Film  

Around and About Nollywood In One Week

By Shaibu Husseini

27 July 2024   |   2:22 am

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It’s the third week in July and motion picture practitioners are in the news for different reasons… Charles Owoyemi, Veteran Script ‘Merchant’, Producer Drops Pen The Nigerian motion picture scene was thrown into deep mourning after two important television and film personalities — Ralph Nwadike and Tunji Bamishigbin — issued a statement where they announced…

It’s the third week in July and motion picture practitioners are in the news for different reasons…

Charles Owoyemi, Veteran Script ‘Merchant’, Producer Drops Pen
The Nigerian motion picture scene was thrown into deep mourning after two important television and film personalities — Ralph Nwadike and Tunji Bamishigbin — issued a statement where they announced ‘with deep heart full of pains’ the passing away of the veteran scriptwriter and producer, Charles Owoyemi, whom they described as a ‘great friend and colleague’. Owoyemi, creator and co-creator of so many television soaps and tele novella’s such as Echoes and the very successful Fortune reportedly passed on Friday July 19, 2024, during a brief illness. Ralph, former President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and Bamishigbin, a lawyer and foremost actor and writer, both described the late Awoyemi as ‘a quiet and near introvert personality’.

In their words: “His strengths are in his brain and hands, which he applied to his chosen career in the creative world. He was a super scriptwriter, with records. A busy practitioner who was in the professional class, Owoyemi is reputed to have written over 50 episodes scripts for the New Village Headmaster between 1984 and 1990 when the programme was rested by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The known stickler for perfection whose biggest turn-off include ‘unnecessary airs, greed, and multitude-mindset’ wrote scripts for the popular, but long rested series on NTA, titled, Second Chance and created the powerful network soap opera on NTA, titled, Fortunes. Owoyemi later teamed up with Nwadike, Bamishigbin and the legendary Zeb Ejiro to co-produce Fortunes between 1993 and 1995. Owoyemi wrote several other film and television scripts, but he is easily remembered for penning part of the popular AIT soap opera, Palace, which Owoyemi and Nwadike co-produced between 1997 and 1999. Some of notable Nigerian actors and actresses that emerged from his works include Segun Arinze, Liz Benson, Regina Askia, Ramsey Nouah, Patrick Attah, Okey Bakkasi and many others.

Bolanle Austen-Peters Ready With ‘House Of Ga’a’
‘HOUSE of Ga’a’, the new film by theatre and film producer-cum-director, Bolanle Austen-Peters, is ready and will drop on Netflix as you are reading this. The star-studded biopic, which recounts the rise and fall of a ruthless kingmaker, Bashorun Ga’a, in fact, premiered on the streaming platform Netflix on July 26. Starring Femi Branch, Mike Afolarain, Funke Akindele, Seun Akindele, Ibrahim Chatta, Dele Odule, Bimbo Manuel, Lateef Adedimeji, Muyiwa Ademola, Femi Adebayo, Kunle Coker and William Benson, the movie recounts the rise and fall of Bashorun Ga’a, who wielded deceit and voodoo to reign, only to be undone by his blood. This is the second time in less than three months that Bolanle who is popular as BAP will be offering big titles. She offered Funmilayo in June, which follows the life of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a revered Nigerian educator, activist, and mother of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti. BAP’s Funmilayo was among the Nigerian feature films selected for screening at the 12th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF 2023), and in 2024, it won the Best Writing Movie at the 10th edition of the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Award.

Film Marketer, Don Nkems, Set To Host The World In Imo
ALL roads will definitely lead to Owerri from Thursday as notable movie marketer and producer, Donatus Nkemdirim Chikezie, aka Don Nkems, host filmmakers and film enthusiast from within and around the world to the maiden edition of the Imo International Film Festival (IIFF). The festival is scheduled to hold between July 25 and 27 at the Havana Cinema, Owerri, Imo State. The theme for this maiden edition is ‘Film: a veritable tool for economic development’. The festival is featuring film screenings, panel discussion, and exhibition. “There will be a tour to notable film locations in and around Owerri town and its environs,” said the President and founder of IIFF Don Nkems. The founder had two weeks back named notable film scholar, administrator and filmmaker Dr. Charles Okwuowulu as the Jury chairman for this maiden edition. Other members of the jury are Dr. Gloria Ernest Samuel, an associate professor of Film and Media Studies – Imo State University, Owerri; Prof Atul Marewad, an Indian Film Critic; Mazi Sam Uche Anyamele, a filmmaker/scholar and Shehu Bello, a filmmaker. Both the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) are supporting the festival. Films such as Betrayed Affection, A Country Called Ghana, Ifediche and Masked are some of the films that would be screened at the festival. The films are also among the films competing for honours at the festival.

Veteran Filmmaker Zeb Ejiro Honoured In London
VETERAN Nigerian filmmaker and producer, Zeb Ejiro, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Nigerian Week, London on Monday. The Nigerian Week is a week-long international festival with an admixture of entertainment and business events, which is held yearly in London, United Kingdom. The organisers say the award is in recognition of Ejiro’s immense contributions to Nollywood and the entertainment industry in general. The weeklong event was organised by SRTV London in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigerian Films Corporation, Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria (AMP), among others.

The festival showcases and promotes the best of Nigerian products, services and businesses and also celebrates the best of the Nigerian diverse and rich cultural heritage. An excited Ejiro thanked the organisers for the recognition and he promised to continue to contribute to the growth and development of the Nigerian motion picture industry. Others that were recognised at the event include the actress Tana Adelana; Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation, Ali Nuhu; the Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini; the founder of Kano International Indigenous Language Film Festival (KILAF) Abdulkareem Mohammed and President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Queen Blessing Ebigieson. Ejiro, who received national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) from former President Olusegun Obasanjo in recognition of his immense contributions to the Nigerian film industry, and widely known as the Sheik of Nollywood, is best known for helming the following Nollywood hits: Nneka the Pretty Serpent (1994), Domitila (1996), Sakobi the Snake Girl (1998) and Mortal Sin (2003).