From 11 May to 14 May 2017, the Nollywood Paris Film Festival will celebrate the largest film industry in Africa – the Nigerian film industry. Now in its 5th year, the festival is taking place at the L’ Arlequin cinema in Paris with five Nigerian directors noted for the People’s Choice Award.
This festival is an initiative of the Okada Media Association, headed by Serge Noukoue and Nadira Shakur, with the intention to attract more audiences to the Nollywood scene at just 39 euros for a 4-day pass.
Nollywood’s greatest will also be honoured with a prestigious People’s Choice Award sponsored by Angenieux; a manufacturer of optics cinema lenses for broadcast and film industries.
The shortlisted movies and directors include: 76 directed by Izu Ojukwu, Dinner by Jay-Franklyn Jituboh, Gidi Blues by Femi Odugbemi, Green White Greennby Makama and The Wedding Partynby Kemi Adetiba.
Background on the shortlisted candidates:
Kemi Adetiba (The Wedding Party)
By far one of the most successful female cinematographers, a television producer, director and host; Kemi Adetiba’s debut effort as a movie director with The Wedding Party (TWP) is headlining this year’s festival.
Born in Lagos, TWP, which the law graduate helmed, has earned her a lot of recognition. Her success story did not start with TWP, but as a radio presenter with Rhythm 93.7 FM. She was later to transit from just being a voice on radio to being a television presenter and content producer.
A recipient of several awards and nominations including the 2015 City People Entertainment award for Best Music Video Director of the Year; Kemi is a product of the New York Film Academy and has signed a number of critically acclaimed music videos such as More You by Bez; Ekundayo by TY Bello; and Today Na Today by Omawunmi.
She has equally produced and presented several programmes on television including Studio 53 and Temptation Nigeria, she was also the host of family dance reality shows, Maltina Dance All for three seasons. Kemi is the director of the short film, Across a Bloodied Ocean and currently runs her production outfit called K-Alpha.
Femi Odugbemi (Gidi Blues)
A consummate filmmaker and quite clearly a respected voice in the Nigerian arts and culture scene, Femi Odugbemi is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and photographer. His recent film, Gidi Blues, is also headlining the festival in Paris. Femi is a co-founder of the I-Represent International Docmentary Film Festival (I-REP) and has produced the acclaimed documentary; Bariga Boy which won the Best Documentary at the 2010 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
He has also received the 2010 Afropop Prize, sponsored by the National Black Programming and Consortium in the United States. Other highlights of his works include Bar Beach Blues (Best Director, Zuma Film Festival 2006), Mama Put (Best Film Abuja International Film Festival 2009), acclaimed documentary, Ibadan- Cradle of Literati (2008), Oriki (2010) and the Chain was Not (2011).
Femi was the founding producer of Tinsel, M-NET Africa’s acclaimed soap opera. He was president of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (2002 to 2006) and a juror for the Emmy Awards in New York, the TAVA Awards in Lagos and the African International Film Festival. Recently Femi was also crowned head judge for the Afrinolly Short Film Competition and the prestigious Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards. Femi is a managing director/chief executive of DVWORX Studios in Lagos.
Izu Ojukwu (76)
An accomplished filmmaker, Izu Ojukwu is one of Nigeria’s favourite movie directors. His films have earned him awards and recognitions both at home and abroad. Quietly efficient, his 2006 film Sitanda, which follows the life stories of an abused wife and a kidnapped child made a slave, earned him nine nominations, five of which he won at the 2007 African Movie Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Nigerian Film.
Some of Izu’s other movies are Across The Niger (2004), White Waters (2007), La Viva (2009), Nneda (2009) and now 76, which earned him the directing crest at this year’s edition of the AMVCA.
Abba Makama (Green White Green)
A young filmmaker full of ideas and verve, Abba Makama is the founder of Osiris Film and Entertainment, a group that he said specialises in producing strategies for digital and traditional media.
A trained filmmaker, Abba got fingers pointing at him when in 2010 he wrote, produced and directed a short satire on the Nigerian film industry called Direc-toh which earned him a special mention at the 2010 edition of InShort Film Festival.
In 2014, he directed a documentary about the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood: Something from Nothing which later premiered on the Al Jazeera documentary channel and was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.
But the highlight on Abba’s career came with his helming his first feature film, Green White Green, which is about the most widely travelled film of last year. It has premiered in several festivals within and outside Nigeria and was one of the eight movies selected to represent Nigeria at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Jay-Franklyn Jituboh (Dinner)
Jay-Franklyn Jituboh’s Dinner is also on the Nollywood Week Paris Film Festival bill. The movie is a dramatic thriller starring some of Nollywood’s renowned actors including Kehinde Bankole, Enyinna Nwigwe, Richard Mofe Damijo and Iretiola Doyle.
Jituboh is also the director of the short film, Once which was selected and screened at the 2015 Durban International Film Festival.
In addition and as part of an interesting finale to this year’s events, the film Catch[dot]er, by British-Nigerian filmmaker, Walter Taylaur will premiere on the last day on Sunday 16 May at 20h30.
Source: The Guardian Nigerian
