Gold for Afolayan, Ogidan’s gold statue at BON awards

Industry observers had predicted that it would be an award rain for Gold Statue, the new movie by Tade Ogidan, at this year’s edition of the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards.

They had based their prediction on the fact that of all the movies nominated for the 11th edition of the award, Gold Statue was by far the best and most technically accomplished.

And true to their prediction, the adventure comedy drama triumphed and grabbed five coveted awards- Director of the Year, Movie of the Year, Movie with the Best Production Design, Film With The Best Use of Sound and Best Use of Make-up in a Movie- at the BON award ceremony held on December 14 at the Coronation Hall of the Kano State Government House.

Indeed, there have been tons of positive reviews of the movie that has the signature of a veteran filmmaker in the professional class, Ogidan. Positive reviews trailed the star-studded movie, which features some of the industry’s dependable actors, including Norbert Young, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Gabriel Afolayan, Sola Sobowale and Bisola Aiyeola.

Gold Statue follows the story of two young men, Wale (played by Afolayan) and Chike (played by Kunle Remi), who are in search of a gold statue believed to have been a deity inherited by their generation. However, in trying to locate the statue, they go through a series of unimaginable and ridiculous ordeals.

Celebrity salutes Ogidan and Afolayan, who, by winning the Director of the Year and Actor of the Year awards, respectively, have acquitted themselves as the best in Nollywood for this year.

Tade Ogidan
DIRECTOR and content entrepreneur, Tade Ogidan, returned to Lagos from Kano with a pouch filled with honours, as his well-made feature, Gold Statue, triumphed at the BON awards. A notable critic described the award haul as well deserving and a fitting recognition for Ogidan, whose career has been devoted to the practice of motion picture.

Clearly, a leading name in the Nigerian motion picture industry and indeed one of the pioneers of the industry, ‘Uncle Tade,’ as younger colleagues refer to him, is a graduate of Radio/TV/Film and Theatre Arts. Ogidan, whose expertise is highly sought after throughout the industry, worked at the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) before setting up his own company, OGD Pictures Limited, which is unarguably a major name in the business of film and television productions.

While at the NTA, Ogidan produced and directed several episodes of the long-rested television drama series, The Village Headmaster, and most of the drama series of the NTA, including Play of the Week and Tele-Theatre. Also, Ogidan, who has produced and directed projects for major advertising agencies in Nigeria and coordinated a couple of shoots for foreign production outfits, has led his company to become a household name in the motion picture production business, producing several television commercials, documentaries, musicals and drama in the process.

Most of his projects have not only won awards at home and abroad, but his name is also associated with high standard and technical quality. Indeed, nearly all the movies that has either been produced or directed or written by Ogidan, including Hostages and Dangerous Twins, have won multiple awards and are all acknowledged major hits.

While thanking BON and its Jury for the recognition, Ogidan stated that credits for the movie should go to the cast and crew and all those who invested their time and resources for its actualisation. He had earlier hinted that he wrote the story in 1991 and it was on the insistence of the Chairman of Solution Studio and Infotech, Prince Adeyanju Lipede, that he decided work on the movie after several years off the scene.

“The story was first written in 1991. Anytime I wanted to bring it up, something comes up and I just push it aside for something else until my big brother, Prince Lipede, insisted I must make a movie. I then teased him about a story idea I scripted in 1991 and he decided to lend his support from start to finish.

“I thank him and all those who volunteered their time and resources to make the movie possible. I must say that most people worked on the project with me not for the money, but the love for the project. “So, I thank them all and dedicate all these awards to them,” he enthused.

Gabriel Afolayan
THE multi-talented Gabriel Olasubomi Afolayan was named Best Actor for his magnetic effort as Adewale Esho in the movie. Afolayan, son of legendary filmmaker, the late Chief Adeyemi Afolayan, and younger brother of the filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, put up a convincing act in the well-helmed movie that has made critics to start rooting for the actor, who sings and dances as well. In fact, a critic had even predicted that the Kokoro Ife (Love Bug) crooner was most likely going to win in the category of leading actor.

G-Fresh, as he is fondly called by close friends and colleagues, Afolayan has acquitted himself severally as an actor and raked in plenty awards as such, including ‘Most Promising Actor’ award at the 2012 Yoruba Movies Academy Awards and the awards of ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ and the ‘Rising Star’ at the Nollywood Movies Award (NMA).

He previously won an AMAA crest for supporting actor and this nomination, as a leading actor is a confirmation that rating of the native of Agbamu in Irepodun Council of Kwara State, in the continent has risen.Born into the arts, Afolayan studied Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan (UI), graduating in 2004, returned to the acting scene and since then, he has not looked back. The bearded actor has featured in a couple of movies and television programmes, including Ojuju, Kasala, King Invincible, Heroes and Zeros and Tatu.