Category Archives: Kulturati

Vincent Opurum: We Can Compete With the Best in the World

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VINCENT 3

Vincent Opurum: We Can Compete With the Best in the World

Vincent Opurum is one of the new heartthrobs in Nollyood with his good looks and fun loving swagger. He has played prominent roles in TV soap operas and in Nigerian home videos. His outstanding acting skills have been proved over 12 movies so far. His lover boy role in BlackBerry Babes increased his thousands of fans, especially his female admirers who see him as a sex symbol and he has been romantically linked with the pretty and sexy, but controversial actress Tonto Dike. Vincent has also attracted public attention for his roles in My Love My Sorrow, Heavy Battle, Desert Storm, One Last Feeling, Stolen Desire, Breath Of Love, Empty Coffin, Forget Heaven, Unending Love, Kingdom Of Men, The King and The Medians, Royal Ammargidom , Mission To No Where, Fake Prophet, Holy Prostitutes, Looking For Husband and Mother’s Love.

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“I am decent but controversial and I love to put smile on people faces.I love what I do and most people don’t know that I’m a good footballer as well,” said Vincent when we met after the Nigerian premiere of Djo Munga’s Congolese gangster thriller Viva Riva at the Lagos office of the Nigerian Film Corporation last month.

Vincent and Stephanie

He is from the Igbo region, but grew up among Hausas in kaduna state, before he found his way to Lagos to become an actor and he is really happy that he has become notable within a short time.

“We have all it takes to compete with the best in the world, from Bollywood to Hollywood,” he said.
Vincent loves good music and appreciates the beauty of nature.
“The road to success is a lonely path, yet with God and strong belief with determination, success is sure,” he concluded.

World Premiere of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour in Montreal!

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“I am excited to see how Michael’s vision and passion for music and dance will be interpreted by Cirque du Soleil for the Immortal Tour,” said Mrs. Jackson. “His vibrant spirit and love for performing will be honored in this unique tribute to Michael’s legacy.”

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Montreal, October 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil are proud to present tonight the World Premiere of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour™ in Montreal at the Bell Centre. Proudly presented by Sun Life Financial, tonight’s performance is the kick-off of the world tour which will travel across North America and then the rest of the world. The show was written and directed by Jamie King, the leading concert director in pop music today.

Members of the Jackson Family, including Michael’s mother, Katherine, and his three children, along with special guests and generous donors for La Soirée ONE DROP will be on hand to experience this once-in-a-lifetime electrifying production that will combine Michael Jackson’s music and choreography with Cirque du Soleil creativity, to give fans worldwide a unique view into the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed global pop culture.

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MONTREAL, Oct. 2: Katherine Jackson and her three sons, Tito, Jackie and Marlon attend the world premiere of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil.

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MONTREAL, Oct. 2: Michael’s children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, along with their cousins attend the world premiere of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil.

Click here for more details.

8th Abuja International Film and Video Festival Ends Tomorrow

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Abuja Film Fest

The 8th Abuja International Film and Video Festival will end tomorrow 30th of September 2011. The festival opened last Tuesday September 27th at the Silverbird Entertainment Centre with screenings, exhibitions, networking and seminars.

The Festival was founded in 2004 by the most traveled Nollywood celebrity couple Fidelis and Temitope Duker, who are both filmmakers.

Angelina Jolie’s Baptism of Fire

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Angelina Jolie on Vanity Fair

Famous American actress Angelina Jolie‘s thrilling new film In the Land of Blood and Honey, which she admits has changed her view on acting is her baptism of fire as a director and screenwriter.

She said her beau Brad Pitt thought she was going to have nightmares on location. But “I had such a good experience he thinks I’m going to be impatient with directors, which I already am. I get impatient with people working on a film that have their head in their hands like it’s the most complicated thing in the world.”

I had the flu,” Jolie says. “I had to be quarantined from the children for two days. I was in the attic of a house in France. I was isolated, pacing. I don’t watch TV and I wasn’t reading anything. So I started writing. I went from the beginning to the end. I didn’t know any other way.”

Angelina Jolie having her baptême du feu directing In the Land of Blood and Honey.

“I’ve never felt more exposed. My whole career, I’ve hidden behind other people’s words,” said Angelina and also dismissed the pregnancy and secret wedding rumours.
“I’m not pregnant. I’m not adopting at the moment. And no secret wedding,” she said boldly.

Jolie is twice married and divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton before settling down with Brad Pitt with whom she has three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, and three biological children, Shiloh, Knox and and Vivienne.

In the Land of Blood and Honey is a thrilling love story during the traumatic Bosnian Civil War in the early 1990s and produced in both in English and the Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian language known as BCS. The film is expected to be released on December 23, 2011.

You will read the complete exclusive interview in the October issue of Vanity Fair.

J’odie – Kuchi Kuchi (Oh Baby)

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Jodie

Nigerian Singer, J’odie, releases her first video, for the baby-inspired Zouk song which was produced by Phat-E and released at the tail end of 2010. The song exudes innocence and is extremely melodic in its delivery and her style can be described in three words; Soulful, Artsy… Simply African

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Artist Summary
Genres: Pop / Neo-Soul / zouk
Management: +234 803 334 7467
Artist Bio

Joy Odiete, popularly known as Jodie, born on the 22nd of June, is a young soulful singer from Nigeria with a personality that exudes African freshness and originality.

Being one the favorite finalist in the premier edition of Idols, West Africa, her debut has been anticipated by fans not only in Nigeria, but among other African viewers.

Finally, her first single, “Fighter”, is out. “Fighter” was born out of her determination to achieve her musical dream and never to give up.

Jodie is a singer, songwriter and jewelry artiste. She loves being African and so keeps her virgin hair… Jodie is simply “Jodie”!

www.reverbnation.com/jodiegreat
www.twitter.com/jodiegreat

Three Film Icons, One Film Festival

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Albuquerque

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12 Aug 2011 17:39 Africa/Lagos

Three Film Icons, One Film Festival

Madsen, Stockwell, and Wexler to be honored at the 2011 Albuquerque Film Festival

PR Newswire

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Aug. 12, 2011

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Aug. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — It’s a celebration of film as the 2011 Albuquerque Film Festival (AFF) honors actors Michael Madsen and Dean Stockwell along with cinematographer Haskell Wexler for their inspired careers and achievements in film at the Albuquerque Film Festival Legend Awards (August 18-21, 2011).

AFF has crafted an outstanding lineup of festivities featuring Madsen, “AFF Maverick Award” recipient and revered poet. Madsen will appear at a book signing and poetry reading prior to the screening of Reservoir Dogs at the KiMo Theatre. He will also participate in the Dennis Hopper Memorial Bike Ride – leading a pack of Harley riders down Central Boulevard to the screening of Hell Ride. Director, writer and co-star, Larry Bishop, will also attend the film screening – part of AFF’s Midnight Movies with Michael Madsen series.

In addition to recognizing the works of Madsen, AFF will present several other awards. “Dennis Lee Hopper Award” recipient, Dean Stockwell , will appear at The Guild Cinema for the screening of Married to the Mob, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Haskell Wexler , best known for his work on One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf , will receive the “AFF Cinematography Award” and present a screening of Matewan. Madsen, Stockwell and Wexler will all be on hand to accept their awards at the Closing Night Ceremony of the AFF Legend Awards at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Albuquerque.

Additional highlights of the festival include screenings of films across various genres and a slew of film workshops and panels hosted by esteemed industry players including Todd Jefferson, Tony Mark, Giancarlo Esposito and Joshua Michael Stern.

For complete AFF 2011 program listings, tickets and festival passes, visit ABQfilmfestival.com or find us on Facebook.

About Film 4 Change

The mission of Film 4 Change (a project of The International Humanities Center) is to transform community through the power of story, laughter, art and music. We produce, promote and present socially conscious media and present an annual festival of film and related arts.

About The Albuquerque Film Festival

Now in its third year, The Albuquerque Film Festival is establishing itself as a first-rate festival that represents diversity, innovation and creative achievement in film.

Download photo: http://www.itsatrip.org/media/press-releases/AFF2011Promo.jpg

SOURCE Albuquerque Film Festival

CONTACT: Wendi Gelfound, Albuquerque Film Festival, +1- 575-770-2895, marketing@abqfilmfestival.com

Web Site: http://www.abqfilmfestival.com

Winners of the 32nd Durban International Film Festival 2011

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Asghar Farhadi’s Nader and Simin, A Separation won the Best Film prize. The film was already the winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears for Best Actress and Best Actor at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, becoming the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear.

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The full list of the winners are:

Best Film: Nader and Simin, A Separation (Iran), directed by Asghar Farhadi

A couple has to make a decision to leave Iran to better the life of their child or to stay and take care of a parent suffering from Alzheimers; however, the couple’s marriage may end in divorce.

Best South African Feature: Skoonheid (France/South Africa), directed by Oliver Hermanus

Best First Feature: The Dynamiter (USA), directed by Matthew Gordon

Best Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev for Elena (Russia)

Best Actress: Nadezhda Markina in Elena (Russia)

Best Actor: William Patrick Ruffin in The Dynamiter (USA)

Best Cinematography: Mikhail Krichman for Elena (Russia)

Best Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi for Nader and Simin, A Separation (Iran)

Special Mention Feature Film: Skoonheid (South Africa), directed by Oliver Hermanus

Special Mention South African Feature Film: Eldorado (South Africa), directed by Shaldon Ferris and Lorreal Ferris

Best Documentary: Position Among the Stars (Stand van de Sterren) (The Netherlands), directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich

Best South African Documentary: Dear Mandela (South Africa/USA), directed by Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza

Best Short Film: Dirty Laundry (South Africa), directed by Stephen Abbott

Best South African Short Film: Dirty Laundry (South Africa), directed by Stephen Abbott

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award: Sobukwe, A Great Soul (South Africa), directed by Mickey Madoda Dube
DIFF Wavescape Surf Film Festival Audience Award: A Deeper Shade Of Blue (Australia) directed by Jack McCoy

DIFF Documentary Audience Award: Fire in Babylon (United Kingdom), directed by Stevan Riley

DIFF Feature Film Audience Award: The First Grader (Kenya,United Kingdom,South Africa), directed by Justin Chadwick.

Nollywood Star Olu Jacobs wins life achievement award in Cameroun

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Olu Jacobs receiving his award from the administrator and officials of the Écrans Noirs.

Accomplished Nigerian actor and Nollywood star Olu Jacobs was given a standing ovation at the closing ceremony of the 15th Écrans Noirs Film Festival, Saturday night of June 25, 2011 in Yaoundé, Cameroun. He was greeted with applause by the ecstatic audience as he mounted the stage to receive the Prix Charles Mensah (Ecran d’Honneur) for his outstanding life achievement as an actor of local and international success, especially for the great impact of Nollywood in Africa.

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Olu Jacobs thanking the the administrator, officials and the audience at the 15th Écrans Noirs.

“African cinema and its actors” the theme of 15th edition of the Écrans noirs was a noble tribute to those who work in the continent to advance the seventh art according to the administrator Bassek Ba Kobhio. It attracted thousands of people from June 18-25, 2011.

Present at the closing ceremony were Nigerian filmmaker Chike Ibekwe who was a co-winner of the best film prize at the 14th Écrans Noirs and one of the appointed presidents of the jury in 2011 and Mr. Madu Chikwendu, Regional Secretary of the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI), co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees of Association of Nollywood Core Producers (ANCOP), and the sole Nigerian representative in the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF).

Click here for details of the film festival.

Christy Essien-Igbokwe, Nigeria’s Queen of Soul has Passed On

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Christy Essien-Igbokwe (November, 18th. 1960 – June 30th. 2011)

Nigeria has lost one of her greatest women, the “Queen of Soul”, Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe, who passed away at about 9.15a.m. Thursday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos.

Popularly known by her maiden name Christy Essien before she got married, she was a great singer who was like a sister to millions of her fans in Nigeria.

She was the first Nigerian Queen of Soul music admired and loved by millions of music lovers in Nigeria and other countries.

I have been one of her countless fans since her successful acting career as a colourful TV actress in the popular TV comedy series Masquerade of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), playing the drama queen as “Apeno”, the wife of “Jegede”, played by the late Claude Eke.

The television series was created by James Iroha who played the role of “Gringory”, one of the houseboys of “Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo, alias 4:30.” played by Chika Okpala.

Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe was born on the 11th November, 1960, Her talents as an actress and singer were discovered in her teenage years in secondary school, acting and singing at various clubs until she passed the audition for one of the leading roles in the Masquerade in 1976. Christy was an instant hit and became a household name in Nigeria. In 1977 at only 17, she began her professional musical career and released several top selling albums and her 1981 hit album “Ever Liked My Person” produced by Lemmy Jackson was rated the best.

She was the first female President of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and the Chairman and Managing Director of Soul Train Entertainment Limited. She was honoured with many laurels incuding the Nigerian Lady of Songs award, Africa Music Mother award, International Special Achievement award in Mexico, World Song Festival Award in Los Angeles, Queen of Music International award, Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners award and Outstanding Achievement in Female Uplifting award.

Click here for the discography of Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe

May God grant her peace in her transition to eternal glory and comfort her bereaved family, relations, friends, associates and millions of fans in Nigeria and abroad.

~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima