Mercy Johnson

We just got the message below from IZOYA GOLDEN ENTERTAINMENT & PRODUCTIONS and it was written by Fred Iwenjora.

Europe agog for Nollywood @ 20 awards

Nigeria top movie stars chase honors

Plans are currently in top gear for what many consider the biggest celebration of Nollywood, Nigeria’s most influential cultural export.

From the streets of Paris, France through to Antwerp, Belgium where road shows are planned and the major cities in Germany where the finale is set, the build up is on that every one, Africans and their European friends alike are talking about it.

Aptly tagged Nollywood @ 20 E Golden Awards, the weeklong activities is billed for the streets of Europe beginning with road shows in Belgium and France and terminating in Bonn, Germany with a grand awards ceremony to honor contributors to the growth of the Nigerian film industry including top actors and actresses, producers and directors from not only Nigeria but from Ghana and Cameroons and other African countries.

The brain child of Nigeria’s top flight European based show promoting company Ehizoya Golden Entertainment, the African Youth Foundation,  organizers of the prestigious Adler Awards, Janero Consultants, an international business consultancy outfit with interest in Africa,  the celebration which starts November, 23^rd and ending on the 1^st of December 2012 at the prestigious AM Bonner Bogen Hotels, a five star outfit in the former West German capital of Bonn will feature film shows of Nollywood classics, a symposium on Nigerian films in Berlin with a lecture on film funding titled Nollywood meets the west where an EU film fund specialist will talk on the issues of funding with visits to the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin and an excursion to Europe’s top film village.

Aside from this, a major highlight also includes the Nollywood Diaspora Talent Hunt competition where new stars will be made holding in Paris, France and a colloquim on Nigerian films to be hosted in Dusseldorf with top practitioners, journalists, stakeholders discussing the past, present and future of Nollywood amongst others.

Expected at the event are top actors and actresses, top directors and producers including Okey Ogunjiofor, credited to have kick-started Nollywood with the movie Living in Bondage and all those who had featured in the Integration shows across Europe organized by Ehizoya Golden Entertainment in the past including Mama G Patience Ozokwor, Aki and Paw Paw, Jim Iyke, Mercy Johnson, Ngozi Ezeonu, I go Dye, Julius Agwu and a host of other  top dignitaries from Nigerian government and other African countries

Speaking recently, Isaac Izoya of Ehizoya Golden Entertainment said that “Nollywood has come a long way that it is recognized by UNESCO as a cultural export that has worked wonders in telling the real African story and we must do all within our means to celebrate the 20^th anniversary. There is no celebration that we do about Nollywood that is too big. If we do not celebrate our own then who will? Several people want to ask why the show is taking place in Europe and no where else and I dare say that Nollywood is still a growing industry and it would be difficult to take the entire machinery from Europe to Africa so we bring the show from Africa to Europe where we all have an already established system that is working very well. Since we started the integration shows in 2003, Germany has played a very interesting and major role for Nollywood stars. The choice of Germany for the Nollywood at 20 awards ceremonies will be building on already existing structures in making Germany a rewarding promised land for Africa film makers.

“Again, we are conscious of the fact that there is need to continue in setting up structures for the industry to grow that is why we have staked so much in the Nollywood Diaspora Talent Hunt Competition NDTH which seeks to raise new talents for the industry as part of the celebrations. The winners of this competition will feature in Nollywood films to be shot after. We plan to have Okey Ogunjiofor speak about the history of Nollywood and what went on in his mind when he was shooting Living in Bondage. We shall explain further on the show proper as the plans unfold.”

Also speaking, Dr. Paulyn Jensen of African Youths Foundation, AYF who are also in collaboration to see that the event holds said the organization “is a non profit foundation set up in 2000 with headquarters in Bonn, Germany with interest in aiding Africans in Diaspora and Europeans with African descent to undertake projects which enable them to obtain skills necessary for their future livelihood’

According to Jensen, “AYF has keenly followed the fast growing Nigerian film industry and noted its successes in the line of giving positive image for Africa in general. Now the industry has clocked 20, we are moved to join in the celebrations especially when it is in conjunction with Africa’s top entertainment promotion outfit in Europe Ehizoya Golden Entertainment in concert with other facilitators which include Dorothe Werner of Berlin Film Festival and other top stakeholders. We expect a great gathering at the show.