Sylvia Nduka wins 2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria

Posted on June 29, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

supple MBGN 2011
Sylvia Nduka, the winner of the 2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) Beauty Pageant

Black beauty Miss Taraba , Sylvia Nduka is the new Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN). She was the choice of the judges and by the popular votes of the public who had a challenging task of selecting from the bevy of 34 final contestants from different states in Nigeria.

The new beauty queen was crowned Saturday night at the Eko Expo Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos. She also got a brand new Hyundai car and N3 million cash prize and will also represent Nigeria at the 2011 Miss World Beauty Pageant in London, UK.

The other respective winners in other categories of the beauty pageant are the following.

MBGN Tourism 2011 – Obioma Isiwu (Miss Enugu)
MBGN ECOWAS 2011 – Grace Ndam (Miss Lagos)
MBGN 2011/BellaNaija Miss Photogenic – Tobi Banjoko (Miss Ondo)
MBGN 2011 Miss Amity – Delphine Okobah (Miss Ebonyi)
MBGN 2011 Miss La Casera – Nwando Ebeledike (Miss Adamawa)
MBGN 2011 Model – Oluchi Okafor (Miss Kogi)
MBGN 2011 Face of Select Pro – Gabriella Ndu (Miss Abia)

Bank of America Presents 19th HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

Posted on June 20, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

20 Jun 2011 16:33 Africa/Lagos

The HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival Presented by Bank of America Celebrates Its 19th Year

FREE OUTDOOR CLASSIC FILM SERIES JUNE 20 – AUGUST 22
Director, Milos Foreman, will attend on opening night to introduce “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest”

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Once again, Bryant Park will be a destination for film buffs on summer nights in New York City, with an all-star legendary film line up for the 19th year of the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presented by Bank of America and in association with The Bryant Park Corporation.

Continuing the popular tradition of presenting “stars under the stars,” the free outdoor festival returns Monday evenings at sunset, beginning June 20 and running through August 22. The season kicks off on the first day of summer with ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, starring Jack Nicholson as a patient who leads a revolt at a mental facility in this 1975 favorite.

The film’s Oscar winning director Milos Foreman, will attend the opening night festivities in Bryant Park on June 20th to introduce the film.

In the heat of the night

The festival’s closing night film, DIRTY HARRY, stars Clint Eastwood who made movie history when he took the role of Harry Callahan. Other highlights of this year’s festival include Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, Paul Newman in COOL HAND LUKE, and Oscar winning film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes classic
A scene from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

“Support for the film festival reflects our belief that the arts, in all its forms, should be shared with the widest possible audience,” said Jeff Barker, Bank of America New York City president. “Only in New York can you spend a summer evening outdoors with legends of the screen and people from all walks of life amid the city’s skyscrapers.”

“It is with great pride that HBO enters its 19th year of showing classic films on the big screen in Bryant Park. The festival has turned into a favorite summertime tradition for many New Yorkers. As neighbors of Bryant Park, it is a great way for HBO and Bank of America to give back to the city,” said Bill Nelson, Chairman and CEO, HBO.

The films will be projected in 35mm onto a screen 20 feet high by 40 feet wide. Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas. Snacks, meals and refreshments are available at Bryant Park food kiosks and restaurants. Each presentation will show on Monday evenings starting at sunset. The lawn opens at 5pm. Classic animation provided courtesy of Warner Bros.

For more information, call the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival hotline at (212) 512-5700. For film series information, visit the festival’s website at hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival (will be live by June 1st).

THE HBO BRYANT PARK SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL 2011

PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA

JUNE 20 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (Saul Zaentz Co.)-Rebellious Jack Nicholson leads a patient revolt at a mental facility. He urges the inmates to rebel against the nasty Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Based on the Ken Kesey novel, it has been directed with force, humanity and a sly smile by Milos Forman. It is the second film (after “It Happened One Night”) to score an Oscar Grand Slam, winning the five top prizes. Kirk Douglas owned the screen rights for years, but was too senior to play the lead when son Michael finally co-produced. The American Film Institute ranked “Cuckoo” as #33 Greatest Movie of All Time. (1975) 133 Min.

JUNE 27 THE 39 STEPS (MGM)-An innocent man goes on the run to prove he is not a murderer and that a spy ring exists in Scotland. The exuberant thriller is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s early British masterpieces. Robert Donat is the “everyman” in trouble and Madeleine Carroll is the classy blonde who lends a helping hand. It has been remade several times for big screen, small screen, even radio, but never as successfully. It even turned up recently as a cleverly conceived show on Broadway and in London’s West End. Watch out for a villain with a missing finger and a music hall performer named Mr. Memory. You won’t forget him. Special thanks to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts New York (BAFTA New York) (1935) 86 Min.

JULY 4 EASY RIDER (Sony/Col) Stoners Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (he also directed) hit the road on their customized motorcycles to find the “real” America. 1960’s peace and love soon turn to fear and hate. The script was Oscar-nominated, though reportedly much was improvised between L.A. and New Orleans, as the low budget movie was being shot by Laszlo Kovacs. Rumor also has it that plenty of marijuana was smoked on this road trip, giving new meaning to the term “high”way. Steppenwolf, The Byrds, The Band, Jimi Hendrix and Little Eva are heard on the soundtrack. And yes, that is legendary record producer Phil Spector making a cameo appearance as a drug dealer. (1969) 94 Min.

JULY 11 GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (TCF)-They may be just “two little girls from Little Rock,” but Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell are on the trail of bigger stones. As we all know, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Two gold digging showgirls head for Paris in this brightly colored musical comedy based on the Anita Loos story and a Broadway hit starring Carol Channing. Fox intended it as a movie showcase for their biggest star Betty Grable, but Marilyn came cheaper. The musical number “Anyone Here For Love?” featuring the statuesque Russell and a gaggle of disinterested chorus boys (as the U.S. Olympic team!) is a genuine camp classic. (1953) 91 Min.

JULY 18 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (MGM)-This taut murder mystery was the surprise Oscar winner for Best Picture over “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The Graduate.” Ironically, that very award ceremony was postponed due to the assassination of Martin Luther King. Rod Steiger plays a bigoted Mississippi sheriff who is reluctant to accept help from a black, big city detective Sidney (“Call me Mister Tibbs”) Poitier. Due to racial unrest in the South, filming necessarily took place in Illinois. The moody Quincy Jones score was Grammy nominated and Ray Charles made the title song an instant standard. (1967) 109 Min.

JULY 25 THE LADY EVE (Universal)-This sparkling romantic comedy is the work of a master, Preston Sturges. Barbara Stanwyck (at her most tempting) is a con artist/card shark out to dupe the clueless heir to a brewery fortune (Henry Fonda). He is an ophiologist by trade and knows more about snakes than girls. Just back from a year up the Amazon on a serpent hunt, he is an apple ripe for the plucking. The script is brimming with sophisticated banter (earning an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Original Story), but Sturges is not above some well-placed slapstick and physical pratfalls. In 2002, the AFI placed it #26 on a list of Top 100 Greatest Love Stories in American cinema. (1941) 94 Min.

AUG. 1 COOL HAND LUKE (Warner Bros.)-“What we’ve got here is…failure to communicate.” So says a sadistic guard (Strother Martin) to Luke (Paul Newman) who is serving time on a Dixie chain gang. Luke has trouble with authority figures and will find countless ways to rebel against the system during his incarceration. You may never be able to face an egg again after the justifiably famous (and excruciating) eating scene in which Luke puts away over four dozen of the hard-boiled variety. Newman received his fourth Oscar nomination, but it was supporting actor George Kennedy, as a fellow inmate, who took home an acting prize. (1967) 126 Min. (Panavision)

AUG 8 AIRPLANE! (Paramount)-“You ever been in a cockpit before?” No? Well, now’s your chance. The gags just keep coming and coming in this raucous spoof of Hollywood’s all-star disaster epics. A Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker collaboration, it was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Comedy and won a WGA award for Best Comedy Script. These are the same wild and crazy guys responsible for the popular “Naked Gun” series. Star turns by Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and the late, great Leslie (“Don’t call me Shirley”) Nielsen. Cameos are by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Maureen McGovern and an autopilot inflatable doll! (1980) 86 min.

AUG. 15 HIGH SIERRA (Warner Bros.)-The landmark crime drama by Raoul Walsh took Humphrey Bogart off the “B” list and propelled him into superstardom. His big hit “The Maltese Falcon” came out later the same year. Here he is Roy “Mad Dog” Earle, a hardened ex-con on the lam from the cops, who, way deep down, has a heart of gold. The part was intended for Paul Muni (contract dispute) or George Raft. Bogie himself convinced Raft to turn down the role. Good move. “Sierra” was co-scripted by his old friend and drinking buddy, John Huston. Top-billed Ida Lupino co-stars as the devoted moll and Bogart’s own pooch, Zero, appears as the cute mongrel Pard. (1941) 100 Min.

AUG. 22 DIRTY HARRY (Warner Bros.)-Clint Eastwood made movie history when he took the role of Harry Callahan. He went on to play the iconic cop four more times. Originally considered for the part were Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, but the “Gods of Hollywood Casting’ were smiling down on Clint. No more Italian westerns. Don Siegel’s direction packs quite a punch, as Harry goes about ridding the San Francisco streets of a serial sniper. His unique take on law enforcement involves carrying a very large .44 Magnum. Are ya feeling lucky, punk? Come on, make Harry’s day. (1971) 102 min. (Panavision)

HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two pay television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 85 million subscribers worldwide . The services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

HBO’s philanthropic efforts are defined by a mission to cultivate and develop new talent through support of innovative educational organizations. We are committed to ensuring the stories we present reflect the diverse world in which we live and the voices from all communities are provided the access and resources to share their experiences with audiences around the world.

BANK OF AMERICA AND THE ARTS

As one of the world’s largest financial institutions and a major supporter of arts and culture, Bank of America has a vested interest and plays a meaningful role in the international dialogue on cultural understanding. As a global company, Bank of America demonstrates its commitment to the arts by supporting such efforts as after-school arts programs, grants to help expand libraries, programs to conserve artistic heritage as well as a campaign to encourage museum attendance. Bank of America offers customers free access to more than 150 of the nation’s finest cultural institutions through its acclaimed Museums on Us® program, while Art in our Communities® shares exhibits from the company’s corporate collection with communities across the globe through local museum partners. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation also provides philanthropic support to museums, theaters and other arts-related nonprofits to expand their services and offerings to schools and communities. Bank of America partners with more than six thousand arts institutions worldwide.

BRYANT PARK CORPORATION

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance, and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from events, concessions, and corporate sponsors, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security and sanitation services, and tending the park’s lush lawn and seasonal garden displays, BPC provides public amenities and activities, including movable chairs and tables, café umbrellas, restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown park, conveniently located at 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, is visited by over 5 million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. BPC’s website, www.bryantpark.org, provides more detailed information and a schedule of upcoming events.

SOURCE HBO

CONTACT: Suzanne Pinto, HBO, +1-212-512-1904; T.J. Crawford, Bank of America, +1-646-855-3301

Web Site: http://www.hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival

Hollywood icons gather to honour Legendary Actor Morgan Freeman

Posted on June 7, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

Legendary Actor Morgan Freeman

6 Jun 2011 21:26 Africa/Lagos

Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Sidney Poitier, Mike Nichols, Matthew Broderick, Rita Moreno and Many More Among Those Honoring Legendary Actor Morgan Freeman at the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony
Honor Takes Place At Historic Sony Pictures Studios Thursday, June 9, 2011 At 7:00 p.m.
Show Premieres On TV Land Sunday, June 19, 2011 At 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

PR Newswire

LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2011

LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — AFI and TV Land announced today that Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Sidney Poitier, Mike Nichols, Matthew Broderick and Rita Moreno are among the luminaries in film who will pay tribute to Morgan Freeman, the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award recipient. AFI will present its highest honor for a career in film to Freeman in Los Angeles on June 9 at Sony Pictures Studios. “TV Land Presents: The AFI Life Achievement Award Honoring Morgan Freeman” will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT .

Eastwood, Poitier and Nichols are all past AFI Life Achievement Award recipients.

Clint Eastwood, who received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1996, has worked with Morgan Freeman many times over the years with extraordinary results, in films such as “Unforgiven,” the Oscar®-winning “Million Dollar Baby” and “Invictus.”

Sidney Poitier is one of Freeman’s biggest inspirations. In 1992, Freeman spoke at Poitier’s AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony, where he said, “Every man has his own heaven and for me, heaven has always been being in the movies, and always in my heaven…I had one bright light…Sidney Poitier.” Freeman will now share this accolade and a little slice of heaven with Poitier. Both actors took on the challenging task of playing former South African president, Nelson Mandela – Poitier in the television movie, “Mandela and de Klerk,” and Freeman on the big screen in “Invictus.”

Mike Nichols, who received the AFI Life Achievement Award last year, directed Freeman on Broadway in “The Country Girl” (2008).

Helen Mirren most recently worked with Freeman in the 2010 film, “Red,” which also co-starred Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker.

Rita Moreno co-starred alongside Freeman in PBS’s “The Electric Company,” which was Freeman’s breakout role in television. The highly regarded children’s educational program won several Emmy® Awards during its broadcast run.

Matthew Broderick worked with Freeman in “Glory,” which was directed by Ed Zwick, produced by Pieter Jan Brugge and edited by Steven Rosenblum – all three are AFI Conservatory alumni. Rosenblum will receive the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal, awarded annually to an alumnus of AFI who best embodies talent, taste, dedication and commitment to quality filmmaking, as part of the Freeman gala.

The black-tie event will take place on historic Stage 15 at Sony Pictures Studios, where “The Wizard of Oz,” “Grand Hotel,” “Spiderman” and other classic movies were filmed. The stage will be transformed into an elegant ballroom to honor the storied career of Morgan Freeman. Proceeds from the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala directly support the Institute’s national educational programs and the preservation of American film history.

About the American Film Institute

AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work, and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts.

AFI preserves the legacy of America’s film heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films , an authoritative record of American films from 1893 to the present, and the AFI Archive, which contains rare footage from across the history of the moving image.

AFI honors the artists and their work through a variety of annual programs and special events, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI Awards. For 39 years, the AFI Life Achievement Award has remained the highest honor for a career in film while AFI Awards, the Institute’s almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year. AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists, as well as AFI Night at the Movies, have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers. And as the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the United States, AFI offers film enthusiasts a variety of events throughout the year, including AFI Fest presented by Audi, the longest running international film festival in Los Angeles; AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, the largest documentary festival in the US; and year-round programming at the AFI Silver Theatre in the Washington, DC area.

AFI educates the next generation of storytellers at its world-renowned AFI Conservatory, offering a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. AFI also explores new digital technologies through special workshops.

Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

About the AFI Life Achievement Award

The highest honor given for a career in film, the AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the AFI Board of Trustees on February 26, 1973. It is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees: “The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.”

2011 AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Morgan Freeman joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception in 1973: John Ford (1973), James Cagney (1974), Orson Welles (1975), William Wyler (1976), Bette Davis (1977), Henry Fonda (1978), Alfred Hitchcock (1979), James Stewart (1980), Fred Astaire (1981), Frank Capra (1982), John Huston (1983), Lillian Gish (1984), Gene Kelly (1985), Billy Wilder (1986), Barbara Stanwyck (1987), Jack Lemmon (1988), Gregory Peck (1989), Sir David Lean (1990), Kirk Douglas (1991), Sidney Poitier (1992), Elizabeth Taylor (1993), Jack Nicholson (1994), Steven Spielberg (1995), Clint Eastwood (1996), Martin Scorsese (1997), Robert Wise (1998), Dustin Hoffman (1999), Harrison Ford (2000), Barbra Streisand (2001), Tom Hanks (2002), Robert De Niro (2003), Meryl Streep (2004), George Lucas (2005), Sean Connery (2006), Al Pacino (2007), Warren Beatty (2008), Michael Douglas (2009) and Mike Nichols (2010).

About TV Land

TV Land is the programming destination featuring the best in entertainment on all platforms for consumers in their 40s and 50s. Consisting of original programming, classic and contemporary television series acquisitions, hit movies and a full-service Web site, TV Land is now seen in over 98 million U.S. homes.

Please log onto tvlandpress.com for up-to-the-minute information, press releases and photos.

TV Land and all related logos and titles are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Shockwave, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, and GameTrailers.

SOURCE TV Land

CONTACT: Vanessa Reyes Smith, +1-310-752-8081, Vanessa.reyes@tvland.com, or Jennifer Zaldivar-Clark, +1-212-846-8964, Jennifer.zaldivar@tvland.com, both of TV Land

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

2011 MTV Movie Awards Winners

Posted on June 6, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

Best Male Performance: Robert Pattinson, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Best Villain: Tom Felton, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Best Jaw Dropping Moment: Justin Bieber does… something, Never Say Never 3-D
Best Fight: Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard & Xavier Samuel, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Best Kiss: Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Best Line: Alexys Nycole Sanchez, Grown Ups (“I want to get chocolate-wasted!”)
Best Female Performance: Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Best Comedic Performance: Emma Stone, Easy A
Best Movie: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

2011 MTV Movie Awards

Click here for the complete report with photos and videos. Enjoy!

2nd Eko International Film Festival, July 9 – 14, 2011

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

CALL FOR ENTRY
2ND EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The 2nd Edition of the Eko International Film Festival (EKOIFF) will be held from 9-14 July, 2011, in Lagos, Nigeria.

The different categories of film to be submitted are:

Feature Length
Short Films
Fiction
Comedy
Drama
Horror
Documentaries
Student
1 minute short films.

The submission deadlines:
Standard Deadline: May 30, 2011
Late Deadline: June 15, 2011
Final Deadline: June 25, 2011

Applications for submitting films to the 2nd EKOIFF will be available on the official EKOIFF.
For more information, visit the official EKOIFF website www.ekoiff.com, or send e-mail to contact@ekoiff.com (see link: http://www.ekoiff.com/submit.htm)

Address: 1 Bajulaiye Road, Opposite Skye bank plc Shomolu, Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +2348033036171, +2347066379246.
Email: contact@ekoiff.com

Website: http://www.ekoiff.com/

PARTNERS:
logosupple

silverbird_tv
Silverbird Cinemas
FILM-FES21

2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Screening Dates

Posted on May 30, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

The final screening dates for the 2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) have been announced with the locations:

MBGN Screening Dates and Venues:

• May 31, 2011. Royal Marble Hotel, Benin, Edo State.

• June 2, 2011. Sports Cafe, Silverbird Showtime, Akwa Ibom Tropicana, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

• June 4, 2011. Platinum Lounge Silverbird Entertainment Centre, Abuja (FCT)

• June 6, 2011. Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Follow the MBGN on Facebook to see more details, photos and videos of the contestants.

For confirmation and inquiry, please contact: mbgn@silverbirdgroup.com

Fiona-Aforma-Amuzie-–-MBGN-World1
Fiona Aforma Amuzie was crowned MBGN World 2010 (Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2010 World). MBGN 2010 held on the 22nd of May at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. And she represented Nigeria at MISS WORLD 2010.

The Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria (MBGN)

Beauty Pageant Holds June 25 at Eko Hotel & Suites ,Victoria Island Lagos .
There are 34 beautiful contestants from different states in Nigeria. The event starts By 6pm .

2011 MBGN 1

V1 ABIA Gabriella Ndu
V2 ABUJA Tessy Maduko
V3 ADAMAWA Nwando Ebeledike
V4 AKWA-IBOM Kome Osalov
V5 ANAMBRA Ify Jewana
V6 BAYELSA Sophie Jewal
V7 BAUCHI Chantelle Unachukm
V8 BENUE Josephine Igochie
V9 BORNO Gbemisola Shotade
V10 CROSS RIVER Agotha Eriom
V11 DELTA Chidebe Joyce
V12 EBONYI Delphine Okaban
V13 EDO Onabu Obehioye Liliane
V14 EKITI Awettada Ovoke
V15 ENUGU Obioma Isiwu
V16 GOMBE Jennifer Igwegbe
V17 IMO Urenna Oyeneke
V18 KOGI Okafov Ohichi
V19 KWARA Ngwu Oganna Linda
V20 LAGOS Grace Ndaw
V21 NASARAWA Menkiti Sylvia
V22 NIGER Amanda Simon
V23 OGUN Ige Temifope
V24 ONDO Tobi Banjoko
V25 OSUN Metu Kelechi
V26 OYO Florentina Nneka Agu
V27 PLATEAU Onaja Lovette
V28 RIVERS Mitchelle Ijeh
V29 TARABA Sylvia Nduka
V30 YOBE Lotachukm Ugwu
V31 JIGAWA Eneka Gloria
V32 KADUNA Olanide Aroguma V33 KANO Deborah Enebeli
V34 KATSINA Kenechukm Offiah

Meet the 2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria contestants for 2011

Jeta Amata is working on new film after “Black Gold”

Posted on May 27, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

Jeta Amata

Nick Vivarelli of the Variety reported that the ambitious Nigerian filmmaker is already working on a new international film after making “Black Gold”.

The director who is also well known for his daring film “The Amazing Grace” is going to focus on the corrupt practices of pharmaceutical multinationals in Africa in his new film “Journeys of One,” with Donald Ranvaud of “The Constant Gardner” fame as an executive producer.

Amata’s “Black Gold” had a market premiere at the 64th Cannes Film Festival. The film on the Niger Delta crisis featured top Hollywood actors like Tom Sizemore, Billy Zane and Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

“Journeys of One” will be a way to provide a more genuine take on the Big Pharma in Africa theme tackled by Hollywood in Fernando Meirelles’ “The Constant Gardner”. We like Hollywood coming to tell our story; but they miss some of the essence of the African point of view,” Amata said.

Variety reported that Amata, producer Soledad Grognett and Ranvaud are looking for a name African-American actor for one of the key roles in “Journeys” and likely to also feature an Indian star.

“The idea is to make it Hollywood, Nollywood — as the Nigerian film industry is know — and Bollywood; the three biggest markets in the world,” said Amata. “If you go to the remote villages where they don’t have proper means of communication, you find people just dying unnecessarily,” he added. “And though they don’t realize it, the real thing that killed them was some drug that they weren’t meant to take.”

“The environment in Nigeria makes it a haven for these people (the pharmaceutical companies) to run whatever tests they want and treat people like rats and guinea pigs,” Grognett added.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Cannes presents African Cinema by Jean-Pierre Garcia*

Posted on May 22, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

Yeelen
Yeelen (Brightness) by the Malian Souleymane Cissé was the first African film to qualify for the official competition and won the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Golden Palm award for the same year.

Africa at the Cannes Film Festival by Jean-Pierre Garcia*

The film that really marked the beginning of African cinema was Borom Sarret (1963) by Senegalese director SembèneOusmane. Although Sudan’s Gadalla Gubara had been the first African on the continent to make a film with his documentary Song of Karthoum (1950), Sembène Ousmaneremains the father figure by common consent. In tackling the story of a cart-driver subjected to the rules and regulations of the new regime, Borom Sarret sides with the poor of Dakar. This short film, which stirred consciousness and spoke out symbolically, led the way for future generations of filmmakers firmly focused on their own continent.

For the “father” of African cinema, the newly gained political independence only made sense if it was accompanied by a restoration of dignity, which had hitherto been suppressed by the weight of the administration and its reductive mechanisms (language, religion, education and the police). From the outset, cinema became the instrument of choice in this process of re-conquest: images were used to rebuild self-image, as well as the image of every population on the continent. In his cinema seminar at Cannes in 2005, Sembène Ousmane recalled: “I was gripped by a need to ‘discover’ Africa. Not just Senegal, but just about the entire continent… I became aware that I had to learn to make films if I really wanted to reach my people. A film can be seen and understood even by illiterate people – a book cannot speak to entire populations!” Sembène Ousmane laid the aesthetic foundations of his filmmaking (very close to Italian neo-realism) and set them in a pan-Africanist context. The initial equation was simple: independent Africa “needed” filmmakers who could (re-)awaken consciousness to counter colonial cinema, which had set out merely to entertain its audience, alienating them in the process.

The Wind, Finyé 3
“FINYé – THE WIND” (Mali 1982, winner FESPACO & Cannes) By Souleymane Cissé 1982, Mali

Around fifteen films made their mark over the course of this first decade (1964-1974). All dealt with either the colonial past and the liberation movements, or cultural assimilation and the problems of the newly independent states (corruption, bureaucracy, the shifting of wealth, etc.) The traumatic aftermath of the colonial past was addressed in Oumarou Ganda’s Cabascabo(1) (1968, Niger), Sarah Maldoror’s Monagambee (1968, Angola), Michael Raeburn’s Rhodesia Countdown (1969, Rhodesia), Sembène Ousmane’s Emitai (1971), and Nana Mahomo’s Last Grave at Dimbaza (1974, South Africa).

Udju Azul di Yonta, 1992 by Flora Gomes from Guinea-Bissau.

The films frequently focused on the suffocating links between the European and African capitals, as inConcerto For an Exile and Take Care, France by Désiré Écaré (1968 and 1970, Ivory Coast) or Djibril Diop-Mambéty’s Badou Boy (1970, Senegal). Other themes explored include the loss of identity through immigration, as in Sembène Ousmane’s Black Girl(1966), or the conflict with new regimes or corruption as in his The Money Order (1968) and Xala (1974).
Reconstructing Africa’s own history; weaving its identity

The Africa that made its entry into the cinematic world in 1975 had thrown off its colonial shackles. Nine films were selected at Cannes between 1975 and 1985, all of which endeavoured to reflect African reality while examining the cultural roots of societies undergoing change. One image could serve as a common denominator for works as varied as N’Diangane by Mahama Johnson Traoré (1975, Senegal), Harvest: 3,000 Years by Haile Gerima (1976, Ethiopia), Ceddo by Sembène Ousmane (1977), Ababacar Samb-Makharam’sJom (1981, Senegal) and Souleymane Cissé’s The Wind (Finyé, 1982, Mali): that of a pendulum constantly swinging between the present and the past. It is in this movement, with its focus on group identity (whether in cities or villages) in which individuals exist only in relation to a common destiny, that the films of this period can be contextualised. These films set out to recapture their country’s history: the stories of everyday men and women reflecting those of the earliest narratives and myths.

Rather than praising the brave feats of one particular character, it is “the spirit of resistance” that Sembène commends in Emitai (1971) and Ceddo (1977), just as Ababacar Samb-Makharam celebrates a sense of honour (Jom) rather than singing a eulogy to one particular man of honour. The aim of these films is to bear witness, rather than present a hero in the Western sense of the term. This rather disconcerting (for Westerners) rule of thumb, coupled with the difficulty of classifying these films into production-distribution categories, explains the relative difficulty they encountered in winning over European audiences. This reduced key films in cinematographic history, such as Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Touki Bouki (1973) or The Wind (Finyé, 1982) to mere secondary status.

African cinema had not yet emerged from its ghetto, in the sense that it had not yet acquired or won international stature. It was entirely devoted to marking out its own cultural and human space, while its filmmakers staked out their territory. The challenge in the 1980s was to achieve recognition on a national and international scale.

The real turning point for African cinema occurred in 1987 with the selection of Yeelen (Brightness) by the Malian Souleymane Cisséfor the official competition on the one hand, and of Yam Daabo (The Choice) by Burkina Faso’s Idrissa Ouedraogo for the Critics’ Week on the other. Yeelen was in fact the first Black African Film to compete at Cannes, and the film played its part to the full. The initiatory voyage undertaken by its main character setting out to master the forces surrounding him mirrors that of African cinema in the world of festivals – and Cannes in particular. The next steps were Raymond Rajaonarivelo’s Tabataba (1988, Madagascar) and Idrissa Ouedraogo’s Yaaba (1988, Burkina Faso), both of which featured in the Directors’ Fortnight. Then Tilaï (1990) by the prolific Ouedraogo, once again selected for the official competition.

But then came the events of 1991, which certain journalists hungry for an exotic headline labelled the “Black Croisette”. For the first time, there were four African feature films at Cannes: Ta Dona by Adama Drabo (Mali),Sango Malo by Bassek Ba Kobhio (Cameroon), and Laada by Drissa Touré (Burkina Faso) were screened at Un Certain Regard, while Pierre Yaméogo’s Laafi (Burkina Faso) was selected for the Critics’ Week.

The decade turned out to be a prolific one: Hyenas by Djibril Diop Mambéty was entered for the international competition in 1992, as was a brilliant adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Visit. Meanwhile, tiny Guinea-Bissau made its entry at Un Certain Regard with Flora Gomes’s Udju Azul di Yonta, along with October, by unknown Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako.

Attitudes towards films made in sub-Saharan Africa have changed. The strength of the themes, the unique relationships not only to a film’s locale but also to its sound and music, and the staging ideas (imbued with a sophisticated bareness) developed by African directors have provided the answers sought by so many. Beyond the obvious themes, what was once considered disconcerting has come to be seen as a sign of vitality and evidence of a constantly renewed creative energy. The link to an oral tradition is expressed by symbolic, dramatic or amusing images that are as subtle as proverbs. When, in 1991, African cinema enjoyed its “merry month of May” as the late lamented Jacques Le Glou put it, it seemed as if African cinema had at last taken off. But such a view did not take Africa’s fragile economic situation into account, or the dependence of these filmmakers on funding from countries in the North. A closer look at African film production reveals that the number of films made each year is varied and cyclical. Everything depends on the support policies of European organisations and administrations, and their levels of funding. To take just the last two decades: there were peaks of production in the early and mid 1990s as a result of significant, regular and well-distributed support, before the machine seemed to grind to a halt.

Since then, a whole new set of directors have come to the fore: Abderrahmane Sissako (Life on Earth – 1998,Heremakono – 2002, Bamako – 2006), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Abouna – 2002, Daratt – 2006, A Screaming Man – 2011- Chad), Flora Gomes (Po di Sangui – 1996, Nha Fala – 2002) and Newton Aduaka (Ezra – 2007- Nigeria). Meanwhile, Sembène Ousmane achieved a brilliant coda to his career with Moolaadé (2004). These key works nonetheless remain shining exceptions in an impoverished cinematographic landscape characterized by lack of commitment from African funders or states towards their filmmakers and producers. Will new digital productions lead to a long hoped-for renaissance? This seems unlikely in the near future, but then, Africa has always had an astonishing ability to surprise us!

(1) : Jean Rouch was the one who “discovered” Oumarou Ganda in I, a Negro (1958) and encouraged him (as he did a number of African filmmakers) to make his own films. Far from “viewing Africans as insects”, Jean Rouch knew how to combine an ethnologist’s values with the aesthetic demands of an accomplished film director. As a humanist, he showed respect for others as well as for himself.

* Jean-Pierre Garcia is Editor of Le Film Africain & du Sud magazine.

The Festival de Cannes would like to thank the authors for cntributing for free.

Sexual drama kicks off the Cannes Film Festival

Posted on May 14, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

Sleeping Beauty, starring Emily Browning, is one of 20 films up for the coverted Palme D’or.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arrives on the red carpet for the screening of the film “Sleeping Beauty”, in competition at the 64th Cannes Film Festival, May 12, 2011. Twenty films are competing in the May 11 to 22 cinema showcase, with a roll call including major screen stars, revered “auteur” directors and relative newcomers. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE – Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)

The 64th Cannes Film Festival is in progress with the celebrated movie stars from Hollywood, Bollywood and other notable film industries from other countries participating and competing for the coveted prizes and other pursuits. Nigeria has a pavilion at the festival, but no Nollywood movie is in competition or even out of competition.

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Jury Member Uma Thurman attends the Opening Ceremony at the Palais des Festivals during the 64th Cannes Film Festival on May 11, 2011 in Cannes, France. (Getty Images)more pics »

The galaxy of stars in attendance include the following:

Helena ALBERGARIA, Yvan ATTAL, Irene AZUELA, Antonio BANDERAS, Claude BAZ. MOUSSAWBAA, Berenice BEJO, Rachel BLAKE, Elodie BOUCHEZ, Adrien BRODY, Emily BROWNING, Claudia CARDINALE, Han CHIN, Kerry CONDON, Michael CONNORS, Ines DE LA FRESSANGE, Michel DELPECH, Catherine DENEUVE, Marat DESCARTES, Faye DUNAWAY, Kirsten DUNST, Christopher EDWARDS, Yilmaz ERDOGAN, Charlotte GAINSBOURG, Gael GARCIA BERNAL, Louis GARREL, Julie GAYET, Vahina GIOCANTE, Melanie GRIFFITH, Layla HAKIM, Salma HAYEK, Noe HERNANDEZ, Dustin HOFFMAN, Henry HOPPER, Angelina JOLIE, Sandrine KIBERLAIN, Diane KRUGER, Mélanie LAURENT, Xiaoran LI, Gong LI, Heinz LIEVEN, Vincent LINDON, Yvonne MAALOUF, Chiara MASTROIANNI, Rachel MCADAMS, Ezra MILLER, Aimee MULLINS, Ahmet MÜMTAZTAYLAN, Sami NACERI, Gilda NOMACCE, Antoinette NOUFAILY, Michel PICCOLI, Brad PITT, Adèle POLZL HAENEL, Aishwarya RAI, John C.REILLY, Ludivine SAGNIER, Riccardo SCAMARCIO, Léa SEYDOUX, Michael SHEEN, Stephanie SIGMAN, Tilda SWINTON, Christopher THOMPSON, Mia WASIKOWSKA, Lambert WILSON, Owen WILSON, José YENKUE, Elsa ZYLBERSTEIN.

You can follow the events from the opening day on 11th to the closing day on 22nd May.
Screenings of the 14h May

64th-Cannes-Film-Festival-poster

COMPETITION – Grand Théâtre Lumière

12pm / 9.45pm
HEARAT SHULAYIM
by Joseph Cedar 1h46
3.30pm
MICHAEL
by Markus Schleinzer
1h36

OUT OF COMPETITION – Grand Théâtre Lumière or Salle du Soixantième (S) or Salle Bunuel (Bu)

8.30am / 6.30pm
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN : ON STRANGER TIDES
by Rob Marshall 2h17
2pm (S)
TOUS AU LARZAC
by Christian Rouaud
2h00
7.15pm (Bu)
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI
by Michael Radford
1h42
11.45pm
BOLLYWOOD – THE GREATEST LOVE S

Rod Stewart Returns To Las Vegas With “The Hits.”

Posted on May 12, 2011 by admin — No Comments ↓

Rod Stewart Returns To Las Vegas With “The Hits.”

“ROD STEWART AND SIN CITY… A MATCH MADE IN ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HEAVEN” – The Hollywood Reporter
TICKETS ON SALE BEGINNING SUNDAY, MAY 15 at 10 a.m. PDT

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LAS VEGAS, NV., May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Today, legendary rock icon Rod Stewart confirmed his long-rumored return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for his first 18 concerts of his two-year Las Vegas residency, kicking off on August 24, 2011. Rod Stewart: The Hits. will be a concert celebration featuring a set list of the rock and R&B favorites which have defined Stewart’s unparalleled five-decade-long career. The spectacular, state-of-the-art production, presented by AEG Live, will be a culmination of Stewart’s seminal hits like “Maggie May,” “You Wear it Well,” “Hot Legs,” “You’re in My Heart,” and “Some Guys Have All the Luck” mixed with a few surprise rarities and sizzling covers. Rod Stewart: The Hits. is being designed to give audiences that intimate, only in Las Vegas concert experience – with no fan more than 120 feet from the magnificent stage.

Tickets for the first 18 performances go on-sale Sunday, May 15 at 10 a.m. PDT:
Rod Stewart: The Hits. at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
August 24 – September 11, 2011 and November 3 – 20, 2011
Ticket prices are $49/ $69/ $99/ $165/ $250 plus applicable fees.

ROD

Stewart’s triumphant return to Las Vegas continues one of the most successful and critically-acclaimed 12 months of his career, highlighted by his just-wrapped The Heart & Soul Tour with Stevie Nicks – which is currently the #2 highest grossing tour on Billboard’s 2011 Boxscore chart. The tour has garnered Stewart enormous critical praise including The New York Post which declared Stewart “Forever Young,” US Weekly, which called his set list “…a non-stop jam session” and The Globe and Mail, which declared, “Rod Stewart competes with no one…” In addition to praise for his concert performance, Stewart was just honored with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award for his songwriting and received his 16th Grammy nomination for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.” Stewart’s incredible year began with his chart-topping, 33-date 2010 European summer tour – which included four sold-out dates at London’s O2 Arena – and continued with a sold-out, eight concerts at The Colosseum in Las Vegas in November of 2010.

Tickets go on-sale Sunday, May 15 at 10 a.m. PDT and may be purchased in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, keyword “Rod Stewart.” All Ticketmaster orders may be subject to additional service charges and fees. Ticket prices are $49/ $69/ $99/ $165/ $250 (all prices include 10% Live Entertainment Tax). Dates for the limited engagement are August 24 – September 11 and November 3 – 20, 2011. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy™ Living Legend Rod Stewart has been lauded as having one of the most distinctive voices in pop music. In a career spanning five decades, with an estimated 250 million album and single sales he is indisputably one of the most successful singers, songwriters and performers of all time. Throughout his prolific career, Stewart has garnered an amazing 16 Grammy nominations and has performed for sell-out crowds throughout the world. With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has achieved numerous solo hit singles worldwide, most notably in the UK, where he has garnered six consecutive #1 albums and his tally of 62 hit singles include 24 that reached the Top 10, six of which gained the number one position. His hit singles include “Maggie May,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “Hot Legs,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?,” “Forever Young,” “Young Turks,” “Rhythm of My Heart,” “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” “Have I Told You Lately?,” “Stay With Me,” and “First Cut is the Deepest.” For more information, visit www.rodstewart.com.

About AEG Live
AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices and owns, operates or exclusively books thirty-five state-of-the-art venues. The current and recent concert tour roster includes artists such as Taylor Swift, The Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen, Wisin & Yandel, Kenny Chesney, P!nk and Paul McCartney. The company is also currently producing shows in Las Vegas including Celine Dion at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Barry Manilow at Paris. The AEG Live exhibition portfolio boasts the most successful exhibition of all time, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs, which has attracted more than seven million visitors since 2005. AEG Live is also the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. www.aeglive.com

About Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is the world’s best known resort-casino, celebrating the grandeur that was Rome, in an 85-acre destination location that sets the standard for entertainment, dining and luxury. Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace features 3,300 hotel guest rooms and suites, 23 diverse restaurants and cafes, five-acre Garden of the Gods pools and gardens, 50,000 square foot Qua Baths & Spa and 300,000 square feet of premium meeting and convention space. The 4,300-seat Colosseum sits just steps from celebrity chef restaurants and the acclaimed Forum Shops at Caesars and spotlights world class entertainers such as Celine Dion, Elton John and Jerry Seinfeld. Find Caesars Palace on Facebook at and follow on Twitter.

# # #

Media Contacts:
Christi Nelson
AEG Live, Las Vegas
(702) 866-1451
cnelson@aeglive.com

Emily Wofford
Caesars Entertainment – Las Vegas Region
(702) 794-3171
Ewofford@caesars.com

Michelle Loosbrock
Wagner/Junker Agency
(702) 287-4130
Michelle@wjagency.com

For Rod Stewart contact:
Hannah Kampf
Conformity Media
(310) 497-9517
Hannah.Kampf@gmail.com

The Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria (MBGN)

Beauty Pageant Holds June 25 at Eko Hotel & Suites ,Victoria Island Lagos . There are 34 beautiful contestants from different states in Nigeria. The event starts By 6pm .

Beauty Pageant Holds June 25 at Eko Hotel & Suites ,Victoria Island Lagos .
There are 34 beautiful contestants from different states in Nigeria. The event starts By 6pm .