NIGERIA: Veteran Nollywood director calls for revamp of Africa's biggest film industry

Record ID: 236186

  • Title: NIGERIA: Veteran Nollywood director calls for revamp of Africa's biggest film industry
  • Date: 27th August 2013
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CREW FILMING AKINDOJU PLAYING OUT A SCENE AKINDOJU PERFORMING WITH UNNAMED ACTOR ON SET
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVA1HC0248ELYW05BE59CHJGFC02
  • Story Text: A production meeting kicks off the day for filmmaker, Tunde Kelani. At his office in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, the award winning director is getting his cast and crew ready for the shoot of his latest movie 'Dazzling Mirage.' Adapted from a novel by Nigerian author, Olanyika Abimola Egbokhare, the film tells the story of a young girl struggling with sickle cell anaemia.
    Kelani, who has been making movies for over 20 years in Nollywood, says he draws much of his inspiration from literature.

    "For me, the opportunity to make a film, it's an opportunity to say something, you know fundamental or to document something, you know while entertaining people so I look out for, you know I love literature, I read when I was very young and it's a shame that people don't read anymore and there are thousands of books that could be adapted you know and coupled with the fact that for me, filmmaking is a cultural expression," said Kelani.
    Kelani has over 15 films under his belt. He began his career as a photographer and then trained as a cameraman working with various local and international broadcasters.
    For his latest project, his team is made up young, upcoming actors and filmmakers providing much needed hands on training.

    "He's a director that takes on ideas, he asks what's comfortable for you, what were you thinking, this is what he wants and then somehow we all get to a middle point together so he's very, he's a hands on person, he says you know, come let's do this together but he knows, don't be deceived, he knows what he wants and he will get it, you know, he's a bit of a perfectionist, a bit of a perfectionist, he doesn't let you know so he's not overbearing but he will get what he wants," said actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju.
    With over 1,000 movie titles produced every year, Nollywood is the third largest film industry in the world after America's Hollywood and India's Bollywood.
    Although, Nollywood films are hugely popular in Africa and parts of the diaspora, the quality of the films is still considered low.
    Most are shot on digital camera and with tiny budgets -- between six and 15,000 US dollars each.
    An average Nollywood film sells about 50,000 copies, yet in Lagos alone, millions of bootleg copies go for just one US dollar, undercutting Nollywood's price of two US dollars and denying the producers much needed revenue.
    Kelani, however, says that despite the challenges Nigerian filmmakers are still able to produce movies that tell authentic African stories.
    But he adds that more investment is needed to improve standards and make the industry more competitive globally.

    "It is very difficult to make a film with so much lack of infrastructure, you certainly couldn't make a film without electricity you know and today it's almost impossible you know to make a film without looking at new media and the internet and you know that in Nigeria we still don't have broadband internet in homes you know so the problems are there but what makes it more challenging and more rewarding is the fact that those factors are not enough to stop you," said Kelani.
    Nollywood employs tens of thousands of people bringing in over 200 million dollars annually.
    The government recently created a new initiative, dubbed 'Nollywood Upgrade' to overhaul the sector.
    The initiative aims to improve infrastructure and encourage more high quality movies incorporating new media and technology that can help build a world-class film industry.
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