Nollywood Rising: Global Perspectives
on the Nigerian Film Industry, June 13-17, 2005
Abiola Abrams, US Media
Liason
This international convention and symposium covers the Nigerian film industry, which is currently
the third largest film producing industry in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood. The conference includes studio tours,
meetings and panels with industry professionals, and more.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Hilton
Los Angeles/Universal City
555 Universal Hollywood Drive
Universal City, CA 91608
The project
is coordinated in the USA by Dr. Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, Assistant Professor of Art History at UCSB; and in Nigeria by
Chike Maduekwe, Gemafrique Inc., Lagos.
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, June 14 - Opening Ceremonies
CORRECTION:
Please note that all the opening ceremony events have been shifted to the evening. The Opening Ceremony will now begin promptly
at 6.30pm.
• 6:30-7pm: Opening Ceremony Reception
• 7-9.30pm: Nollywood Opening Night Gala
Special
Guest of Honor - His Excellency, Prof. George A. Obiozor
Nigerian Ambassador to the United States
Special
Guest: John Singleton (Boyz in the Hood; 2Fast 2Furious; Shaft; Rosewood; Hustle&Flow)
Hosted by
Beverly Todd ("CRASH")
Entertainment by Nnamdi Moweta (DJ, KPFK AFRODICIA)
and Nigerian American Star "URU" (www.urumusic.com)
Wednesday, June 15 - Symposium
Access Nollywood: Origins, Development, and Directions in Contemporary
Nigerian Cinema
Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City Hotel.
• 9am-5pm: Symposium on Nollywood and Contemporary
Nigerian and Global Cinema.
• Keynote Speaker: Prof. N. Frank Ukadike, Associate Professor, Department of Communication,
Tulane University
• Special Guest speaker: Chris Abani (www.chrisabani.com), internationally acclaimed award-winning author of GRACELAND, winner of the 2005 PEN/Hemingway award.
• 7-10 pm:
Private Reception
Thursday, June 16 - Film Industry Technology Workshops
• 9am-12noon: Movie
Industry Technology Workshops and presentations
• 12-1 pm: Lunch
• 1.20-5pm: Studio Tours
June
17, Friday - Check website at www.nollywoodconventionusa.com
*See Below for Confirmed Speakers
Press Release:
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
AND SYMPOSIUM:
NOLLYWOOD IS THE 3RD LARGEST FILM INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD
"Until lions have their
historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter." African proverb
In recent years the
Nigerian Film industry has grown rapidly to become the third largest film producing industry in the world after the renowned
Hollywood of the United States and the prolific Bollywood of India.
With the production of over 50 movie
titles per week, Nollywood, as the Nigerian film industry has come to be known, is beginning to command global attention by
its size and work rate and is arguably one of Nigeria’s positive cultural contributions to the international community.
Also, the industry has not only transformed the way Nigerians see themselves, it has also become one of the major sources
of employment in the country with over 5,000 guild members in 2004. However, the industry needs encouragement to ensure sustainable
growth, and both foreign and local film industry experts agree that there is an urgent need to expose Nollywood to more technical
depth and professionalism.
In recognition of this need to examine the impact and nature of this unique development
in new media, Gemafrique, a firm of International Meeting and Events Planners and Finnu International Productions will host
the 1st International Convention and Symposium on Nollywood titled Nollywood Rising: Global Perspectives on the Nigerian Film
Industry from June 13th -17th 2005 at the Hilton Los Angeles, Universal City Hotel USA. The project is coordinated in the
USA by Dr. Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, Assistant Professor of Art History at UCSB; and in Nigeria by Chike Maduekwe, Gemafrique
Inc., Lagos.
The Nollywood Convention USA 2005 investigates the emergence of new media in Nigerian film and
visual culture. The digital video recording of Nollywood is a leap forward that accurately prefigures the future of film industries
worldwide. Nollywood was created wholecloth in Nigeria and is rapidly becoming the first true mass medium for continental
and expatriate Africans in the 21st century. This achievement is great in itself. The accompanying symposium will feature
presentations on topical issues in the industry by film experts, academics and celebrities.
Highlights of
the educational trip to California by the Nollywood Delegation includes executive meetings between Hollywood and Nollywood
top stars, a guided tour of the Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios as well as Nigerian Cultural performances at a
Gala and Award reception. The Governor of the state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been invited to open the event.
The Convention and Symposium is jointly sponsored by various departments and institution of the University of
California Santa Barbara including the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center-IHC; the Center for Film, Television and New Media;
the Center for Black Studies and the Department of History of Art and Architecture Department (for the Symposium on June 15).
Other sponsors include TANTRUM RECORDS of Montecito. It is also supported by a consortium of major Nigerian Film Industry
Companies led by GEMAFRIQUE Inc., Lagos Nigeria.
The Nollywood Convention will become a bi-continental annual
event which holds one year in the USA and the other year in Nigeria. On each occasion the Nollywood Convention will pick one
project to support and raise funds for. The projects will vary widely and include Nollywood Technical Improvement Funds; support
for AIDS research; rehabilitation projects of various sorts; scholarships for training programs to the USA and so on. This
year's fundraising project is the Oraeze High School Rehabilitation Project which is designed to identify and help encourage
younger people who will thereby end up as trained professionals in various technical and production aspects of Nollywood.
The rehabilitation project helps provide infrastructural and technical support for a pilot educational program of this sort.
*Confirmed
speakers for Nollywood Rising include:
N. Frank Ukadike, Tulane University, New Orleans; Moradewun Adejunmobi,
UC Davis; Jude Akudinobi, UC Santa Barbara; Tom Ebong, Independent Scholar; Mahen Boneti, Director New York Film Festival,
Ayuko Babu, Director: Pan-African Film Festival, Los Angeles; Jonathan Haynes, Southampton College, Long Island University,
NY; Abubakar Sanogo, University of Southern California; Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Director, Paris; Chudi Uwazurike, City College,
City University of New York; Brian Larkin, Columbia University; Onookome Okome, University of Alberta, Canada; Teshome Gabriel,
UCLA; Olusegun Oyekunle, Independent Director/Writer, LA; Nnamdi Moweta, KPFK/Afrodicia; Jonathan Adewunmi, Fashion Designer,
NY; John Peffer, Northwestern University; Amaka Igwe, Organiser, BOBTV (The African Films & Television Programs Market);
Chris Albani, Writer/Novelist; Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, UC Santa Barbara.
For further information and sponsorship
opportunities, contact:
Dr. Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie
University of California Santa Barbara
email: ogbechie@arthistory.ucsb.edu
Phone: 805-407-6554
Chike Maduekwe
Gemafrique
Phone: +234 (0) 1 2703467, (0) 805 268 4690
email:
gemafrique@yahoo.com
Dr. Jude Akudinobi
Department of Film Studies and Black Studies
University of California Santa Barbara
email: akudinob@blackstudies.ucsb.edu
phone 805-893-7828
Lancelot Oduwa-Imasuen
Nollywood Director
Assistant Convention Coordinator for Europe
email: oduwagov@yahoo.com
Phone: 011-49-162-592-9592
Abiola Abrams
Media Representative
Cost:
Free and open to the public; parking is available at the Hilton - self park $7; valet $10, per day; for overnight guests $11
self park and $16 valet.
