Category Archives: Competitions

PRESS RELEASE
2ND EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The second edition of Eko International Film festival (EKOIFF), www.ekoiff.com is coming up in the mega city of Lagos from July 9-14, 2011.
This year’s Theme of Eko International film Festival is ‘‘Nollywood – maximizing the Nigerian Film Industry”.

The President/Co-Founder Mr. Hope Obioma Opara said the preparations for the second edition are already in progress with a new advisory board made up of accomplished professionals in the Nigerian film industry.

Mr. Hope O. Opara

“The members of the Advisory Board will be announced at the press conference coming up soon. The second Eko International Film Festival will attract more filmmakers from different parts of the world,” said Mr. Opara.
“Organizing film festivals is an industry on its own besides script writing, acting, producing and directing. It is an international fiesta that attracts the convergence of film makers, the news media and film marketers for a major reason, competitions at various levels of film production and distribution deals.
“You can’t promote Nollywood in Nollywood, because an international film festival is a platform to expand our distribution network, forming synergy and collaboration with the outside world in a global village. It will also attract workshops for upcoming film makers to learn from professionals.”

The first edition was held last year at Genesis Deluxe Cinemas in Lekki, Lagos, which attracted more than 26 films submitted from eight countries of the world and this year’s festival in as much as it is exclusive for film professionals, the screening will be open to the public to watch movies at different cinemas for five days, televised on different TV stations and shown on websites, seen on millions of mobile phones and PCs in Nigeria and the rest of the world 24 hours daily.

Eko International Film Festival is expecting film practitioners and other stakeholders from all parts of the world including Nigerian practitioners as well to compete for the awards .Invitations have also been sent to other film festivals around the world to come and participate.

Eko International Film Festival is organized by Supple Communications Limited, Publisher of Supple magazine www.supplemagazine.org (the leading online film festivals and movies magazine in Africa) in partnership with M21 Entertainment of Europe, the owners of www.filmfestivals.com, the leading portal for the film and festival circuit, established in 1995 and www.fest21.com, the first social network for the film and festivals professionals.

The benefits of Eko International Film Festival are bringing more foreign participants to Nollywood and more visitors which will increase attraction of international tourists to the tourist destinations in Lagos state and other parts of Nigeria.

Eko International film festival will appreciate the support of corporate organizations and the government for the growth and development of the movie and entertainment industry.
For more information visit: www.ekoiff.com

Contact:
Hope Obioma Opara
President/Co-Founder
Eko International Film Festival.

The 8th edition of the Best of the Best in films and TV programmes(BOBTV) begins today at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Abuja.

Nollywood icon Amaka Igwe is the brain behind this important fiesta of movies and TV programmes.

The 8th BOBTV is attracting visitors and participants from within Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, Zimbabwe, Namibia, England, United States, South Africa and other countries.

See the details in the following press release on the event that will end on Thursday march 17, 2011.

The organisers of BOBTV, Africa’s premiere film and television programmes expo, have released the list of “Best of the Best” honours for 2011. The list includes chairman of the Silverbird group, Ben Murray Bruce, nollywood movie marketer Ossy Affason, copyright lawyer Efere Ozakor and Make-up and special effects virtuoso Dagogo Diminas.

Acknowledging hardworking professionals who have contributed to the growth of the movie and television industry in Nigeria has always been an integral part of BOBTV. The recipients will be showcased and celebrated at the 8th African Film and TV Programmes Market, BOBTV 2011, scheduled to hold from the 15th to the 17th of March at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.

Ben Murray Bruce, Director of the Silverbird group, owners of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria franchise, Silverbird Television and Rhythm 93.7 radio stations, was chosen in recognition of his mammoth contribution to the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

Ossy Affason’s immense contributions to Nigeria’s movie market can’t be understated. The renowned movie marketer and distributor of Nollywood movies has been chosen for his pioneering contribution to movie marketing in Nollywood.

Entertainment lawyer Efere Ozakor, who took a different approach to entertainment law in Nigeria was chosen for his outstanding contribution to the provision of legal framework for the Nigerian broadcast and entertainment industry.

Dagogo Diminas, make-up and special effects pioneer, with over two decades of experience has been chosen for his pioneering excellence in special effects in Nollywood.

This year’s recipients join the prestigious “Best of the Best” honours list that includes Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Chief Peter Igho, Ms. Liz Benson, Mr. Andy Amenechi, Sam Loco Efe, Chika Onu, Dr. Umar Farouk Jibril, Antar Olaniyan and Engr. Tony Ikoku. Mr. Lekan Ogunbamwo, Mr. Sam Dede, Bukky Ajayi, amongst others.

In This Photo: Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges
Actress Natalie Portman (R), winner of the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for ‘Black Swan’, and presenter Jeff Bridges pose in the press room during the 83rd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011 in Hollywood, California.
(http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Xut-lxVNNAW/83rd+Annual+Academy+Awards+Press+Room/jFEgqCSWtm6/Natalie+PortmanCredit: Zimbio: – Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America)

A scene from “Restless City”.

Nigerian filmmaker competes for the Golden Stallion of Yennenga at 2011 FESPACO

New York based Nigerian filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu’s Restless City is among the 18 films competing for the Golden Stallion of Yennenga, the most coveted prize at the 22nd Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in the melodramatic Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso from February 26 – March 5, 2011. The golden “Étalon de Yennenga” (Stallion of Yennenga) symbolizes the legendary founder of the 11th century Mossi empire of Burkina Faso and is awarded to the best feature film.

The winner in 2009 was the Ethiopia born director Haile Gerima for his movie “Teza”. Newton I Aduaka of Nigeria won it in 2007 with his “Ezra”, a riveting film on blood diamonds and child soldiers in Sierra Leone.

Other special awards include the Oumarou Ganda Prize, given for the best first film, and the Paul Robeson Prize for the best film by a director of the African diaspora.

“Restless City” is Andrew Dosunmu’s first feature film. It tells the story of an African immigrant surviving on the fringes of New York City where music is his passion, life is a hustle and falling in love is his greatest risk.
Djibril, an aspiring young musician from Senegal, lives in New York. Although he dreams of greatness, imagining the day his own child might be president of the United States, his path is unstructured, and he glories in the chaos of the street. When Djibril meets Trini, a prostitute under the control of Bekay, the local loan shark, his life assumes new purpose and momentum; however, whether Djibril and Trini can outrun Bekay’s nefarious influence is another story.

The other Nigerian filmmakers at the biennial pan-African event are Mak Kusare with “Champions of our time” Kunle Afolayan with “The Figurine” in the 24 entries for the TV and video films category, Didi Cheeka, a founding Director of AlternativCinema with “Bloodstones” and Julius Morno with “The Camera” in the short film category.

Another major news is the premiere of “Ouaga Paradiso,” a 52-minute documentary on African cinema.

There are 111 films in competition – including 18 feature films, 13 short films, 22 documentaries, 37 TV and video productions, 10 films from the African diasporas and 11 student films.

Michel Ouedraogo the director of FESPACO lamented the scourge of pirates who are the worst enemies of the African film industry. He said film piracy is a “cultural AIDS” that is “slowly killing our cinema industry”. He noted that piracy is the problem delaying “considering a stronger partnership with the first film industry in Africa, Nollywood.”

“Burkina Faso has contributed to the event through a 500,000 FCFA investment, completed with security, location, logistic, ceremony and staff availability during the event. In overall, the Burkina Faso government provides 65-70% of the festival organisation.” said Michel Ouédraogo.

The accomplished Iranian screenwriter and film director Asghar Farhadi’s captivating drama Nader and Simin: A Separation won the Golden Bear for the Best Film at the 61st Berlin Film Festival and was elated to receive his coveted prize at the closing ceremony on Saturday February 19, 2011. This must really be fulfilling for him after winning the Silver Bear for Best Director for his film About Elly in 2009. This is the first time an Iranian film has won the Golden Bear.

Asghar Farhadi lifting up his Golden Bear at the 61st Berlinale.

The male and female actors of “Nader and Simin, A Separation” were honored each with a Silver Bear for their performance.

The film is about a middle-class couple Nader and Simin married for fifteen years and live with their eleven-year-old daughter Termeh in Tehran. The family belong to the urban upper middle-class and the couple are on the verge of separation. Simin wants to leave the country with her husband and daughter, as she does not want Termeh to grow up under the prevailing conditions. Her desire is not shared by the stubborn Nader. He has concerns for his father, who lives with the family and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. When Nader decides to stay in Iran, Simin files for a divorce.

Bela Tarr took home the Jury Grand Prix of the Silver Bear for being the runner-up for his film “The Turin Horse”.

The other winners emerged in the following order:

Silver Bear – Best Director
Ulrich Köhler
for Schlafkrankheit (Sleeping Sickness)

Silver Bear – Best Actress
to the actress-ensemble in
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader And Simin, A Separation)
by Asghar Farhadi

Silver Bear – Best Actor
to the actor-ensemble in
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader And Simin, A Separation)
by Asghar Farhadi

Silver Bear – Outstanding Artistic Achievement
Wojciech Staron for the camera in
El premio (The Prize)
by Paula Markovitch

ex aequo

Barbara Enriquez for the production design in
El premio (The Prize)
by Paula Markovitch

Silver Bear – Best Script
Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for
The Forgiveness Of Blood (The Forgiveness Of Blood)
by Joshua Marston

Alfred Bauer Prize
Awarded in memory of the Festival founder, for a work of particular innovation.

Wer wenn nicht wir (If Not Us, Who)
by Andres Veiel

Click here for more details.

~ By Hope O. Opara