Entertainment
Cinemas Have Reduced Piracy In Nollywood – Engr Orlu
The chairman of the Asso
ciation of Movie Producers (AMP), Rivers State chapter, Engr. Reginald Orlu, has disclosed that the nefarious activities of pirates in Nollywood is now reduced with the return of cinemas in the State and Nigeria as a nation through premier of the movies.
The movie producer who stated this during an interview with The Tide Entertainment recently, disclosed that the way things are organised in the industry today is that after shooting a film you take it to the cinemas for premier here in the country after which you still go abroad and do the same thing, before you send the film to the market. He stressed that the good thing about this is that pirates will not see the film to pirate.
According to him, even before the movies go into the market the producers must have realised the money they spent, because in most cases through premier which is the showing of the film for the first time, they receive their money in dollars and before the film is seen in the Nigerian market, it had already entered the foreign market, so pirates find it difficult to pirate the films since it is already in the market abroad where the pirates sell their pirated copies.
Engr. Orlu explained that “Lost Number” a movie produced by Ifeanyi Dike, a member of the Association of Movie Producers, Rivers State which was premiered sometimes ago, is being premiered in London after which it will enter the London market and other foreign countries before entering the Nigerian Market, so the pirates are checkmated.
The chairman who reacted to the new trend of featuring Ghanaian actors and actresses in most Nollywood movies maintained that the Nigerian producers introduced movie in Ghana.
He noted that when he went to Ghana in 2006, there was no movie there as such and the few movie there were directed by Nigerians. He said the truth is that most of the Ghanaian actors and actresses have the zeal to act.
According to him, their coming to Nigeria is to make their Nigerian counterparts wake up and take their career seriously, because if they do not seat up, the Ghanaians may take over the profession. We taught them so their presence in Nollywood is not affecting the industry negatively, but positively.
On the recent grant of N3 billion naira to Nollywood by President Goodluck Jonathan, he said the federal government’s grant is a serious business for serious Nollywood stakeholders and not a jamboree He suggested that the money should be shared amongst the various Associations in Nollywood for distribution to their members particularly movie producers, so as to come up with good scripts as well as to improve on the standard of their movies. According to him, the conditions attached to the grant is stringent and may be difficult to meet.
It would be recalled that on Saturday March 2, 2013, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan honoured the Nigerian film makers with a dinner at the State House Marina, Lagos titled: “Nigeria Celebrates Nollywood” which was organized to celebrate 20 years of the movie industry.
At the occasion, the President who was represented by the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala promised a N3 billion intervention fund for the industry under a programme tagged: “Project Nollywood.” The fund is to promote the film industry in the country. Though the country’s film industry is older than 20 years, but the March 2 celebration marked the inception of the video and digital film making in Nigeria.
The fund is earmarked for grants for capacity building, infrastructural development and the commissioning of best scripts. It will be administered by the Ministry of Finance headed by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in alliance with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism headed by Chief Edem Duke.
A renowned film maker, Amaka Igwe, a veteran actor, Jide Kosoko, actress turned producer, Mrs Stephanie Okereke-Idahosa alongside other professionals from the finance, judiciary and education sectors are part of the committee picked by Jonathan for the project.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.