Laurel For Ikechukwu Onyeka, Alpha Secondary At LIFF

Nollywood is the film industry code name for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This West African state has the largest population on the continent., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Laurel For Ikechukwu Onyeka, Alpha Secondary At LIFF

Sunday, 24 November 2013 00:00
Written by EDITOR
Nigerian Guardian

THE Lagos International Film Festival (LIFF) came to an end with Nigerian filmmaker, Ikechukwu Onyeka, clinching the coveted Golden Camel; the most prestigious prize awarded for Best Overall Film. The Golden Camel award is also called the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan prize. Ikechukwu Onyeka’s drama My Brother’s Keeper produced by Okey Ezegwu, starring Majid Michel and Omoni Oboli clinched a number of other prizes including Best Editing, Best Make-Up and Best Original Soundtrack. Onyeka’s other credits include The Unforeseen, Eagle’s Bride, Corporate Maid and the blockbuster Mr & Mrs. However, the UK/Nigeria coproduction The Rubicon produced by Dami Ann Alabi and helmed by Chuks Mordi, starring O.C. Ukeje carted away other awards including Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Costume, while Ugandan short film Is This Love won Best Short Film, Best Actress (Anne Kansiime) and Best Director (Sharpe Ssewali). The Ugandan filmmaker Sharpe Ssewali trained at London’s Raindance Film Institute.

Iconic thespian Bimbo Manuel was awarded Best Actor for his role in Red Hot written, produced and directed by Teco Benson. UK returnee Misola Iyun’s screenplay for Yoruba flick Moyomola (Nigeria) grabbed that award.

Held under the theme New Nollywood…New Partnerships ….New Frontiers, the festival had at the opening ceremony awarded the LIFF Leadership Accomplishment Awards to select individuals such as Cameroonian Culture Minister, Madame Ama Tutu Muna, represented by Mr. David Sinou, Deputy Head Mission, Cameroon High Commissio Abuja; Prof. Emevwo Biakolo, Dean School of Media and Communications, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos; Prof. Adebambo Adewopo, former Director General Nigerian Copyright Commission; and Mr Adedapo Adelegan, Media Guru. Executive Director Ugandan Communications Commission Engr. Godfrey Mutabazi also received an award for transforming the Ugandan film industry.

For CEO, Madu C. Chikwendu, 2013 LIFF was a festival of transition. He said: ‘we moved from one level to another bringing us closer to our ultimate vision of creating a festival that will provide an invaluable platform for uniting Francophone and Anglophone Africa and a festival that will yield high value to film practitioners and all delegates.’’

Winners of the adjunct Reelteens Film Festival introduced to train secondary schools students in some area of Lagos to produce films were announced on October 25. Fortuneland College entry The Seed won Best Actor, while Best Actress (Bukola Adedugbe) went to Breakthrough College for Regret. Best Script (Maduka Chinelo) was won by Bethel College for Ifeoma The Destitute, while Best Film trophy was carted away by Alpha Secondary School for A Shadow of Myself. The high point of the opening ceremonies was the installation of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe as Grand Patron LIFF Festivals Group.

Clarion, Mercy And Nse Star In Hustlers
LEVERAGING on the success of his past jobs — True Citizens, A Wish, Playing Safe, Happy Family (TV drama series) and many others, the award winning producer, Elvis Chucks is back with a new work, Hustlers.

The film is the story of a mother, who wants to use her daughter as channel of finding an easy way out of poverty. The movie has memorable twists and bends with Mercy Johnson and Nse Ikpe Etim playing roles of two local girls ‘hustling’ to survive in the city.

Clarion Chukwura returns to the big screen with the role of Mercy’s mother. Other cast include IK Ogbonna, Chelsea Eze and Paul Sambo. On the movie, the actor cum producer said, “I want to make history in Nollywood with this movie. Hustlers is a glamour filled movie, aimed at correcting the ills of the society.’ Speaking on the relationship with the cast, Elvis Chucks said, “it was an honour having Clarion Chukwura on my set, it was a welcome back for her and she is an actress who understands the industry. Nse Ikpe Etim, Mercy Johnson and others brought their A-game to set. I will work with all of them over and over again if the opportunity comes.” Mercy Johnson on her part was delighted to be featured in the movie. According to her, “This is my first movie with Elvis Chucks, and when the script was given to me, it wasn’t a script to turn down, because it was full of suspense, talks about the ills of the society and how to make changes.” For Clarion, the movies theme and plot was the attraction for her. She said, “I was struck by the theme, characterization, plot and the rest, I couldn’t help but say yes.”

Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel To Open Berlinale Film Festival

THE 64th Berlin International Film Festival will open at the Berlinale Palast on February 6, with the premiere of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. “We are very delighted that Wes Anderson will open the 64th Berlinale with his new film, The Grand Budapest Hotel.

This comedy film promises to kick things off in a big way,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick. The Grand Budapest Hotel (UK/Germany) recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy, who becomes his most trusted friend.

The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune – all against the backdrop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

Kosslick says “with its elaborate production design and fantastic cast line-up, film bears the inimitable mark of American director Wes Anderson”, who has previously presented two films in the Berlinale Competition: The Royal Tenenbaums (2002) and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2005). This new film is an Anglo-German co-production, produced by Grand Budapest Limited (UK) and Neunzehnte Babelsberg Film GmbH (Germany). Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven M. Rales and Jeremy Dawson are the producers. The film was shot on location in Germany (mainly in Gorlitz and other parts of Saxony, and also at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam).

Practitioners Hail NFC management on SHOOT 2013

THE five-day SHOOT Training and Capacity Building Workshop for film, television and information professionals has ended in Jos with a call for more funding for Nigeria’s premier film institute, the National Film Institute (NFI) Jos, venue of the programme.

Speakers at the closing ceremony with the theme, High Definition; The New Era were unanimous that the sustenance of such training workshops and programmes is what the industry, especially the film and television sectors need.

This, they averred will aid the desire of all stakeholders to professionalise in the various sectors of the industry, which has since assumed the sound position in terms of employment generation.