Welcome to Nollywood

Infobox_Film
name = Welcome to Nollywood


caption = A screen still of Chico Ejiro and RMD
director = [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0578436/ Jamie Meltzer]
producer = Henry S. Rosenthal
Cayce Lindner
writer =
starring =
music = Ben Krauss | cinematography = Bruce Dickson
Akinola Davies
Jamie Meltzer
editing = [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2650765/ Daniel J. Friedman]
distributor = Cinema Guild
released = flagicon|USA April 12, 2007
runtime = 56 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://welcometonollywood.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1034469

"Welcome to Nollywood" is a 2007 documentary film, directed by Jamie Meltzer, which premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, [ [http://www.fullframefest.org/about/film2007.php?filmid=4240 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival] ] and also played at the Avignon Film Festival [ [http://www.avignonfilmfest.com/FestivalProgram2007.html Avignon Film Festival 2007 Schedule] ] and the Melbourne International Film Festival in the summer of 2007. [ [http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/ Melbourne International Film Festival] ]

Plot Summary

The Nigerian film industry, known as Nollywood, has exploded in the last ten years. Now the most popular cinema in all of West Africa—more popular even than imports of Hollywood or Bollywood films—the Nigerian film industry has distinguished itself by shooting all films (called video films there) on digital video. This has allowed production schedules to be compressed (films are shot in several days) and immediately brought to market (distribution consists of bringing films to Idumota electronics market in Lagos and selling them for home viewing). The sheer volume of Nigerian video films is staggering: one estimate has a film being produced for each day of the year. Nollywood is now the third-largest film industry in the world, generating US$286 million per year for the Nigerian economy. And yet this vibrant, profitable industry is virtually unknown outside of Africa.

The film looks into this newly emerging film industry, exploring its peculiar inner workings, economic challenges, and diverse array of colorful films. Traveling to the country’s chaotic capitol, Lagos, Meltzer spent ten weeks following three of Nigeria’s hottest directors, each different in personality and style, as they shot their films about love, betrayal, war, and the supernatural. "Welcome to Nollywood" tells the stories of these three directors and their latest productions, while also using interviews with scholars, actors, and journalists who celebrate (in insightful and often humorous ways) the Nigerian video-film industry as a whole, its unique character and genres, as well as its impact on the culture of West Africa and Africans at home and abroad. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034469/ Welcome to Nollywood IMDb Page] ]

Cast List (documentary subjects)

Izu Ojukwu - Director
Chico Ejiro - Producer/Director
Don Pedro Obaseki - Producer/Director
Charles Novia -Producer/Director
Shan George - Actress
Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima - Producer
Tunde Kelani - Producer/Director
J.T. Tom West - Actor
Richard Mofe Damijo - Actor
Francis Duru - Actor

Crew List

Director - Jamie Meltzer
Producers - Cayce Lindner and Henry S Rosenthal
Produced in Association with Infinity Films Nigeria
Associate Producers: Chris Eriobu, Akinola Davies, Bruce Dickson
Cinematographer - Bruce Dickson, Akinola Davies, Jamie Meltzer
Composer - Dave Nelson and Ben Krauss
Editor - Daniel J. Friedman [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034469/ Welcome to Nollywood IMDb Page] ]

Reception

The film has been relatively well-received at the various festivals where it has been screened thus far. It garnered a review by Lisa Nesselson at Variety from the Avignon Film Festival. She praised the wit, insight, and "gumption" of the film, as well as its "lively lensing, snappy editing and peppy score." [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934161.html Review at Variety.com] ]

References

External links

* [http://welcometonollywood.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034469/ Welcome to Nollywood IMDb Page]
* [http://www.fullframefest.org/about/film2007.php?filmid=4240 Welcome to Nollywood at Full Frame]
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=395674 New York Times Movie Details]
* [http://www.outpostfilm.com/newsarchive/200704.html News About Welcome to Nollywood at Outpost Film]
* [http://www.filmarts.org/30years.php More Information at the Film Arts Foundation]
* [http://collegerelations.vassar.edu/2006/2242/ Screening of the Film at Vassar College]
* [http://plonkz.com/archives/7 More Info at the Plonkz Blog]
* [http://duckhenge.uoregon.edu/io/article?id=818 Screening of the Film at the University of Oregon]
* [http://cinemaguild.com/catalog/catalog.htm?http%3A//cinemaguild.com/mm5/merchant.mvc%3FScreen%3DPROD%26Store_Code%3DTCGS%26Product_Code%3D2277 US Distributor]