M-Net, Africa Magic partner TAVA 2012

This year’s The Audio Visual Awards (TAVA), which is holding soon, recently struck a partnership deal with Electronic Media Network Limited-owners of M-Net and Africa Magic Channels on DSTV.

It was with great pleasure that the media conglomerate announced that it has thrown its weight behind the fourth edition of TAVA, as a sponsoring media partner/contributor.

At the colourful signing ceremony, the new partner disclosed it was teaming up with TAVA, in order to raise the bar for African content makers to attain perfect pictures and perfect sounds.

“TAVA is uniquely different from every other award in that its focus is geared only towards enhancing the quality of our productions and the celebration of Africans at home and in the Diaspora behind those great films. It is the new frontier in production excellence; it is the only way to go if African film makers want to compete and excel in a world where the rule remains global pictures and universal sounds, that’s why we are here to encourage them with TAVA,’’ stated Okey Ogunjiofor, the head honcho of TAVA.

This huge platform, we reliably gathered equally offers TAVA and her sponsors an unlimited visibility, mileage and penetration to well over 19 African Countries and even beyond.

Uche Ogbuagu loses mother

Since the recent demise of Ezinne Lovenda Ajukwa Ogbuagu, the mother of top comedian and Special Assistant to the Imo State government on entertainment, Uche Ogbuagu, entertainers in the country have joined fans and family members in commiserating with the bereaved rib cracker.

According to Ogbuagu, his mother died at the age of 75 on Monday, March 19, 2012, after a protracted illness at Artemis Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Nollywood actor, Charles Awurum while commiserating with his colleague, regretted that Ajukwa died when they expected her to celebrate his son’s recent appointment as the Imo State Government’s SA on Entertainment/Chief Comedian.

The deceased was a devout Christian Mother with the Glorious Bible Church, Aba. Abia State.

Her burial has been fixed for Friday, May 4, 2012. She was survived by two daughters and an only son-Uche Ogbuagu.

Nollywood reverberates for Stephanie Okereke’s Paris wedding

•Jonathan expected as special guest

The Nigerian motion picture industry globally known as Nollywood is currently agog and reverberating as the countdown for top actress Stephanie Okereke’s wedding to boss of Delyork International, Linus Idahosa begins.

The classy and rare wedding invite, which we exclusively got, comes in a cream colour with ‘Stephanie and Linus 2012’, stylishly and boldly crafted on it with two standing lions as the dominating insignia.

The inside of the beautiful card with a gold plaited special guest number, simply read:

“Stephanie Okereke and Linus Idahosa together with their parents-Mr. and Mrs. Chima Okereke/Mr. and Mrs. Linus Ogbomon, request the honour of your presence at their marriage, on Saturday, April 21, 2012, 3.p.m. Abbaye Des Vaulx De Cernay 78720 Cernay-La-Ville, Paris.”

Beneath the above details, guests were also told to don black tie, for the international nuptial, already dubbed: Nollywood wedding of the year, by colleagues and industry watchers.

A reliable insider also hinted that aside the presence of Nollywood stars and Idahosa’s friends and associates in high places, that it is very likely President Goodluck Jonathan, who sees Stephanie as one of his adopted daughters, would grace the historic wedding with his wife and a large entourage.

Meanwhile, several leading names within and outside Nollywood are still lobbying and scrambling for the rare invites available for the wedding.

In an exclusive chat with ACTION!, Miss Okereke, who began a revolution in Nollywood with her blockbuster-Through the Glass, confirmed that preparations are already in top gear for the D-Day, April 21.

The special guests for the wedding are currently thronging the Embassy of France, in Lagos and Abuja, respectively to process their short stay visas and other documents needed for the historic nuptial.

Yoruba Movie Academy Award storms Ogun State

The maiden edition of the Yoruba Movie Academy Awards (YMAA) will be proudly hosted by the Ogun State Government. It is aimed at honouring and celebrating creativity in the Yoruba movie industry.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Chief Olu Odeyemi revealed this while also reaffirming the significance of the Yoruba movie industry in the development of culture and tourism in the state.

He also stated that developing the Yoruba movie industry was in line with the new dawn tourism agenda of the administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

The Yoruba Movie Academy Awards is scheduled to hold at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta as part of the celebrations to mark Governor Amosun’s one year in office.

“It is noteworthy to note that Abeokuta is fast becoming the movie capital of the Southwest as plans are also underway to build a world class movie village towards the attainment of this historic objective,” the commissioner declared.

All roads will lead to Abeokuta in May, as the world will witness the first ever Yoruba Movie Academy Awards that will parade style, glamour and panache. A major attraction at this world-class event, which is being powered by Laface Entertainment and Zmirage Multimedia, is the traditional red carpet moment.

Two Nollywood actors die … AGN mourns

Nollywood, which is currently battling with mysterious and incessant deaths, recently lost two more of its talented actors.

Emmanuel Effiong better known as Ratoka, following his exploits in a movie with same title, we exclusively gathered died on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, after a protracted liver related illness.

While, elder Manafa, one of the veterans of the industry, who hailed from Aguleri, Anambra State also died recently.

Both thespians we were told passed on within the spate of two weeks this April.

In his late 30s, Ratoka was reportedly buried the following day at a cemetery in Ikorodu, Lagos amid tears and wailings from family members, colleagues and friends.

The corpse of Manafa, who was believed to be in his early 70s, had since been deposited at a mortuary in his hometown, pending when the family will announce the burial plan and arrangement.

Ratoka, a lanky mulatto was of mixed parentage courtesy of his Nigerian mother and a Lebanese father, who allegedly abandoned the deceased and his siblings when they were still young.

Ratoka, also sparkled alongside another promising act, Charles Waran, in Mark of the Beast, one of the earliest Nollywood horror/anti Christ movies shot several years ago.

Confirming the sad news, the Lagos State Chapter Chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rising Ibeh, called on God and good spirited Nigerians to continue praying for the troubled industry.

“We received the sad and painful news of both deaths with so much shock and tears. We cannot question God, but will continue to pray for His mercies and intervention in Nollywood.”

Also speaking, youthful movie director and the producer of forthcoming TV comedy series-Two is a Crowd, Chima Okoroji, prayed God to grant their souls eternal rest.

“No matter what happens we won’t stop seeking the face of God in Nollywood.”

AMAA holds April 22, brings Hollywood stars to Lagos

In a bid to organize a world class event, the organizers of the annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) recently unveiled plans towards making this year’s outing better than the previous editions.

One of such is the announcement that popular Hollywood stars like: Morris Chestnut, Lynn Whitfield, Maya Gilbert and Rockmund Dumbar will be in the country as special guests as the ceremony holds.

At the media parley which held during the week at Ikeja, Lagos, the organizers assured that there will be plenty of music from Nigerian star, 2face Idibia, Vivian, a music star from Senegal as well as Nigeria’s internationally-recognised star, Bukola Elemide popularly known as Asa.

Surprisingly, the awards will hold in Lagos for the first time in its eight-year journey.

Speaking at the gathering, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, founder and CEO of AMAA, said the choice of Lagos was due to consideration of logistics. The awards had, since its inception in 2005, been hosted and sponsored by Bayelsa State.

“We are happy to have Lagos State Government and Airtel on board and other sponsors like Arik Air, Lufthansa, Bayelsa State Government who are still behind us. It is a big year for AMAA as we turn eight and there will be lots of films from several countries in the world and other areas of excellence for which AMAA is known, Peace said.

Wangi Mba Uzoukwu, head of Brands and Communication of Airtel who represented the telecom company’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to partner with AMAA as it is a platform for us to contribute to the growth of the African movie industry. The coming together of the two brands is significant in many ways and goes to show the interest of Airtel as a brand that connects with its customers.”

Speaking further on why the awards was moved to Lagos, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe maintained that the enlarged space and increased security that Lagos provide makes it a better location. She said there was pressure on them to move the award out of Nigeria so that other people can feel it, noting that out of the 180 nominees; only 48 were Nigerians, while others came from other African countries or the Diaspora. This, she said, was the reason the nominees party moves around each year to enable other nations feel it as an African affair.

The awards proper holds on Sunday, April 22, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, with Haiti-born Hollywood star, Jimmy Jean- Louis as host, he will be assisted by O.C Ukeje.