culled from Information Nigeria
Some movie marketers, under the aegis of Yoruba Video Films Producers and Marketers, YVFPMA, Association of Nigeria, have banded to protest the flagrant piracy of movies in the popular Idumota Market, Lagos. To enforce this, the marketers have stopped the further release of home videos of Yoruba genre into the market with effect from Monday, July 1.
This is after a petition had been written by the marketers to the National Assembly lamenting the financially crippling activities of piracy and requesting that the legislators passed decisive laws to curb the menace. According to information gathered from the General Secretary of YVFPMA, Mr. Tunji Ojetola, the petition was given a hearing on the floor of NASS on Monday.
However, the marketers are resolved not to resume film release until their grievances have been suitably treated. “It is really serious and we have been complaining for long but it seems nothing was being done so we decided to stop the release of films for now. Presently, meetings are ongoing with relevant agencies of government about the crisis and we hope to find a solution soon”, said Ojetola.
Nestled in the heart of Lagos Island’s bustling commercial district, the market’s film trading section is one of the two business hubs on which Nollywood –the film industry in Nigeria, is currently totally dependent. The other is Alaba International Market located in Ojo area of Lagos Mainland, which is viewed as the source of the movie piracy dilemma.
“We know the pirates; and the accusatory finger is pointing back to Alaba International Market”, the Sec. Gen stated.
Assessing their loss in numbers, Ojetola explained that between 20 to 25 Yoruba movies are released fortnightly in both markets and because of the activities of pirates, the film producers and marketers lose between N60m to N65m every month; annually, that would be N720m to N780m untaxed income going into the pockets of pirates. These are conceivable figures considering that globally, Nollywood is ranked as second film making industry in the world; Nollywood makes about 2,400 films per year, putting it ahead of the US, but behind India, according to an updated UNESCO report in 2012.
Also in 2012, research data produced by Euromonitor International in its forecast of nine major global travel trends for the next four years (till 2016), places Nollywood fourth on the list for being ‘a film hotspot’ and holding the power to increase tourist arrivals in the country from 2 percent in 2012 to nearly 3.5 percent in 2015.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
WHEN PIRACY WORRIES MARKETERS
Culled from:
Incessant piracy of Yoruba movies has forced marketers at the popular Idumota market in Lagos to stop sale and distribution of new movies in this genre.
Last week, there was neither sale nor distribution of new Yoruba movies, as the marketers complained of ‘exploitation’ by pirates.
Until now, the marketers had been complaining about the damage being done by the activities of pirates. The matter got to a peak earlier this year when pirates took advantage of new technology to release of 5-in-1 in DVDs after the release of the original copy by the marketers.
Government agencies responsible for tackling piracy seem not up to the task of taking on the pirates, who are having a field day doing their illegal business.
The marketers, it was gathered, having adopted various methods to stop the act of piracy of their works without success, decided to suspend release of new Yoruba movies.
Confirming this, Chairman of Yoruba Video Film Producers and Marketers, Alhaji Toyin Usman said sale of Yoruba films at Idumota will stop for now.
“The strike is indefinite, and we don’t know when it will be called off”, said Usman , who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Toymax Holding Company.
He however did not fail to acknowledge the effort of Lagos State government. “Lagos state government has been so helpful in this fight against pirates, especially the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji”
Most movies pirates are believed to be based at the Alaba International Market in Ojo Local government of Lagos state.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
A CHAT WITH KUNLE AFOLAYAN
Kunle Afolayan whose latest movie Phone Swap is now showing in cinema’s is currently one of the most sought after and probably the most revered film maker out of Africa right now. His last movie Figurine was a big hit with the audience as the usual movies made from that region are hardly up to the standard.
With the amount of noise his current movie is getting, Kunle Afolayan’s Phone Swap moved from premiering in Nigeria to Ghana were Nigerian movies have got a huge number of followers.
In an interview with Ghana Celebrities, Kunle Afolayan talked about his decision to cast Lydia Forson in Phone Swap and his intentions concerning casting other Ghanaians in future. According to Kunle, casting actors from Ghana is not a problem for him, however they MUST portray their nationalities as that works fine for him.
According to Kunle who talks about being all out for originality, it works better for him to cast actors to play characters of their nationalities as he says African’s are not ready for anything otherwise “If I’m doing a story that involves a Ghanaian and a Nigerian or a cross-border kind of story, why will I want to play Ramsey Nouah as a Ghanaian and Why will I want to play Majid as a Nigerian? No, for me, it won’t sell, it won’t work that way…It took Forrest Whitaker like a year like a year to actually learn the Ugandan accent, he is big, it will be difficult for Majid to play an American… well maybe if they put him into training for like-2 years for him to learn the accent and also how to speak the language.”
TADE OGIDAN'S PROFILE
TADE OGIDAN…worked with the NTA for almost ten years. While at theNTA, he worked on landmark productions and was a highly talented Writer, Producer and Director. His works won quite a number of awards in television festivals in the 80s. A very notable drama would be THE REIGN OF ABIKU. Most still remember the saga of Omotara and her Abiku playmates from the award-winning drama.
Mr. Ogidan also produced THE NEW VILLAGE HEADMASTER, PLAY OF THE WEEK, TELE THEATRE, etc., for some years.
He left the service of the NTA in 1990 to set up his own company, OGD PICTURES LTD, which has become quite a household name and an industry benchmark for first class productions. OGD is coined from his surname OGIDAN.
“I can never hit a woman” Tade Ogidan denies battering his wife
Don't Miss
“I can never hit a woman” Tade Ogidan denies battering his wife
By Kaymi on June 17, 2013
Tade Ogidan responded thus:
“I just got back to Lagos from a trip abroad. It was Friday night in London that my phone started to ring off the hook with the news of this publication.
Anyone who knows me near well enough or even well enough will know that I CAN NEVER HIT A WOMAN. It just cant happen! If anyone ever upset me, I simply walk away or take a drive.
A friend of my woman whom they’ve been in rivalry from school days did that to mess her up.
Yewande didn’t post the document. In fact, she’s been inconsolable since this publication. She is been crying endlessly. She is lost for what to do. Yewande is like a tomboy. She can play rough. We were all in my office, the day after Children’s day. I have been quite busy at work because of the reality show we are working on. That means I am not home everyday. Our major location is far along the Ajah axis; far from my home.
Yewande and the kids came to spend time with me in the office. When it was late, no NEPA, and the attempts to get the gen working [failed], she was ready to go home with the kids.
My little 5 year old girl was screaming that she didnt want to leave yet. Her mother insisted. The little girl ran into my office and shut the door to prevent her mom from taking her. I told Yewande to give her time. You know how mothers can be with their kids.
She models and had obviously taken a photo of her face, for posterity (something to laugh at another time). One of her old school friends, with whom she’s had rivalry from school days, stole the photo from another friend of hers and went viral with that damaging story. The obvious intention is to mess her up.
Sadly, one is caught in the firing line. This has created such a stress for her, our family, my workers, my friends, and most especially me. You can imagine me having to spend time to explain this to everyone who knows me and finds this strange! Painfully for me, there are just so many people that I can attempt to explain this to.
She was quite worried that she’s been running all over to ask how to manage this. Before I got back from the trip, she gave an explanation to another friend of hers to publish on the site that first sent out the false story.
Everybody is trying to manage her, so she wont affect her health from the outcome of this. That is what happened. I HAVE NEVER HIT A WOMAN, AND I JUST CANT. I counsel people who have issues and they respect me greatly for the wisdom I bring to the table. People in and outside this society hold me in high regard. I am ALWAYS mindful of anything I do anywhere.
This is a major distraction for me as I spend quality time to explain the situation to all who reach out to me (from all over the world).”
RARE INTERVIEW WITH TUNDE KELANI
NgEX! Exclusive interview with Tunde Kelani
| Q: NAME? T K: Tunde Kelani Q: WHAT DO CLOSE FRIENDS CALL YOU? T K: T.K Q: WHAT DOES KELANI MEAN? T K: Kelani is an arabic name, it is a moslem name. |  |
T K: Well, my father is from Ogun state so I'm from Ogun state but, you know I've been in Lagos for a long time so it won't be fair for me not to claim it as well. You know they help me a lot, Osoba (Ogun State Governor) helps me as well. So I'm from both states. (Laughs)
Q: WHERE IN OGUN STATE, DOES YOUR FATHER COME FROM?
T K: He is from Ijange Kukudi Abeokuta
Q: WHICH SCHOOLS DID YOU ATTEND?:
T K: I attended Oke Ona United Primary School and my secondary was Abeokuta Grammar School.
Q: WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER SCHOOLING:
T K: I worked as a clerk for some time, then later worked at Dotun Okubanjo studios 1968/69. I later worked at Western Nigeria Television as a trainee film cameraman. Then moved to NBC channel 10 in 1974.
Q: DID YOU READ ANY COURSE RELATING TO PHOTOGRAPHY?
T K: Yes, I hold a degree in Art and Technique of film making from London International Film school.
Q: WHEN DID THIS LOVE FOR THE CAMERA START?.
T K: My fascination for the camera started from primary school.
Q: HAVE YOU ACTED BEFORE?:
T K: Yes, in Mr. Johnson, I had a small part and I was also the 3rd director in the film.
Q: NOW YOU HAVE MAINFRAME, WHY THE NAME MAINFRAME?
T K: Everything in the photography world ends with a frame. Apart from that, I was into computers then and I believed Mangrama was the best that was how the name came about.
Q: WHAT DOES MAINFRAME REALLY DO?
T K: We do Television and film productions. We also do documentaries even for foreigners, Newsreel footage inclusive.
Q: DO YOU THINK NIGERIAN FILMS ARE SEEN ABROAD?
T K: Yes, all my films are always shown in cinemas abroad subtitled and all. We're even trying to get to the Francophone countries, and few of them have been shown to them and they like it we are trying to expand it more. We want to make the film industry better, using better cameras and better equipmnet.
Q: WHAT ABOUT THUNDERBOLT? THIS IS YOUR LATEST WORK, WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT?
T K: It's about a woman that was laced with magun.
Q: WHAT IS MAGUN?
T K: Magun is a Yoruba Juju, that means don't climb. It is used on women suspected of not being faithful to their partner. If she sleeps with anybody during this period, the sexual partner dies instantly but if she doesn't the Magun will kill her. That is what Thunder bolt is about. It has been in shown in cinemas for sometime, London Inclusive, it is now on video, it came out today (2nd of April)
Q: IS T.K MARRIED?
T K: Yes, I'm married with children.
Q: SO FAR, WHICH OF YOUR MOVIES DO YOU LIKE BEST?
T K: Thunderbolt.
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