Around and about Nollywood...

BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI

NFC extends closing date for annual essay competition
THE closing date for the 2009/2010 edition of the Nigerian Film Corporation essay competition has been extended. Earlier scheduled to close on May 27, the new date is June 27. In a statement, the corporation said the reason for the extension is to enable more people to send in their entry. Topic for the essay is Building a Positive Global Brand: The Place of Film. Interested Nigerians, who must be 18 years and above, can now submit their entries, which must be between 8 to10 pages in the Times Roman format. All entries according to the statement should be forwarded to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Film Corporation, 218T, Liberty Dam Road, Jos, Plateau State or email to: md_nfc@hotmail.com. The first, second and third winners of the competition will receive their cash prizes of N100, 000, N75, 000 and N50, 000 respectively, along with certificates at the 2010 edition of ZUMA Film Festival, holding in Abuja.

AGN votes for HiTV Koko Mansion
THE Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has endorsed the Koko Mansion reality show programme packaged by HiTV, Nigeria. The guild, through its president, Ejike Asiegbu, has described Koko Mansion’s objectives as being genuine and realistic, saying, “many young, eligible Nigerian men are finding the task of getting a good wife difficult, but with the programme, it will be a thing of the past as it would expose what most people are exactly looking for in most women. Though, it is not a 100 per cent chance, it is the beginning of a solution to a problem and I must commend the company and all those involved for this initiative.” The AGN president also assured of the body’s support stating that the AGN will support any initiative that will impact on the society. Some of the virtues the viewers who would be the ultimate judge in the show would be looking out for are: the ability of the Kokolette to cook sumptious meals for D’banj and his friends, especially during impromptu visits, and her ability to furnish and maintain the mansion. The Kokolette must also be industrious while being able to take care of the home front; her ability to be respectful and courteous at all times would be put to test. The potential wife must be able to emulate notable women in society even as she shows the ability to impress D’banj, under all circumstances in order to win the public’s votes to be in the house among others. A video audition would help the panel determine the 12 finalists. There will be no evictions in the first week because the ladies would have to socialise and familiarise themselves with living in a mansion. However, eviction starts in the second week, where two ladies with the least number of votes from the viewers will be ushered out. There will be weekly evictions from then on until the final three ladies emerge. Eviction is primarily done by the public and could be based on D’banj’s comments. However, each week, among the three ladies up for eviction, it would be D’Banj’s prerogative to give Koko Mycine (immunity) to one of the girls. He can only use Koko Mycine once in the duration of the show. The statement revealed that the winner would among other benefits, be crowned Kokolette 1, get a Chris Aires Diamond ring, a brand new convertible car, feature in his next music video You Don Make Me Fall In Love alongside N5 million in cash. Aside that, the winner will be D’Banj’s companion at public events both within and outside Nigeria. She would further emerge as HiTV’s Hi-Babe. Asides from exploring her talent professionally, she’ll be obligated to get involved in women empowering projects that would reinforce the unique role of an African woman in the development of our society.

Distribution framework is on the upswing
FILMMAKER and marketing consultant, Yinka Ogundaisi, has disclosed last week that things will definitely start looking up for the new distribution framework of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). Sounding very optimistic Ogundaisi, informed that in a few weeks time that Nollywood ‘would feel the impact of the new distribution framework’. Ogundaisi, who may be waiting to release his feature film, Omoge, under the framework expressed optimism that the partnership between the NFVCB and the Lagos State government will clear the streets of hawkers and restrict movie retailing to only licensed retailers and for specific territories. He said: “Producers will therefore know the authorized retailers of their works and the authorised area of retailing.” By implication, he continued, “producers would also know areas not selling their movies and decide on what to do.” He also hinted that all movies would henceforth be released with official tags to easily identify pirated copies. “Distributors are not allowed to sell more copies than the number of tags bought,” he said, adding, “producers can now check with the board on the quantities of tags bought by distributors of their works.” According to him, all these will undoubtedly improve the financial profiles of productions and make quality works worthwhile. Another heartwarming information the actor gave was that which provides banking support for the funding of the distribution of approved movies to all registered and licensed national and regional distributors. “We will now know authorised retailers through their official signpost-licensed by the Censors Board or outlet of licensed National or Regional Distributor.” Although Ogundaisi hinted earlier that a bank was expected to endorse the initiative, the filmmaker sent words back to say that that aspect should be ignored, as discussions are still ongoing on the involvement of the bank ‘with known presence in the industry’.

WAKA PASS
Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities

Remi Abiola is in the US
CALLS to her phones won’t get through and so we asked how we could get in touch with Remi Abiola, the actress and one of the wives of the late politician, businessman and pillar of sports in Africa, Bashorun M.K.O Abiola, and no one was ready to volunteer any information. It took a discussion with a ‘been to’ on the problem of administering a will left behind by Abiola for this waka pass, who just returned from the United States to link our innocent discussion with the actress who was popular for playing a nursing sister on the long rested television soap Memorial Hospital. Anyway, the waka pass said, he was told by someone who is still close to someone, who is close to the actress and mother that she decided on starting life almost afresh when it became obvious that it was going to take a long while to get what is due her from her marriage to the presumed winner of the June 12 election. Those who said they have encountered her say she is doing one or two jobs in the US, which is related to the role she played in Memorial Hospital, to make ends meet. We actually no mind how related the work be, so far na work. Abi?

Lepa Sandy was trendy
ONE thing that stands popular actress, Shade Omoniyi Kazeem ( aka Lepa Sandy), out in a crowd is her good sense of dressing. So, when she stepped into the Cinema Hall 2 of the National Theatre last Monday for the 52nd birthday anniversary presentation of Professor Ahmed Yerima’s new book Discourse on Tragedy all eyes looked towards her. Her brown designers gown sat on her lepaciously figure with her shoe and beads worn to match making a lot of people to conclude that Oga Kazeem — Lepa’s hubby — is doing a good job on her. And some ladies in the Yoruba movie industry have sworn to make their husbands to emulate Mr. Kazeem. Their names? No bi for my mouth you go hear sey goat get teeth…but we go mention am if people dare me. I swear.

Foluke Daramola owns up
THOSE who counseled the cute actress, Foluke Daramola (Yes, Shobowale until she tells us otherwise) before she married the son of a one-time Commissioner for Education in Lagos State did a good job on her. We are sure she was warned that until the pain compares to the type that women go through in the labour ward she should not discuss her marriage on the pages of the newspaper. Well, even when the pain compared to it, she still kept mum and endured until the pain compared to a woman expecting quadruplets. The long and short is that Foluke confirmed to a national daily last weekend that she was no longer living under the same roof with her husband whose fathers influence dragged former Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu to their lavish wedding. Those who know book say what this means in proper saying is that Folake has announced her separation from her husband. But her fans have cautioned that people should not jump at singing the popular gospel song ‘it shall be permanent’. They hold as some waka pass do that what ‘two children has joined together, no pain can put asunder’. We concur! True.

Help, Oge Okoye was too moody
WE were not sure what the matter was, but the Oge Okoye we ran into on Saturday at the departure lounge of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport was not the same all time cheerful Oge we used to know. With her hands wrapped around her chest level, he starred pensively at a lady who looked like a maid and a fellow that looks like her hubby, who was busy playing with Oge’s child. True, her face that evening was like the face of one in a moody condition because she was going to miss something. Anyway it was from how sister Oge dressense changed in our estimation that made us to agree that there is something marriage does to people. Sister Oge who has been missing in action for some time now, wore a long flowing gown on a white trouser with shoes to match. The Oge we knew before she downloaded would be in one skimpy dress and will be chewing gum from post to post. True, e get as marriage dey do people….

Lillian Bach flies Business class
THE number of Nollywood celebrities that fly business or first class whether in or out of Nigeria has increased by one as Lillian Bach enters the league. Dis is not a matter of dem say. Waka pass saw the mulatto actress koro koro on the business side of an international flight that connects you to anywhere in the world from Paris. We didn’t know whether it was because she placed our face and so wanted to avoid the ‘eyerazzi’ (since we didn’t carry our camera on board to do the paparazi), the gangling actress who reportedly dated popular actor Pat Attah kept a straight face as though someone was going to ask her to lap him on her seat. Anyway we don’t know whether it was because she was on her way abroad where whatever you wear is counted as fashion, one other waka pass didn’t think Lilian observed convention — which is ‘to match’ when she wore black shoes on blue jeans, on a brown jacket and blue top. On top of that she was carrying a pink and yellow hand luggage. We consulted another waka pass and she agree say dis don remove from the realm of fashion to the realm of colour jam colour. In other words na colour mega jam madam take sit down for business class.
To God be the Glory.