African Movies

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‘Where The River Divides’ Makes its Debut in Uganda.

The 2023 Kenyan film, Where The River Divides was screened in Uganda during the Transform Leaders’ Gathering 2023, put together by Worship Harvest Church in Kampala on September 1st and 2nd. 

The film is based on a true story from 1979 in Kenya. It premiered at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thimlich Ohniga, Migori County on August 11, 2023, and at Anga Cinemas Diamond Plaza 2 in Parklands in Nairobi on August 15th.

The film ‘Where The River Divides’ explores the story of the son of a clan leader who returns to his village following his baptism and must choose whether to inherit his father’s legacy or fulfill his newfound dream and risk his life. 

The captivating story explores the great themes of truth, faith, fear, family, sacrifices, treachery, culture, and responsibility while being set against the majestic Thimlich Ohinga.

In the film, the son of the revered clan head after receiving baptism, finds himself divided between two opposing directions. On the one hand, he will inherit his father’s prestigious legacy, a position that comes with expectations, customs, and duties. 

On the other hand, he must contend with the pull of a recently discovered purpose that draws him toward a destiny that is uncertain, one that calls for enormous courage and may endanger his life. 

‘Where The River Divides’ was originally filmed in Dholuo and has also been dubbed in both Kiswahili and English, ensuring that its narrative can be appreciated by global audiences. This decision is consistent with the movie’s underlying concept of interconnectedness and universal human experiences that cut through linguistic barriers.

The film’s producer, Ms. Matrid Nyagah said, “‘Where The River Divides’ is more than a film, it is an emotional journey that urges us to contemplate the choices that define our existence. It is a testament to the power of compassion and understanding, even in the face of monumental challenges.”

Currently, the film is available for streaming in 195 countries and territories of the world, exclusively via Digital Cinema Extension.

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“Naija to The World” Tour Confirmed.

Organizers of the event “Naija to the World” confirmed today, that ‘Naija To The World’, the innovative pro-Nigeria showcase kicking off with a premiere dedicated to the Niger Delta, will tour multiple cities and venues, over 12 months, in response to feedback on the original announcement for a New York City Apollo debut. 

This was confirmed in a statement today by Efe Omorogbe, CEO of BuckWyld Media. Omorogbe says the tour will span Nigeria, Europe, and the United States of America. A full list of programming is set to be released when the producers convene in New York City for a flag-off media launch on September 16, 2023.

 Naija To The World was created by Buckwyld Media and BHM as a platform to provide an alternative narrative to the stories out there about Nigeria and Nigerians as part of an ongoing initiative to help the world understand and engage better with the country responsible for two of the world’s leading creative industries – music and film. 

 And a Niger Delta debut, organizers say, helps pay tribute to a region mostly known for crude oil, militancy, and protests with most not aware of its tremendous contribution to arts and culture, music, film, and fashion for over 100 years. At least 50 percent of the current crop of leading talents and executives in Nigeria’s creative industry are from the region; with top names including Burna Boy, Rema, and Timaya.

 “We want to provide an inaugural event that not only celebrates the incredible talent emerging from the Niger Delta but also captures the essence of its unique stories and heritage,” Omorogbe adds.

Performances and exhibitions will not only showcase the rich cultural heritage and inspiring stories of the Niger Delta but will also take audiences on a transcendent journey that spotlights the region’s unique artistic brilliance.

“We are thrilled to announce that ‘Naija To The World’ will embark on a 12-month journey, crisscrossing Nigeria, Europe, and America,” says Efe Omorogbe, Chief Executive Officer, Buckwyld Media Network (BMN), organizers of the event.

 “This extended tour allows us to offer a comprehensive exploration of the Niger Delta’s cultural tapestry to audiences worldwide. It is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible talent emerging from the region and share its unique stories and heritage,” Efe adds.

 The flag-off event, scheduled to take place in New York City, will serve as the inaugural moment of the tour. During this event, organizers will unveil the tour’s itinerary, innovative format, and thrilling surprises. It will be a vibrant celebration of the cultural richness of the Niger Delta and its profound influence on the world stage.

 Over 1,500 lucky fans will witness this historic series of events live, while an additional 10 million viewers worldwide will tune in through broadcast partners spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

 

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Zimbabwean Film Curator Reappointed as AMAA President Jury.

Keith Shiri, a Zimbabwean-born international film curator and programme advisor currently residing in the UK, has been reappointed by the Board of the Africa Film Academy (AFA), the organisation behind the Africa Movie Academy Awards, also known as AMAA, as President of the Jury for the 19th edition of the top and most prestigious film award in Africa.

 

The 12-person board of international jurors for the prizes in 2022 was presided over by Shiri, a consultant to various international film festivals.

 

The well-traveled and well-known film programmer is anticipated to again serve as the AMAA Jury’s leader in selecting nominations and ultimate winners in the 26 categories of the 2023 AMAAs, which are set to take place in Lagos in October.

 

Filmmaker John Akomfrah, filmmaker Berni Goldblat, ambassador and former minister of culture for Burkina Faso Phillipe Savadego, and international film curator and programmer for the Berlin International Film Festival Dorothee Wenner are all members of the AMAA jury. Others include Dr. Shaibu Husseini, the executive director of the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles, Charles Brunnet, an award-winning filmmaker, and Hon. Steve Ayorinde, a journalist, author, and former commissioner of culture in the state of Lagos. Asentewa Olatunji, Professor Hyginus Ekwuazi, who served as the former managing director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), and Ayoku Babu are co-founders of PAFF.

 


“We are very excited to welcome Keith Shiri back as President of Jury for 2023. AMAA has a tradition where Jurors have an opportunity to preside over the jury for two editions running. Recall that Hon. Steve Ayorinde was jury President for 2020 and 2021 edition. So we are sustaining that tradition by further extending the tenure of Keith Shiri who is a founding juror at the AMAA and a promoter of African art and film as the president of the AMAA 2023 Jury,” said Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, on behalf of the Africa Film Academy.

He also said “Keith’s experience and vast knowledge of African Films which has spanned over 3 decades coupled with his expertise which has seen him serve in different international organizations made him a great fit for this position. We look forward to continuing our strong ties with the board of jurors at the academy under his leadership as President of the Jury.”

In response to the news of his reappointment, Shiri, who is currently curating the Icons of the Africa Centre Series for the illustrious London-based cultural institution, thanked the AFA board for the honour but expressed sadness that he will be presiding over a jury in the first edition without the founder and CEO Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. Said Shiri ‘ I don’t know what to say but of course it is rather sad to preside over this first edition without our CEO, founder and sister Peace Ogechi Marie Anyiam-Osigwe. But we have an award to deliver and deliver we must”.

Shiri was a member of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund from 2004 to 2007 and a trainer for Esodoc/EU (European Social Documentary), a programme for documentary filmmakers. Shiri is currently a consultant on film business development for the International Trade Centre (ITC), an agency of the United Nations that is currently implementing an initiative to promote film exports from the Caribbean to the UK and European markets. He has served on the advisory board of the Focus Features Africa First scheme in New York, which assisted budding African filmmakers through its mentorship scheme, and as an expert advisor for the EU-ACP programme for the ACP cinema.

For this year’s award, there were over 368 submissions.

However, the selection committee, led by Dr. Shaibu Husseini, recommended 102 films from various genres to the AMAA jury for nominations. According to Shaibu, the Nominations will be revealed on September 20.

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First African Animated Series Launches on Netflix.

In a premiere that has been predicted to open doors for additional projects from the continent, Netflix released its first original animated series from Africa.

“Supa Team 4,” which just made its Netflix debut on the 20th of July. It tells the tale of four teenage girls who became undercover superheroes after being hired by a retired secret agent to save the world. The plot is set in a futuristic version of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.

Netflix announced in April, that it intends to increase its presence across the continent and give “more African storytellers an amplified voice on the global stage,” according to Black Wall Street Times.

Malenga Mulendema, a writer from Zambia and the brain behind the series, said, “I’m excited that the world finally gets to see the fantastic show that the incredibly talented super team, from Africa and beyond, have put together. We hope ‘Supa Team 4’… will lead to further investments and collaborations so we can continue to grow the industry.”

Mulendema came up with the idea for the show while competing in Triggerfish’s pan-African talent competition, where she was one of the winners in 2015.

She mentioned that she chose to base the plot on her native country to “illustrate that anyone from anywhere can be a superhero” when the show was first announced in 2019.

Supa Team 4’s voice cast has a talented mix of African and foreign actors. In addition to Pamela Nomvete, the cast also includes Zowa Ngwira, John Kani, Kimani Arthur, Nancy Sekhokoane, John MacMillan, Namisa Mdlalose, Ashley Zhangazha, Yinka Awoni, and Thabe Ntebe.

Okay, Africa noted that Zambian singer and rapper, Sampa the Great, also joined the voice cast and contributed to the theme tune.

“(Animation) series shaped our childhoods and to know young Zambians get to see what they’ve never seen on TV before is Amazing!!” he posted on Instagram.

Additionally, The secret agent, Mama K, is voiced by Linda Sokhulu in the series’ isiZulu dub.

Malenga Mulendema was recently signed by David Neumann’s management organization, Newmation, which represents animators working in cinema and television, according to Deadline.

She joins Newmation after the firm signed Ziki Nelson, the creator of the upcoming African-themed animated comic book series, Iwáj, for Disney+.

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Egyptian Actor to Receive Award for Excellence.

At the 45th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), which will take place from November 15–24 at the Cairo Opera House, the acclaimed actor Ahmed Ezz will receive the Faten Hamama Award for Excellence.

 

At the 2023 edition, Egyptian actor Ahmed Ezz will receive the Faten Hamama Award for Excellence from the Cairo International Film Festival.

 

Ezz, 51, was chosen “in appreciation of what he presented throughout his artistic career that began at the end of the nineties,” according to a statement released by the CIFF on Sunday.

 

“We are interested in encouraging artists who have presented a lot to Egyptian cinema,” commented the CIFF President Hussein Fahmy adding, “we are so glad of this honouring ceremony to come, and we surely wish him success in what comes next.”

 

The CIFF Director Amir Ramses described Ezz as “an artist who ventured a lot, presenting different genres of films than those that used to top the box office, especially since comedies have been at the forefront of the box office for so many years.”

 

“Ezz was able to achieve great success, beginning with his cooperation with director Sandra Nashat and his work with the great director Sherif Arafa in more than one film, as well as the great director Marwan Hamed, and I truly believe that he is a distinctive artist in his choices and deserves this award for sure,” Ramses added.

 

The actor expressed his thanks for the honor and saw it as a timely message of inspiration for his future professional decisions because he felt he still had more to contribute to the world of art.

 

“Granting me this award is a message that approached me at the right time to encourage me to build a better future and career choices,” stated Ahmed Ezz, adding, “I have not presented everything I dream of yet.”

 

After working as a model and in the hospitality sector, Ahmed Ezz began his film career in 2001 with appearances in El-Sharaf and Night Talk before making his breakthrough in the contentious Enas El Degheidy film A Teenager’s Diary. Ezz is an arts faculty graduate of Ain Shams University.

 

Ahmed Ezz’s career took off after appearing in well-known movies including Day of Dignity by Ali Abdel-Khaleq, Sana Oula Nasb by Kamla Abou Zekry, and Girls in Love by Khaled Al-Hajar. With Sandra Nashat’s 2005 film Malaky Alexandria, he became a household name at the box office.

 

On important movies like The Hostage (2006), Transit Prisoner (2008), and Al Maslaha (2012), Ezz worked alongside Sandra Nashat. Additionally, he collaborated with filmmakers Amr Arafa on The Ghost (2007) and Dream of Aziz (2012), Ahmed Alaa El-Deeb on Badal Faked (2009) and Al-Aref (2021), and Saeed El-Marouk on 365 Days of Happiness.

 

Together with Tarek El-Arian, Ezz created a fruitful musical collaboration that produced successes including Awlad Rizk (2015), Awlad Rizk 2 (2017), and The Cell (2018).

 

Ezz cemented his fame by portraying the War of Attrition heroes in Sherif Arafa’s 2019 film The Passage. With Arafa, he continued to work together in The Crime (2022).

 

With multiple box office records-breaking movies, including the most recent Kira & El-Gin (2022), directed by Marwan Hamed, Ezz has irrevocably changed the Egyptian cinema industry.

 

The CIFF occupies a significant position as the oldest and most frequent film festival in the Arab world and Africa. Additionally, it is the only festival in the Arab and African continents that has been approved by the International Federation of Producers (FIAPF) for category A status.



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Morocco’s ‘Mother of All Lies’ Scoops Top Prize at Sydney Film Festival.

  • The docu-drama won the Best Picture Award and a cash prize of $41,000.

A documentary drama titled ‘The Mother of All Lies’ by Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir won the top prize at the 70th Sydney Film Festival (SFF) which included an award for Best Picture, a cash award of A$60,000 ($41000) and an appraisal by the jury head Anurag Kashyap for “the courage of choosing a theme perhaps willfully obliterated from public memory”.

The film which explores the 1981 massacre in Casablanca through interviews and interactions with the director’s family and former neighbors, using tiny models of them and a miniature set of their former street made by her father earned El Moudir Best Director when it was premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.

During the official closing night of the SFF at The State Theatre, a series of prizes were presented on Sunday, 18th June with further screenings of popular films to be aired on Monday. 

“Juxtaposing evidence from barely existent public materials with private family memory, this film reconstructs the history of the state, the family and the individual, in three distinct levels,” said the jury of Kashyap, actor Mia Wasikowska (Australia), film curator and journalist Dorothee Wenner (Germany), writer and director Larissa Behrendt (Australia) and filmmaker Visakesa Chandrasekaram (Australia – Sri Lanka).

Also, Against The Tide, a documentary directed by Indias Sarvnik Kaur that explores two indigenous Mumbai fishermen affected by declining fish numbers despite very different approaches to their trade scooped the A$40,000 ($27,400) Sustainable Future Award, the largest environmental prize award in the world. The money was donated by five environmental activists.

Five awards were given for short films as well. The AFTRS Craft Awards for the best practitioner (a A$7,000 cash prize) was awarded to Kalu Oji, Faro Musodza, and Makwaya Masudi, screenwriters for “What’s In a Name?” Robyn Liu, lead actor in ‘The Dancing Girl and the Balloon Man’ scooped the first Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award with a cash prize of A$7,000.

The A$7,000 Dendy Live Action Short Award was awarded to “The Dancing Girl and the Balloon Man,” directed by David Ma. The A$7,000 Rouben Mamoulian Award for best director was presented to Sophie Somerville, director of “Linda 4 Eva,” while the A$5,000 Yoram Gross Animation Award was awarded to “Teacups,” directed by Alec Green and Finbar Watson.

According to Frances Wallace, CEO of Sydney Film Festival, “This year’s festival was a huge success with a great number of film fans returning to the cinemas in 2023 attending over 400 film screenings, special events and talks. This year we presented 242 incredible films from across the globe and audiences were eager to take part in the festivities with over 100 sold-out sessions.”

The event, which took place between June 7 and 18, will now travel. As part of the Traveling Film Festival, selections will be screened at seven New South Wales locales, including Newcastle, Orange, Port Macquarie, and Sawtell, through October 2023.

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Tanzania Film Industry Sees “New Dawn” with BFIC.

  • Chana says the film industry is heading for a new dawn because of the agreement. 
  • The agreement through film production will bring about the visibility of the country’s culture and tourism worldwide.

A partnership agreement has been signed by Tanzania through the Film Board with the Institute of International Cooperation (BFIC) from South Korea to improve the country’s film industry by organizing and producing quality films.

The Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Pindi Chana who witnessed the signing of the agreement in Dodoma said that the agreement will help to create opportunities for film stakeholders to get professional training on how to make films quality enough to win markets in domestic and foreign countries.

While giving her remarks, Chana expressed appreciation to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for giving priority to the film industry, noting that the agreement will give rise to the number and quality of films produced due to the use of modern technology. She said in Africa the Tanzania film industry is among the best, heralded by Nigeria, “producing four films per day”.

She established that by reason of the agreement being concluded, “the film industry is heading for a new dawn” because the films support the introduction of the country’s culture and tourism worldwide. She noted that the agreement is quite beneficial, as it will benefit all the stakeholders of the industry.

In order for the world to have a better understanding of Tanzania, Chana urged the film production companies to make sure the films reflect Tanzania’s ideals and support the Kiswahili language and culture.

According to Chi Lee, Deputy Secretary General of the Institute, the institute is prepared to assist Tanzania in the film business by providing professionals who will train Tanzania actors and producers. “The agreement is a huge success enhanced by good cooperation between Tanzania and South Korea, which has shown commitment to cooperate with Tanzania in the development of the film industry”, he said.

On the part of the Institute, he said that the agreement will be of great benefit to them as it will provide a chance to learn how to create films that have value in Tanzania.

He concluded by saying “Films can be used as initial instruction or building. During facilitation, students may need background information or interest-building activities, and adding a movie can build interest in a topic that is learned while providing a huge knowledge to the students more on what is been taught”.

 

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AMVCA 2023: RMD, Brotherhood, others eye best movie, actor as full nominees list emerges.

Source: https://www.dstv.com/africamagic/en-ng/home
  • The full list of nominees for the 9th edition of the AMVCA has since been generating a lot of reactions from lovers of entertainment and the screen.
  • The organizers of the event, the contenders, and the voters or viewers are all hyped up for the big day.
  • The voting categories are open to the public on AMVCA (dstv.com).

 

Stars headlining nominations for the highly awaited 9th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, AMVCA, 2023 include Chidi Mokeme, Tobi Bakare, Bimbo Ademoye, and others. MultiChoice, the organizers of the awards, on the evening of Sunday, April 16, 2023, released a comprehensive list detailing the various categories and the nominees ahead of the significant event, and different African news platforms have since been stirred.

 

Chidi Mokeme in Shanty Town. Source: www.pulse.ng

 

AfriSQuare gathered that digital content creators in Nollywood, and in Africa generally, have also earned recognition; this shows an expansion in the annual event’s scope, which traditionally recognizes outstanding performances in film, television, and entertainment.  The nominees are spread across more than 30 award categories, some of the categories, about ten of them, are open to the public; voters from the general public can choose their preferred nominees, while some other categories are to be decided by a panel of judges set up by the organizers. The event itself is scheduled to hold from the 18th to the 20th of May 2023, in Lagos State, Nigeria, and will be broadcast live on Africa Magic channels.

Source: AMVCA (dstv.com)

 

The AMVCA has grown into a premium event that acknowledges outstanding accomplishments in African television and film. This year, numerous talented actors and actresses across Africa, all contending for awards in different categories, will feature. The list of nominees contains talented film makers as well as prominent actors and actresses such as Nkem Owoh, Mercy Johnson, Chinedu Ikedieze, Chidi Mokeme, Richard Mofe Damijo, and several others. A number of movies and television series have also been nominated for awards, including ‘Brotherhood’ directed by Jade Osiberu, ‘Ile Owo’ directed by Kayode Kasum, among others.

 

According to the organizers, talented Big Brother Naija alumnus, Bisola Aiyeola and Ghanaian actor, Adjetey Anang, will be the main hosts for this year’s award show. There are several ways to vote for nominees of different categories. Members of the public are encouraged to cast their votes for their favorites as this could make them big winners of any of the public voting categories on awards night. To vote, one must register first before they can get behind their favorite nominees for the ninth edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.

Adjetey Anang and Bisola Aiyeola, the event’s hosts. Source: AMVCA (dstv.com)  

 

To see the full list of nominees, as well as to register and vote for your favorites, the AMVCA site AMVCA (dstv.com) will come in handy. Feel free to visit. Also, share with us, here in the comment section under this post, who you think should win what awards. Is anyone on the nominees list who should not be there? Is there someone who should have been on the list? What do you think of the nominees and the categories? What do you think about the inclusion of online content makers in the mix? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section, even as you share the post with your friends.

 

 

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Netflix to Expand Operations in Africa Amid Success of Local Shows

On Wednesday, the global streaming giant, Netflix announced its intentions to widen its operations in Africa, following the success of its local content production ventures in the continent, including the South African drama “Blood and Water”. Netflix, since 2016 has infused an amount of 160 million euros in film content production in Africa, which has created more than 12,000 jobs in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. 

                                                   

According to a report which gave no details on the scale of its African plans, the company said that $63 million had been set aside for South Africa alone in 2022/2023. It said, “Expanding our business here is good for Netflix”.

The South African series “Blood and Water” has been lauded for its significant international achievement in 2020, ranking first in the United States and currently making South Africa Netflix’s top African contributor. This prompted the move for Netflix’s expansion in Africa.

At a press conference in Johannesburg, Netflix’s sub-Saharan Africa Policy Director, Shola Sanni said “This is the start, we plan to reach more countries on the continent”. The company noted that as they build on these accomplishments to expand the business, they will continue to invest in local create economies and provide more African storytellers with louder voices on the international stage.

Over recent years, Netflix has decided on broadening its production outside the United States. The move is expected to help Netflix establish itself as a dominant player in the African market, where there is an increased demand for local content and rising competition from other streaming platforms. It also provides an opportunity to showcase African stories to a global audience.

The company partnered with the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO in 2021 to sponsor the launch of an innovative short film competition for young African directors, with which six short movies were selected. This enabled the discovery of new voices in African cinema.

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KENYA TO BENEFIT FROM HOSTING SUMMIT.

The climate action summit is scheduled from September 4th to September 6th in Nairobi. This summit intends to advance a green economic upswing and green industrial revolution and foster agreement on critical climate problems. It also seeks to encourage enhanced financial support for climate action in Africa and make the most of already established continental platforms like the African Continental Free Trade Area. This gathering will unite world leaders to discuss crucial climate change-related concerns. The decision for Kenya to host was decided during the 2023 African Union Summit held last month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President William Ruto made the announcement.

 

 

Currently, President Ruto is the leader of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change. For Kenya, hosting the summit is more than just the prestige, it offers them the unique chance to highlight the nation’s initiatives to address climate change and promote sustainable development. It will put the nation at the forefront of discussions about the financing of climate action.  The country, viewed as one of the leaders in combating climate change, has accomplished a big deal in climate change response and its standing and influence globally are anticipated to grow as a result.

 

 

This will also allow Kenya to showcase its successes in putting sustainability policies and practices to the test, which the country has already achieved considerable advancements in this area. There have been programs like Climate Smart Agriculture and the ambitious National Climate Change Action Plan.

 

 

Its ability to host the summit will strengthen its position as a leader in the battle against climate change while highlighting its dedication to building a sustainable future.

 

 

 

The summit will provide decision-makers such as governments and the private sector with a platform to discuss important climate change-related topics like loss and damage, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and switching to a low-carbon economy. 

 

 

Kenya will play a significant role in these debates given its experience coping with the implications of climate change in areas like agriculture, water resources, and wildlife conservation. President Ruto has already mentioned the need for African countries to join the call for reforms in the inequitable and inadequate global economic and financial system. The summit may also draw new investments in green technologies and clean energy, which will lead to new jobs and promote Kenya’s sustainable development objectives.

 

 

Additionally, delegates worldwide will require accommodation, transportation, and other services during their stay. Therefore, the event is anticipated to boost the nation’s economy.  Overall, the summit presents a unique opportunity for Kenya and the Global South to lead the way in climate action and forge innovative partnerships with the private sector. This can boost the country’s economy through new investments in green technologies and clean energy. 

 

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Netflix, UNESCO Discovers New Voices in African Cinema.

In 2021, American streaming platform, Netflix and UN cultural agency UNESCO partnered to launch an innovative short film competition on ‘African Folktales Re-imagined’ across Sub-Saharan Africa. The winners of the competition were trained and mentored by industry professionals and provided with a $75,000 production budget to create short films as an “Anthology of African folktales”.

Following a selection from more than 2000 applications from 13 countries in the sub-Saharan Africa region, six filmmakers were selected. ‘Katera of the Punishment Island’, directed by Ugandan Loukman Ali is among the six short films co-sponsored on the continent by Netflix and UNESCO.

The competition was aimed to discover new voices in African cinema and to give emerging filmmakers in Sub-Saharan Africa visibility on a global scale. It was also to find the bravest, wittiest, and most surprising retellings of some of Africa’s most-loved folktales and share them with entertainment fans across 190 countries in the world.

“Katera of the Punishment Island” is a revenge thriller where a mother turns into a ruthless vigilante, tracking down and drowning a soldier who has killed her baby in an explosion of violence and jubilation.

The 32-year-old director of the short film, Loukman Ali said is a worthy representative of a new generation of African filmmakers, who grew up on a diet of mainstream cinema and “want to be seen by as many as people as possible”, scorning so-called genre films. Loukman explained that he embraced cinema as a form of escapism and a way to forget the poverty surrounding him as he was growing up.

The five other young African filmmakers who were selected by the scheme and also partook in the benefits include “Anyango and the Ogre” by Kenyan Voline Ogutu, Zabin Halima (Halima’s Choice) by Nigerian Korede Azeez, “Katope” by Tanzanian Walt Mzengi Corey, “MaMlambo” by South African Gcobica Yako, and “Enmity Dijnn” by Mauritanian Mohamed Echkouna.

“Enmity Dijnn” is about an ancient Enmity Dijnn who finds himself in an unfamiliar city confronted by a familiar foe, three generations after he was last summoned. “Katope” is about a young child with magical origins who sets out on a journey to help end the drought that is devastating the community, while “MaMlambo” is about a mystical river being that watched over the sacred waters of discarded bodies.

Each of these African filmmakers was partnered with a local production company and was under the guidance of Netflix-appointed supervising producer, Steven Markovish from Big World Cinema. 

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Play-network recreates more African classics.

  • Nigerian classic films from the early nineties have been reemerging with colorful facelifts.
  • One Nigerian brand is at the forefront of some of these remakes.
  • With a list of remakes, biopics, and originals, Play-network has kept African film lovers curious.

 

Charles Okpaleke’s Play-network studios in Nigeria has acquired the rights to yet another Nollywood classic, Karishika, adding to its long list of Nollywood remakes and sequels. The media and hospitality entrepreneur confirmed the procurement of 1996 Nollywood classic ‘Karishika’ and went on to invite skilled horror filmmakers to get aboard the project.

 

On one of his social media pages Okpaleke said, “I’m putting together a team of horror film makers. Kindly recommend a Director, DOP, team of script writers etc, with relevant skills that I can work with. I acquired IP rights to Karishika and I wish to work with creatives specialized in horror films.” ‘Karashika’ is a classic Nollywood horror movie dwelling on witchcraft, temptations and its punishments. The classic hit warmed its way into people’s hearts with stars like Becky Okorie featuring in it; it was directed by Christian Onu.

 

 

In addition to the horror classic, the company had also announced that a new movie, in collaboration with Ramsey Nouah, titled ‘Igbo Landing’ will be out in coming months. Sharing the news on social media, the CEO wrote, “Play Network Studios and Ramsey Films will be embarking on another epoch-making journey down history lane”.

 

The history of the Igbos, from Eastern Nigeria, will be incomplete without mentioning the tragic story of the mass suicide in 1803 when about 75 Igbo people who felt they had taken too much from the slavers who took them on a torturous three-month journey from West Africa to St. Simons Island. They thought drowning themselves along with their captors in the sea, rather than living as slaves, was a better option. This singular act has made the Igbo Landing, according to many, the first major freedom march in America’s history.

 

 

With ‘Igbo Landing’ premiering in 2025, the company has commenced casting for ‘Hijack 93’. The forthcoming film is based on a true-life story about four Nigerian teenagers who hijacked a plane to protest the annulment of the 1993 presidential elections. The historic October 25, 1993, event, involved Richard Ogunderu, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal taking over a Nigerian Airways plane enroute Abuja from Lagos forcing its pilots to land in Niger republic. Their audacious move was an attempt to force the government to hand over power to MKO Abiola.

 

In the past 3 years, Play-network studios has continued to create and successfully market some of the Nigeria’s biggest remakes; From living in Bondage, Aki and Pawpaw, Nneka the pretty serpent, to Glamour girls amongst others. Many fans are certainly looking forward to seeing more reboots especially the six titles the studios has planned between 2023/2024 including one classic remake, a sequel, two biopics and original stories – Diamond Ring (Remake), Glamour Girls (Sequel), King Jaja of Opobo, Shina Rambo, The Six, and Hijack 93.

 

 

‘Hijack 93,’ stands prominent on the list of new films from the company, followed by the company’s first original creation ‘The Six’ whispered to be a continuation of the story of Richard Williams, played by Ramsey Nouah, the weird, charismatic leader of a cult. The studio also acquired full rights to remake the 1998 classic thriller ‘Diamond Ring’, directed by Tade Ogidan, which tells the tale of a talented freshman at the university who goes on to join the wrong association and is enticed into stealing a dead woman’s diamond ring. Awful aftermaths followed shortly after the stealing. Teju Babyface debuted in a leading role and was supported by Sola Sobowale, Richard Mofe Damijo, Liz Benson, Bukky Ajayi and Bimbo Akintola.

 

Jaja of Opobo and Shina Rambo inspired two biopics, and they are followed by the sequel of the ‘Glamour Girls’.

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Okocha’s story finds expression in “Jay Jay: The Chosen One”.

 

  • Jay Jay Okocha is considered by many as the kind of player that shows up once in several decades.
  • His impact in the game of soccer is not easy to erase.
  • More and more people, especially from younger generations, will identify with his exploits after seeing the creative work put together in honor of this icon.

 

Former Nigerian super-star footballer, Augustine Jay Jay Okocha, after more than a decade of hanging his playing boots, will be back on screen, this time he will neither be playing soccer nor playing the role of a pundit for media houses during key matches; he will have his story retold in an animated series titled ‘Jay Jay: The Chosen One.’ Fans of the international sports star will be treated to 13 episodes of Okocha’s passion for football and his love for the animal kingdom which bestows superpowers on him in return for his fight against illegal poaching; all simulated in this enthralling animated series.

 

Reports say that the show is essentially a reimagining of his childhood days. This Showmax’s first attempt at creating an original animated series will spotlight an 11-year-old Okocha and his dreams of playing for his school at a significant football contest with a team composed of his rag-tag friends. The series parades a robust Nigerian cast, led by Prince Unigwe who plays Jay Jay, along-side veteran actor Chinedu Ikedieze of the hilarious ‘Aki and PawPaw’ fame, Samuel Ajibola, Eric Obinna, Pamilerin Ayodeji, and others.

 

 

The icon did not hide his excitement; he says he feels quite celebrated and even animated about the idea to create an animation that recreates his childhood. About the work, Okocha said, “I’m honored to have an animated series that reimagines my childhood. Jay Jay: The Chosen One is going to bring back good childhood memories as well as inspire young children who have dreams to be football players.”

 

Jay Jay featured quite prominently in three World Cups for the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, between 1993 and 2006, and led the same national team to Olympic victory at the games in Atlanta, in 1996. Jay Jay: The Chosen One stands out as an apt acknowledgement of Okocha’s input to football, in Nigeria and globally. It represents his lasting legacy in the global soccer scene. The talented playmaker was a member of the Super Eagles squad that lifted the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Tunisia, in 1994; he has about 73 caps to his name.

 

 

At club level, Jay Jay had successful sessions in Turkey, for Fenerbahce. He also frequently featured flagrantly in France’s PSG fixtures, and for English Premier League side Bolton Wanderers. Okocha also played prominently in Germany and Qatar, then, finally retired in the United Kingdom in 2008 after his stint with Hull City. He is regarded as one of the most skillful offensive midfielders the game of football has ever seen; an all-time great, and he is also considered by a lot of people as the greatest footballer to ever emerge from Nigeria.

 

For Showmax, the series, which will be produced by Nihilent Limited alongside 5th Dimension as well as animation studio I-Realities, is the first shot at creating an animated work. They said, through a spokesperson, that the show would “give Nigerian children of all ages the opportunity to see themselves represented in animated form which is positive, humorous and educational” and “enchant and motivate kids across our continent through fantasy adventures as well as the power of sport.”

 

 

Ms. Yolisa Phahle, CEO of Showmax and Connected Video at MultiChoice says, “Not only is Jay Jay: The Chosen One another locally inspired Showmax Original, it marks the beginning of our adventures in animation. This is a show we believe will find audiences globally and shines the spotlight on yet another world-class African achiever that we hope will be enjoyed by kids and the entire family.”

 

Nihilent Limited’s director and Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. LC Singh, said, “I always knew that creating a sports-based animation series for kids would be challenging and rewarding at the same time. The amount of work that goes into every single frame is immense, but seeing the final product come to life makes it all worth it.”

 

The launch of the series has left many fans of the icon as elated as he is.  Watch the trailer of the creative work here https://youtu.be/Bk840Nt-0ls .

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Two African Multimedia Moguls Partner to Develop Film and TV Industry in Africa

  • Mo Abudu and Idris Elba collaborate through their production firms to develop the television and movie industries across Africa.
  • The collaboration aims to mentor creatives and bring African stories to the world stage.

Nigerian media mogul Mosunmola Abudu popularly known as Mo Abudu and Hollywood actor Idris Elba are collaborating to encourage and elevate talent from Africa and the Diaspora through their production firms Ebonylife Media and Green Door Films. The collaboration strives to develop the television and movie industries across Africa and to bring “stories from Africa and the African diaspora to the world stage”.

 

Mo Abudu is one of the Most Powerful Women named according to Forbes, she was also listed as one of the Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Global Entertainment by the Hollywood Reporter. She is the founder of EbonyLife Media, which consists of EbonyLife TV, Ebonylife Film, and EbonyLife Studios. The media conglomerate is responsible for three of the five highest-grossing Nollywood movies – Chief Daddy, The Wedding Party, and its sequel.

 

The “Luther” actor, Idris Elba is an award-winning producer and director. He created Green Door Films to bring more diverse storytelling to the world’s audience after he noticed that he did not see the world in which he grew up on TV. Elba said in a press release that he has always been driven to use his platform to create a positive influence.

 

Abudu and Elba have promised to work with their respective production companies, EbonyLife Media and Green Door Pictures, to increase capacity and promote real representation in upcoming international motion pictures and television shows. “By partnering with Mo, we aim to offer free, world-class industry education to the next generation of storytellers and bring their authentic voices to the forefront”, Elba said.

 

He continued saying “this partnership is a step towards creating a more inclusive and diverse media landscape, one that represents the voices and experiences of Africa and its Diaspora around the world”. The two also discussed a two-fold strategy that would bring education and mentoring projects to support young people and senior creative professionals the chance to demonstrate their skills and convey their stories, as well as help in large-scale productions.

 

“We believe that Africa has the talent and the stories to captivate the world. We plan to hit the ground running and explore the very best that African and Black stories have to offer global audiences”, Mo Abudu said in a statement.

 

According to the press release of the partnership, it will also include education and assistance through EbonyLife’s Creative Academy in Lagos, Nigeria. It also stated that the model used to create this facility will be recreated across the continent, and will assist graduates.

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EGYPT: AIWFF ANNOUNCES 61 FILMS TO COMPETE AT ITS SEVEN EDITION

  • Aswan International Women’s Film Festival announces 61 films to compete in the seventh edition.

  • The seventh edition of the Festival will take place from 5 to 10 March at the upper Egyptian city and will honor a Spanish actress.

  • 10 films were selected for the feature film competition.


The seventh edition of the Aswan International Women’s Film Festival (AIWFF) will feature 61 films, nine of which are world premieres, the organisation announced.

 

The chosen movies will compete in six different events in the Upper Egyptian city from 5th March to 10th March, 2023.

 

In addition to the 11 films created during the festival’s workshops and the 12 films in the children’s film program, there are ten films competing in the feature film competition, 18 in the short film competition, five in the Egyptian film competition, and seven in the impact competition. 

 

The seventh AIWFF will commemorate Spanish actress Cuca Escribano, Dutch director Mijke de Jong, Tunisian director Selma Baaccar, Egyptian actress Nabila Ebeid, and Egyptian media personality Dorria Sharaf El-Din.

 

Including the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and Aswan Governorates, the AIWFF is also sponsored by a number of public and private bodies.

 

On Sunday 26th February, the organisation revealed the 10 films selected for the Feature film competition, including Big Little Women by Nadia Fares – Egypt, Banu by Tahmina Rafaella – Azerbaijan, the Desert Rocker by Sara Nacer – Algeria & Canada, among others. 

 

In 2017, the Aswan International Women’s Film Festival (AIWFF) was established by Mohamed Abdul Khalek, an Egyptian screenwriter. The festival is recognized as the first aimed at training the youth of the Aswan region in filmmaking. 

 

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AFRICA’S LARGEST FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS IN BURKINA FASO

FESPACO, the largest film festival in Africa opened its curtain on Saturday 25th February 2023 at Ouagadougou, the capital of  Burkina Faso.

15 fiction feature films competing for the Yennenga Golden Stallion award and a prize of about $30,000 have been chosen from 170 entries for the FESPACO festival in the nation’s capital, Ouagadougou.

The 28th edition of FESPACO, according to the festival’s president, Fidele Aymar Tamini, would be focused on “African movies and peace cultures” in light of the current crisis.

The prime minister of the festival’s honorary guest nation, the neighbouring Mali, stated that culture had an “avant-garde role to play in the peace process.”

In a performance titled “20 million VDP,” which alludes to a civilian volunteer group that supports the Burkinabe army, some 60 dancers imitated battle to the sound of beating drums on a large stage.

Also present at the ceremony was Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela, who recently proposed a federation between the West African neighbours.

The event is scheduled to last through March 4.

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MOROCCAN BECOMES MOST STREAMED AFRICAN-BORN ARTIST IN HISTORY

  • French Montana becomes the most streamed artist in history.

  • His reaction to the feat on Instagram.

  • Diamond certification from RIAA.

  • Montana and his humanitarian effort.

Moroccan-born American rapper, French Montana is in a celebratory mood after he achieved a new milestone in his music career of becoming the most streamed African-born artist in history.

 

The music star reacted to his new feat on Monday 20th February on Instagram. In his post, Montana shared several pictures including the list of songs certified gold or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

 

He captioned the post, “That little immigrant boy had faith. Thank you to all my fans love you all (documentary coming soon). Let’s make more history, a GOAL without a plan is a wish”.

 

According to HipHopDX, French Montana became the most streamed African-born artist over the weekend, spearheaded by his hit single “Unforgettable” Ft Swae Lee, with over three billion global streams getting globally a diamond certification.

 

Montana has also become the first African-born artist to receive such high musical accolades from RIAA.

 

Also as a philanthropist, the 38-year-old has been representing his African heritage. He was recently awarded for his humanitarian efforts in Uganda at the annual Pencils of Promise Gala in New York last October.

 

French Montana, whose birth name is Karim Kharbouch was born in November 1984. He was born and bred in Morocco before he emigrated to the US with his family at the age of 13. He has a record label, Coke Boys Records, and the one before Cocaine City Records.

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NIGERIAN MAKES HISTORY, BECOMES FIRST ON ISPA BOARD

  • ISPA announces Rita Ezenwa-Okoro as a member.

  • Rita speaks on appointment.

  • Achievements of Rita Ezenwa-Okoro.

  • ISPA

Nigerian founder and lead visionary of Street Project Foundation Rita Ezenwa-Okoro has been proclaimed the first-ever Nigerian board member of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA).

At the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) annual general gathering, Rita Ezenwa-Okoro was announced as the first Nigerian and fourth African on the ISPA board of members.

Her appointment comes after she was unanimously voted by all the members to join the ISPA board to inform policy, thought leadership, and membership.

Giving her remarks after being appointed, Rita pledged her loyalty to supporting and assisting the organization in attaining its goals and objectives.

In her words, she said, “I am honored by the opportunity to serve on this distinguished board of leaders in the performing arts industry worldwide”. She expressed the joy of being the first Nigerian to serve on the board, as she said “I look forward to working with board members of ISPA to increase the percentage of Africans in its membership”. 

Rita is the founder and lead visionary of a Non-Governmental Organisation called Street Project Foundation. It is directed toward providing opportunities for employment, social mobilization, and cross-cultural dialogue for youths through creative arts as a tool.

She was also recently appointed as the Executive Director of the Global Play Brigade (GPB), an international movement of performance activists that uses ‘play’ as a catalyst for softening the borders between humans. She is also the author of the book titled ‘Doing. Being. Becoming. For the love of the creative arts’.

An international organization,  ISPA, strengthens the global performing arts through the advancement of leadership, the exchange of ideas, and fostering a diverse and engaged membership.

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IDRIS ELBA ATTENDS ‘SACRED SUNDAY’ AT MANHYIA PALACE, GHANA

 

 

Hollywood actor Idrissa Akuna Elba, born of a Ghanaian mother, visited the Manhyia Palace and paid homage to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III during the first Akwasidae of the year. This was after his meeting with the President of Ghana, 

 

 

The Akwasidae which means ‘Sacred Sunday’ is a festival celebrated by the people and chiefs of the Ashanti region. It is celebrated every six weeks at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. 

 

 

There is a celebration in a particular period on the Akan annual calendar called the Adae Festival. The festival has two celebration days namely the Akwasidae Festival which is celebrated on the final Sunday of the period, and the Awukudae Festival celebrated on a Wednesday within the period. 

 

 

Participants wear traditional Kente clothing and adorn themselves with gold jewelry, beads, and other decorative items, which symbolize wealth and prosperity. The festival is centered on ancestral reverence, remembrance, and acknowledgment of past kings and noble feats. 

 

 

The Festival which was marked with drumming and dancing with an exchange of greetings and pleasantries served as a celebration of the Golden Stool, bringing together the Asantehene, sub-chiefs, subjects, and dignitaries at Manhyia in Kumasi.

 

 

In the pictures circulating on the internet, Idris was seen waving and paying homage to the rulers of the Ashanti kingdom, dressed up in traditional Kente clothing with gold adornments. 

 

 

 

According to a news report, the actor and his team recorded parts of his time and visit at the Akwasidae festival, which will appear in his upcoming film.

 

 

The British Hollywood movie star recently made public his intentions to build a film studio in Ghana during his meeting with the country’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

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ENGLISH FILM ACTOR TO BUILD FILM STUDIO IN GOLD COAST

British Hollywood movie star, Idris Elba made public his intentions to build a film studio in Ghana during his meeting with the country’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday, 3rd 2023.

 

During the meeting at the Jubilee House with other dignitaries present, Idris Elba explained the reason behind his intentions is to harness the potential in filmmaking by empowering local and international film producers to produce standard and quality movies in Ghana.

 

He noted that the lack of facilities in the movie industry has prevented a lot of potential in filmmaking, and pointed out the role of government policies in boosting the film sector in Africa.

 

He further explained, “we have studied the modules of obviously South Africa’s incredible incentive package, and around Europe, obviously, Greece, Morocco, these are all places where they appreciate the value of the revenue from filmmaking and have brought that policy into play”.

 

Idris Elba disclosed the production of his movie which pre-production is scheduled for August and the actual photography would start in December. He said he would love to shoot some parts of the movie in Ghana.

 

He intends for the movie to salvage the lack of facilities situation and be a stepping stone for better things in Ghana’s movie industry. 

 

“It would be very beneficial for us to show and to make an announcement to the world that Ghana is open for business, here are the steps, the policies are in place and we have actually brought a film to our country, and we going to put our money where our mouth is”, he said to President Nana.

 

This news comes a week after Idris Elba made known his plans of investing in a major film studio in Tanzania, a part of the initiatives to establish movie studios in West Africa.

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SIERRA LEONEAN HOLLYWOOD ACTOR PLANS TO INVEST IN TANZANIA’S FILM INDUSTRY

Sierra Leonean-born Hollywood actor Idris Elba plans on investing in major a film studio in Tanzania, as disclosed by Zuhura Yunus, the Director of Presidential Communications.

 

The plans came a few days after Idris and his wife, Sabrina Elba met and conversed with the Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

 

The news was made public on Monday when the Director of Presidential Communications, Zuhura Yunus was briefing journalists on the outcome of the President’s trip to Davos, for the 53rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

 

She said, “the president met with Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, they are keen to invest in a film studio in Tanzania”.

 

She added that “discussions on the project have just begun, and if successful, the project will help not only Tanzania but also Eastern and Central Africa”.

 

According to the latest estimates, the British Hollywood actor has a net worth of $40 million. Idrissa Akuna Elba was born on 6th September 1972 to a Sierra Leonean father, Winston Elba, and a Ghanaian mother, Eve.

 

Speaking in an interview with South Africa’s SA people, Idris said he is not only keen on making more movies in Africa but also wants to support the development of the film industry in the African continent.

 

He said “I’m really keen on the development of Africa”, saying that his parents are from Africa, “I feel like that continent deserves some real tender care and love, and thought”, he added.

 

Starring in the new movie ‘Beast’, which was completely shot in South Africa, the movie star revealed that he wants to import the knowledge he has garnered from the Western world and amplify it in Africa. 

 

Idris has been featured in many popular Hollywood movies including the iconic ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’, ‘Fast and Furious Present: Hobbs&Cats’, ‘Thor: The Dark World’, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, and others.

 

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NIGERIAN SINGER NOMINATED FOR THE ACADEMY AWARDS, MAKES HISTORY

Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi popularly known as ‘Tems’ has become the first Nigerian to be nominated at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts popularly known as the Oscar. 

 

The 95th edition of the Oscar which is scheduled to hold March 12, 2023, announced its nominees on January 24th, 2023 during an online live stream from Beverly Hills, California.

 

The award-winning artist was nominated in the category of Best Original Song for her collaboration with Rihanna on the song ‘Lift Me Up’. 

 

The song ‘Lift Me Up’ was one of the original soundtracks of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It was performed by Rihanna and co-written with Tems, and produced by Ludwig Goransson.

 

For the 2023 Oscar awards, voting will begin from the 2nd to the 7th of March, and the winners will be announced and awarded on Sunday 12th of March at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 

 

The Academy Awards are recognized as the most prestigious and significant awards in the entertainment industry in the United States. It is a recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements of primarily American films which are assessed by the Academy’s voting membership.

 

The song’s nominations have excited many Nigerians, as the nomination makes history.

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NIGERIAN FILMMAKER SETS TO CREATE IMPACT IN ENTERTAINMENT.

So many African youngsters are now making their impacts, leaving their footprints in the sands of time and making their names known. It is a well-known fact that creativity is in the blood of every African, fortunately, most are willing to share it with the whole world.

 

Victor Okwuchukwu Onwudiwe is a cinematographer, filmmaker, and movie and music video director. He hails from Aguata local government area in Anambra, an Eastern state in Nigeria. He also owns Keny Basil Studios; a firm dedicated to impacting society through images.

 

In an interview with Afrisquare, he mentioned that this vision started in 2010. As a person, he often found it challenging to convey a story in his mind, he could not always find the right words to portray the emotions, he understood that the easiest way he could express himself was through physical description of the pictures in his mind, which prompted the birth of this dream. He wanted to tell true-life stories using pictures, to impact society the best way he could.

 

His absolute dedication to this vision has taken him to many places and won him so many awards. Gradually, he has been able to make a lot of achievements; he has been nominated and honored with awards both locally and internationally. He has bagged the “best social change film” in a few countries, and “best indigenous film” in countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom. He is also a member of the Director’s Guild of Nigeria.

 

Some of his awards include; Best Igbo film in Best of Nollywood 2022, the Best indigenous film in Toronto International Film Festival, Audience Choice Award in Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival 2022, Best Child Actor in Best of Nollywood 2022, Best Nollywood Short Film in Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival 2022, Best Foreign Language Feature in Garyblack Filmfest 2022. He was also a nominee for Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award and Africa International Film Festival.

 

He is recently working on so many projects that he cannot wait to share with the world. He told Afrisquare about some of his new projects. He talked about his newest project titled “Therapy, ” a social change movie that raises cancer awareness. He talked about his indigenous movie, “Ifediche” which tells the story of a girl who tries to make it through life with local delicacies. He is working on a series centered on the life of high school students with different backgrounds, drawing inspiration from “Binta and Friends”. He also talked about another indigenous movie titled “Echezona” which tells the tales of a young boy. All these projects are set to be released this year.

 

He is trying to penetrate all the different genres of movies. He also hopes to work with foreign directors who share the same vision as he does, directors who are in sync with what he hopes to bring to public consumption. He mentioned that he hopes to work with Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther and the first black director to make a $1 billion grossing movie.

 

During the interview, he said “my dream has come to a manifestation, and even though it is a gradual process, I and my team have achieved so much so far. Last year alone, we got so many nominations both internationally and locally. We have really explored, the goal is for the world to see what we can do and also learn from what we are doing. We have achieved most of that and we will keep striving to put our vision out there”. 

 

He is also open to investments from people whose visions are in alignment with his own. He can be reached through his Website, www.kenybasilstudios.com or email address, kenybasilstudiosbookings@gmail.com or Instagram: @director_keny or Company Instagram: @kenybasilstudios

 

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Hollywood berths in Ghana

Nana Dakrabo is set to replicate Hollywood in Ghana, a west African Country.  The facility which is to be sited in 321 acres of space has an estimated financial value of $350m. This facility will host film and music schools, office space, concert halls, screening theaters, hotel crews, sound stages, recording studio, production facilities, and 240 acre backlot.

                     

“I’ve been working so hard and I finally get an opportunity to share. I’m bringing a world-class film studio with recording studio, concert hall, and my favorite part, a film/music school in my region of Ghana. This will be the 1st film studio in all of West Africa.” Nana Dakrabo said on his Instagram page.  This project will be constructed in collaboration with the Washington D.C based WEG Studios; some popular actors like Koby Maxwell and Michael Blackson will play a prominent role in the project.

                      

Since the announcement, many in entertainments space have demonstrated their desire to be part of the project in many ways. Some interest figures are directly volunteering to be part of this. “I would love to be part of this and assist; this is huge!” said Basheer Jones. “You’ve got my full support,” said Elorm Wealth. These desires are not far from his clarity in stating that he is more of just the visionary leader in this all-hands-on-the deck project. “I thank Jesus for the vision and for putting the people in my life that believe in this project and add tremendous value. Let’s make history!” Nana Dakrabo said on his Instagram page.

                    

Nana Dakrabo 1, Mpuntuhene is a chieftaincy title conferred on him in the Asebu Kingdom in the central Region of Ghana; this royal name, when literally translated, means a Development Chief.

Nana Dakrabo                            

Michael B. Pratt, now addressed as Nana Dakrabo is a business mogul born in the United States of America. “I was born in Los Angeles and raised around celebrities and executives. Essentially, I was raised around Hollywood and now I will bring Hollywood to Ghana.” he said.

The steam to steer the development in Africa appears to be on the rise; just as Michael Pratt is pushing the ends, the likes of Akon has also been doing more to harness the enormous resources of Africa for future development.  In his words, NC Abram,  a winning actor, writer, and producer described the project as “For the land, For the culture, For the future.”.

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NIGERIA’S BOX OFFICE GENERATE N6.94 BILLION REVENUE IN 2022.

In 2022, the Nigerian cinema operators generated a total of 6.94 billion naira revenue as against 2021 amounting at N4.74 billion.

 

The National President of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) Mr Opeyemi Ajayi disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos state, Nigeria.

 

The National President stated that Nigeria’s movie industry continues to lead the recovery in Africa post-covid pandemic, in his words he said “Nigeria continues to lead a recovery in Africa, post covid on the back of strong local industry, and Hollywood continues to focus on African content and engagement is very positive for the box office”.

 

Reviewing the outlook for cinemas in 2023, Mr Opeyemi reckoned that a 10% to 15% increase in ticket price would possibly drive box office revenue in the year and also expected positive growth with a minimum of 20% as independent cinemas constituted 25% of the market share presently. 

 

For 2022, he stated that “the increase in average ticket price led to revenue growth and admissions remained flat in the previous year”.

 

He went ahead to mention the top five highest grossing Nollywood films in 2022 which includes Brotherhood, King of Thieves, Battle on Buka Street, Ijakumo and Passport.

 

For Hollywood; Black Panther, Woman King, Dr Strange, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Adam.

 

An association of cinema owners, operators and managers, the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) is the authorized representative on issues with Government authorities such as the Ministry of Communication and Culture, National Film and Video Censors Board, and others.

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FOUNDER OF AFRICA MOVIE ACADEMY AWARD PASSES AWAY AT FIFTY-FOUR.

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe was born on the 30th of March, 1969. She was a Nigerian filmmaker and entertainment executive popularly called the queen of Nollywood films. She hailed from Imo state in the Eastern part of Nigeria.

 

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe founded the globally acclaimed film ceremony, Africa Movie Academy Awards, a body that has governed the film ceremony since 2005. Her award ceremony is reputed to be one of the most recognized awards for Africans in film-making.  She directed the first music video of hip-hop sensation and she has been bestowed a Member of Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Nigerian government for her contribution to the entertainment industry.

 

In 2015, she began the AfricaOne initiative to commemorate Africans in the entertainment industry. In 2020, she became the National President of The Association of Movie Producers, becoming the 7th person to hold that post.

 

During her tenure as the president, she worked on building the capacity of film producers in the country through training and seminars. She initiated 100 film projects aimed at improving the quality of films produced in Nigeria.

 

Her career on television began with her discussion show “piece off my mind”. The program focused on people’s reaction to societal issues that were not regularly seen in the mainstream media. She was also a written poem author. She had three books to her credit. During her interview with Alana Herro she mentioned that poetry was one of the avenues she uses to express her perception and understanding of things around her. She was honored with the African Film Pioneer Award at the African Film Festival, TAFF.

 

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe passed away after being in a coma at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos on the 9th of January 2023, at the age of 54.

 

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SOUTH AFRICAN ACTRESS MENTIONED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BEST ACTORS IN 2022.

Thuso Mbedu is a South African award winning actress who came to limelight for her performance in the South African tv drama Is’Thunzi for which she was nominated consecutively in 2017 and 2018.

 

She was born on the 8th of July, 1991 to a kwazulu-Natal mother and a Xhosa and Sotho father. She first had a small role in 2014 in the second season of the Mzansi Magic soap opera Isibaya.

 

In 2018, she appeared on Forbes list for 30 under 30. In 2021 she became the first South African woman to lead an American television series with the Amazon limited series “The underground railroad”. In March she bagged the Independent Spirit Award for her role in the underground railroad.

 

In 2022, she appeared in the historical epic movie “The woman king” playing the role of Nawi. Her performance in the movie scored her the spot in New York Times top 10 best actors list for 2022.

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TWO RIVERS MALL UNVEILS THE BIGGEST CINEMA SCREEN IN THE REGION

“The bigger the better” Two Rivers mall in Nairobi, Kenya had this saying in mind while they installed the biggest cinema screen in the region. The screen measures 19.5 meters in width and 8.7 meters in height and features a Dolby Atmos 4k screen and sound system. This was opened in partnership with Century Cinemax. 

 

This screen was installed with the movie enthusiasts in mind, to give them a fully immersive cinema experience. Two Rivers managing director, Theodoros Pantis said “this is a premium luxury movie watching theater. You’d have to experience it to feel the difference”

 

The now opened cinema complex also features a VIP kids’ cinema designed for fun, comfort and safety. Quoting the Centum Real Estate managing director “Two Rivers development is about integrating residential, retail, entertainment and lifestyle facilities in one location. The opening of this Cinema is yet another step towards fulfilling this goal”

 

Dubbed Two Rivers extreme, it is a complex housed in a premium auditorium equivalent to a four stories tall building to accommodate the massive screen.

 

The 7.1 digital surround sound provides deep absorption, the ultimate movie viewing experience. 

 

It was also finished with a premium, extra wide, high-back rocking chairs for the ultimate comfort of movie enthusiasts.

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MOST ANTICIPATED “SKINNY GIRL IN TRANSIT” SEASON 7

The Nigerian web series ‘Skinny Girl in Transit’ is set to release a new season two years after the season six finale. Fans of this web series can finally expect a new season now.

A tweet from a member of the cast Chioma Okoli, who plays the character of Wosi in the web series, posted by Ndani Tv confirmed that it will be returning for a seventh round.

Prior to this post, fans got a short teaser featuring Ayoola Ayolola who is also a Nigerian actor and plays the character of Mide Macaulay in the web series, clearly getting his wardrobe ready for the seventh season. 

Although a production timeline is yet to be confirmed for the highly anticipated season seven of the web series.

‘Skinny Girl in Transit’ is a comedy that tells the story of a plus-sized Nigerian woman role-played by Abimbola Craig, who was on a quest to lose weight and struggles with the pressure of not finding a partner.

In the previous six seasons of the show, she eventually falls in love, gets married and is now trying to strike a balance between her career and marriage.

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MOROCCO PARTICIPATES IN CAIRO’S 44TH ANUAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

Cairo’s 44th edition of Cairo International Film Festival kicked off on Sunday, 13th of November, 2022. 97 movies from 52 countries have been selected to participate in this film festival.

 

One of the countries selected was Morocco located in North Africa and they were selected through two movies; Jalal Eddine and Oasis D’eau Gelee.

 

Jalal Eddine, a movie by Hassan Benjelloun and playing lead role, Yassan Ahajjam, a Tunisian artist, Fatima Nasser and a Moroccan artist Fatima Zahra Balladi. The movie was about a man named Jalal Eddine who loses his wife but refuses to accept the death of his wife and decides to isolate himself until he finds the light within himself. 20 years later he becomes a Suji and lives with his disciples. This movie is in competition for Horizons of Arab Cinema and Best Arab Films.

 

Oasis D’eau Gelee is a Moroccan-French production directed by Mohammed Raouf Sebbahi. It is the story of an emergency doctor named Fadila who marries Kader after a love affair. Kader was later diagnosed with terminal cancer and this became the most worrying case in Fadila’s life. This film was screened in the competition for International Critics Week.

 

According to legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tar description during his opening, the festival celebrates the universal language of cinema.

 

The festival which has already kicked off will run for 10 days and will be ending on the 22nd of November, 2022.

 

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‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’ BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORDS

The Marvel Studios Superhero blockbuster ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ which premiered on November 6th, 2022 is out and breaking box office records across Africa. Opening in theatres on November 11, 2022, the movie has already gained the biggest opening weekend of all time in West Africa. 

 

The sequel to Ryan Coogler’s 2018 ‘Black Panther’, drew audiences with just under 300k attendances being reported all over the continent.

 

In West Africa, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ became the biggest industry opening weekend of all time with a box office tally of 240 million naira and also earned titles of both biggest opening weekend box office of 2022 and the biggest post-pandemic opening, with a box office tally of 25 million kes in East Africa.

 

Likewise in South Africa, the blockbuster movie earned R16.5 million and also the title of becoming the biggest opening weekend box office of 2022.

 

However, the 2018 movie ‘Black Panther’ remains number one of all time in both East and West Africa, and the number two in Southern Africa.

 

Aside from the African continent, the movie is also gaining great numbers, within the first weekend it brought in $180 million and its becoming the second-biggest domestic debut.

 

In the United States and Canada, the Walt Disney Co estimates that audiences bought in more than 4,396 cinemas according to Time.

 

The movie made history as the first official African Marvel Studio premiere in Nigeria and also broke the previous record for a November opening in North America and outshone The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’s $158 million from 2013.

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CULTURAL REPRESENTATION OF THE AMAZONS OF AFRICA IN THE NEW “WOMAN KING” MOVIE.

A movie that has greatly been anticipated since 2018 has recently been released with a fast rising South-African star, Thuso Mbedu playing a key role in the movie. 

 

This movie shone light on the historical women warriors of Dahomey, a kingdom known today as Benin in West Africa. Dahomey was one of the many kingdoms in an area known as Aja-Yoruba, somewhere between present day Togo and South-West Nigeria.

 

These warriors were exceptionally skillful warriors that were both feared and admired. They inspired fear and curiosity from foreigners that came to explore or colonize their land.

 

The anti colonial women warriors were referred to as Agoodjies in Fon, one of the many languages of the Benin people. They were also known as the black Amazons of Africa. They constituted up to four thousand of the twelve thousand warriors. 

 

They were the protectors of the king. They were usually recruited and trained from childhood. This is the fiercest representation of the black womanhood as they have always painted the blackwoman as weak and defenseless against the colonists. They incited awe because of their military prowess and boundary breaking definition of womanhood.

 

The women warriors of the kingdom were skilled as combatants and feared all the more so when they were seen as transgressively emulating masculine aggression. They always fought as males yet in the royal palace their positions were still similar to other women; wives and concubines.

 

They fought for the independence of their kingdom. Not only did they fight for their freedom, they also fought whenever the king waged war against their neighbors.

 

These warriors existed long before the creation of the kingdom. The last war they fought was in 1894. After being neglected for a while, they are now gradually being recognized.

 

Apart from The Woman king, there were some other movies that had shone light on these women warriors like the popular series “Lovecraft country” where they were featured in one of the episodes. Dora Milaje, the Wakanda warriors, protectors of the Blank Panther in Blank Panther were modeled on the Agoodjies. They show how diverse the feminine strength could be.

 

The movie premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and was released in Africa on the 24th of September, 2022.

 

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AFRICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2022

The African International Film Festival is an African event held annually. It is the conference of original film makers and storytellers and other audiences seeking new voices and fresh filmmaking perspectives; showcasing new creators and emerging trends.

 

The 11th season award night was held on Saturday, 12th of November, 2022 at the Landmark center, Lekki, Lagos. The theme of this year’s AFRIFF was “indigenous for global” exploring indigenous content and the primary component required to take it to a global audience. 

 

The aim of this event is to develop our own film industry to a level where it can participate in a healthy competition with its contemporaries, globally. The event provides growth opportunities for these filmmakers and professionals to eventually share their products with people all over the world. To establish how local stories can reach and connect with audiences all over the world. It also facilitates access to investors for these new filmmakers. Skill acquisitions, equipment and technical acquisitions through seminars organized by the festival and several capacity development workshops. 

 

This festival is an immersion into the world of filmmaking with participation from international and local actors,script writers, directors, cinematographers, sound engineers, musicians, editors, light engineers, students, equipment managers and all film industry professionals. 

 

Various streams of the event take place throughout the day sometimes, simultaneously. The event lasted for 6 days from the 6th of November to the 12th of November. There were different kinds of classes and workshops hosted during these six days and on the last day at night, they hosted the award/ gala night. The full list of the award receivers can be found on http://www.metroparrot.net/2015/11/full-list-of-winners-at-afriff-globe.html

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WAKANDA FOREVER PREMIERE IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

The sequel to black panther 2 that was released in 2018, Wakanda forever will be released on the 11 of November across the continent. For a continent wild celebration ahead of the release, the cast and crew of Wakanda forever visited Nigeria for the first time for the premiering on Sunday, the 6th of November

Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Mejia, Winston Duke and director Ryan Coogler were among the team visiting Nigeria. When asked on her Instagram question poll when she was coming to Nigeria, Lupita answered “Now”.

Director Ryan Coogler was asked why Nigeria and his reply was “Lagos has a lot of history and cultural significance for filmmakers” in the same vein he mentioned taking a genealogy test that revealed his lineage.

Some cast and crew members were present on Sunday morning where they fielded off questions from the media.

The Wakanda forever story continues with the story of T’challa, the king of Wakanda. Some of Nigerian musicians were featured in the soundtrack track of the movie. Tems performed Bob Marley’s “no woman no cry” in conjunction with co-writing lift me up. Fire boy and Burna boy sang two solos. Other Nigerian singers were; CK, Toby Nwigwe and fat Toby.

This event was held in association with Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and Film One Entertainment. In attendance were actors and actresses, celebrities and social media personnels dressed in accordance with the event.

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