Nollywood Star Directs Hollywood Hit Movie …As Ireland Woos Nigeria Movie Clan

A 31 year old Nigerian is currently doing the nation proud by directing a top rated Hollywood movie. The film titled ‘Legacy’ is featuring Hollywood actor, Idris Elba and will be shown at the Tribecca film festival in New York as well as the American black film festival.

The Director, Thomas Ikomi, who hails from the middle belt holds a literature and writing degree from Columbia University in New York. With this remarkable achievement, it is obvious that those who are saying that Nollywood is the next big thing in the world are actually not far from the truth.

Meanwhile, indication that Nigeria and Ireland are set to strengthen their bilateral relations using film came to the fore recently when Mr. Shane Stephens, deputy head of mission, Embassy of Ireland, Abuja, visited the Nigerian Film Corporation Jos.

Stephens accompanied by Dearbhia Glynn an Irish film director, said Nigeria has a rich cultural background reflected in the movies produced in the country and that the Embassy of Ireland is interested in also using film to sustain diplomatic ties between both countries.

According to the film director, Ireland as a country has developed excellent relations with Africa, especially countries of the West Africa sub region and was poised to forge new frontiers that would further improve cross cultural relations. This, he said, explains the production of the movie ‘Dambe’ which was shot in the Republic of Mali and directed by Dearbhia Glynn.

It was gathered that ‘Dambe’ portrays the rich culture of Africa, it’s people, land, food and religion and that he and Glynn were at the Nigerian film corporation to seek further ways that Ireland and Nigeria can partner in film and entertainment based on the fact that Nigerian films have a large viewing audience among the Irish people.

Glynn further stated that the giant strides recorded by the institute were enough reasons for the visit to explore partnership opportunities. Briefing the Irish team on behalf of Mr. Afolabi Adesanya, MD Nigerian Film Corporation, the director of the National film institute, Teddy Hanmakugh commended the embossing’s new interest in partnership opportunities between both countries using film.

The institute’s director assured that NFC will initiate appropriate procedures to ensure that the renewed interest by Ireland in Nigeria’s motion picture industry is given the attention it deserves.