Withered Nollywood @ AMAA

Pic- Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover cheer crew of Kenyan Film, From A Whisper

The Nigerian motion picture industry, globally known as Nollywood suffered a nauseating set back by managing to win only eight and half awards at the recent Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), which held in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State amid grandeur and constellation of stars. Unlike in the past four editions, where Nollywood filmmakers and actors had always dazzled and carted home virtually all the awards, this year’s edition saw films from Kenya, South Africa and Egypt, walking home with the major awards respectively.
In fact, the only saving grace for Nollywood at the grand gathering was Funke Akindele, whose exploits in the hit comedy, Jenifa, fetched her the coveted prize of Best Actress. Nollywood struggled and managed to win only eight and half awards out of the 24 available categories, and this according to many practitioners and industry followers, was a dismal outing for the nation’s film sector. Sincerely, quality films from Kenya, South Africa and Egypt, really dusted Nollywood and made her films and filmmakers looked like apprentices at the event, which held on our home soil.
Kenyan movie, From A Whisper, walked tall at the event with six major awards, in the categories of: Best Short Documentary, Editing, Soundtrack, Screenplay, Directing and the main award of the historic night, Best Picture, to the consternation of many, especially Nollywood pundits. South African movie, Gugu and Andile, carted home three plaques in the categories of: Best Film In Africa and Promising Actor and Actress, respectively. Also, an Egyptian actor, Farouk Alfishawi, got the prize for the Best Actor on the continent, with his role in Seventh Heaven, the movie also won in the Sound category. Battle of the Soul, from Uganda, made history with two awards in the areas of: Best Visual Effects and Supporting Actor, respectively, while Burkina Faso, won for Best Animation. Highly subdued Nollywood managed to make Nigeria proud with awards in the categories of: Art Direction, Make Up, Child Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Costume, Best Nigerian
Film and Documentary Feature, which was jointly won.
The duo of Zeb Ejiro and Gaston Kabore, both from Nigeria and Burkina Faso respectively, were decorated with AMAA’s Life Time Achievement awards at the epoch outing.
Also, the trio of Kofi Bucknor, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Julius Agwu beautifully anchored the lovely evening event. Performances from acts like: Salif Kaita, Deborah Frazier, J-Martins, Xplicit and few others, further helped to spice up the long night, which witnessed a post event dinner at the Government House..
The highpoint of the awards was the coming on stage of two Hollywood legends: Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover. Stay glued for the full story and authentic winners list soon.



HiTV re-packages for better viewership



It is no longer news that in its continued efforts aimed at giving its loyal and valuable subscribers quality service, HiTV Nigeria, recently carried out a rescan on its channels. This exercise was done after weeks of scrolling messages on the screen to inform its numerous subscribers.
The steps to be taken to rescan both HiTV and Strong decoders were elaborated in the information scrolled across the screens for weeks, in the event it loses signal. In a statement signed by Mr. Olumide Amure, Chief Operating Officer, HiTV, he said the wholly Nigerian satellite television programmes outfit, was aware that some subscribers may not be able to receive signals after the exercise, “that was why we took the effort to scroll the information across the screen for weeks prior to the exercise, this is because of our commitment to giving our subscribers a relaxing and enjoyable viewing experience. We have also improved the video quality of our channels by procuring additional bandwidth for our use and so we are now able to broadcast clearer channels. We have also continued to acquire more movies for both Hi Mix and Hi Kids as well as Hi Nolly channels and you can now watch new movies every Sunday on Hi Mix, and from this April, children movies
every day on Hi Kids.”


Pic- Toyin Subair, CEO, HiTV

HiTV, Amure said, also placed advertorials in the media educating viewers on the rescan procedures since the exercise took place. “In any situation, our subscribers’ interest is uppermost on our minds, and that is why we strive day and night to deliver first class services. We have also advised our subscribers to visit any of our agents across the country or our Ebute Metta, Lagos office (for Lagos residents), where willing customer care agents are on ground to assist anyone who still finds it difficult to rescan his decoder, following the steps given in our advertorials. This was at no cost to anybody,” he added.
The Chief Operating Officer, however, regrets any inconvenience the rescan exercise might have cost HiTV’s loyal subscribers, reiterating that the exercise was in the best interest of “our subscribers. If you noticed, since the rescan exercise took place, our picture quality has improved tremendously. I want to state again that in the process of improving the video quality of the channels, the channels had to be re-arranged and the effect of this was the ‘scrambled channel’ observed by several subscribers on their decoders. Not all subscribers were however affected as all those with decoder software versions 2.0.7 and above were not affected. Those affected however, only need to re-scan their decoders to continue receiving and enjoying their channels. We have also gone ahead to upgrade as many subscribers’ decoders as possible and this remains an ongoing process. We advise all subscribers to endeavors to upgrade to the latest software version.
They can
contact us directly or contact their nearest dealer for the upgrade processes procedures.”
Amure further assured subscribers that the process was very easy, adding that there is a campaign currently on to educate people in the media about the rescanning operation.”
Meanwhile, one of the fallouts of the rescan is perhaps, the acquisition of Animax channel by HiTV. “The Animax channel is a product of our relationship with Sony, one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is a product of the same relationship. Subscribers should be on the look out for more exciting and relevant channels in the near future.
The satellite outfit, according to Amure, acquired an additional transponder space in March; this brings the number of transponders to two.



Abuja agog for Vincolo’s Night


A romantic and memorable evening where couples are expected to rekindle their love for each other is being planned in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), soon.
Tagged: Vincolo’s Night (meaning bonding in Italian), the coming evening of romance, bonding, laughter, relaxation, good music and munching holds on Friday, April 24, 2009, at the prestigious Abuja International Conference Centre.
Packaged by ace TV and Nollywood actress, Maimuna Yahaya in collaboration with Mesba Promotions, her production outfit, the affordable tickets for the event are already selling at designated centers in Lagos and Abuja.
Shedding more light on Vincolo’s Night, Mrs. Yahaya, also the presenter of Bond on network TV, disclosed that the city of Abuja is already looking forward to the memorable evening that would be spiced up with live music and comedy. “ Aside comedy and good music from our live band, we will also have interactive sessions with couples and present them with booty bags filled with exotic gifts. It is our own little way of saying a big thank you to them for coming. The tickets for the show could also be purchased at any branch of First Bank nationwide”.
Continuing, she hinted that the show is aimed at helping couples to rekindle their love lives and bond without inhibitions in a romantic and conducive atmosphere.
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Timi Dakolo and Anu, an up and coming act, based in Abuja, are expected to further thrill couples at the gathering.




Censors Board wages war on erring distributors


As part of its efforts to always sanitize the film industry and encourage global best practices, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), recently suspended the operating licenses of some erring distributors who contravened the regulations of the New Framework on film and video distribution in the country.
The apex film regulatory body, in what is seen as a paradigm shift in its relations with the licensees said it has suspended the licenses of all licensed distributors that flaunted the resolutions of the Distributors’ Congress held in Abuja on March 13th, 2009.
Specifically, the Board frowned at the manner distributors were repeatedly breaching the home video release process, releasing films without classification labels and circumventing other tenets of the New Framework with impunity.
According to the Head of the New Distribution Framework, Obiora Chukwumba, “the Board has conclusively established that irrespective of the subsisting regulations on Home Video Release Process, some of the distributors have released their works in flagrant disregard to the regulations governing home movie release”.
Embittered Chukwumba further stated that all the offenders had been duly communicated. He regretted that the distributors declined all entreaties from the Board to them to desist from disobeying the resolutions of the Distributors’ Congress. The Distributors’ Congress held during the BOBTV in Abuja had resolved to adhere strictly to the dictates of the Home Video Release Process, which states among others that; a Distributor must receive official signal that a film or video work has been censored, all censorship corrections effected and a release certificate duly obtained from the Board.
The Board had in a memo to the President of Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Emma Isikaku and the President, Yoruba Video Film Producers/ Marketers Association of Nigeria, Prince Jide Kosoko, on March 4, 2009, entitled “Incessant Breach of Censorship and Release Regulations”, expressed its displeasure at the flagrant abuse of the statutory regulations on censorship and home video regulations of the Board by its members.
The Board noted, “Under the Framework on Distribution and Exhibition of movies, it is an offence bordering on criminal plot to release a movie into the market without due censorship and release protocols”. The release made it categorically clear that, it would henceforth hold the entire leadership of the associations culpable for further breach of any of the protocols of the new framework on films and video distribution by its members.