workshop was really fantastic, it went well and was such an interesting programme that people people did not even bother about the time. Hopefully, the workshop will be holding more often...she said, with a lot of excitement in her.

Temple Productions has been at the forefront of pioneering innovations in the film industry. The company recently signed a partnership agreement with a South African-based production company, to help enhance its output. It is now working with international film consultants to reinvigorate the Nigerian film industry with modern equipment and value added services. Temple Productions aims to produce internationally acceptable films in Nigeria.

Reel Women, Stand to be Counted!

Filmmakers must be very intelligent and broad-minded, with strong skills. Liberal arts study is so important. It makes you a fairly well rounded person. It exposes you to the languages, ethics, philosophy, history, and social sciences. Films are all about research and continual learning. Temple Productions unveiled plans for a workshop for women in film and those who are trying to break into the world of film tagged Reel Women: a workshop for female film makers.

The one day workshop which will take place on December 3, 2009 was conceived as a way of creatively educating women on the practicalities of life in film production; looking at the challenges women face in the industry and finding ways to surmount them.

Managing Director of Temple Productions, Ego Boyo, described the workshop as “a passionate idea conceived to manage the challenges faced by female film makers.”

“Women have always been involved in various aspects of film making and are becoming more and more involved in production, and now more than ever opportunities exist because of the pioneering efforts of a few. There is a need to maximize these opportunities by creating a forum to enlighten and empower women interested in a career in film and for those already in the Industry," she said.
As woman with plan to pursue filmmaking as a career, we will use this opportunity to meet and work with other filmmakers to make film that will screen at the largest film festival, Mrs. Boyo said.

However, filmmaking funding increasingly scarce and competition grows equally fierce, Reel Women stands out in the crowd, as real stories are more important. In the past, stories were forcibly silenced, but today, unheard stories spin to make a different on notions like “traditional values”, gender equality, abortion, issues like same-sex marriage and immigration, these stories are also a source of healing the larger community, she said.

According to Mrs. Boyo, ”Reel Women Film Workshop is fast-paced and packed with instruction. “Every hour, there is something different. It is very hands-on. There is an assignment every day.”

The workshop will provide an invaluable opportunity for networking and possible mentorship by renowned directors, producers, financiers, scriptwriters, legal luminaries, and actresses in the industry at no cost. Throughout the day there will be discussions, break out and mentoring sessions and speeches that will range in topic from how to break into the industry to comportment, style, and everything in between.

Speakers at the workshop include Renowned Film Director and writer, Amaka Igwe, Joke Silva, the popular actress whose acting school Lufodo Academy recently held its formal launch, Ifeoma Williams, an image consultant, multi-talented Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Sandra Oyewole, Partner, Oyewole & Co among others. 

 Temple productions partners with a South African based production company, now working with international film consultants in its bid to reinvigorate the Nigerian film industry. With new equipment and value added services, Temple productions believe it can play a very pivotal role in producing internationally acceptable films in Nigeria



Source: http://nigeriafilms.com