We wish to express our hearty thanks to you for your contribution in making the 43rd Art Stampede which also marked the 11th anniversary of the Committee for Relevant Art and the quarterly Art Stampede a huge success. Your contribution to the discussion at the Stampede was invaluable and we particularly appreciate the frank and objective disposition of the discourse.
That is the nature of the Art Stampede. And we believe that with your performance in the Stampede we have cemented our relationship as partners in progress in the quest to give quality life and verve to our cultural sector in the hope that we can scheme out a more meaningful cultural life for our people. We wish to assure you hat the various resolutions at the Stampede of June 2, 2002 are being seriously considered and that proposals towards realizing all the dreams are currently being drafted. You shall not be left in the dark as to the next steps of action. But we wish to remind you of the resolution that the CORA should use the occasion of the Second Lagos Cinema Carnival coming up on September 27-29 to convene an all-stakeholder conference on the Nigerian
movie has been officially adopted by the CORA and that all logistics are being worked out towards realizing the project. However we need your input as to how best to organize the conference hence we shall appreciate your forwarding your suggestions/proposals to the CORA
The 43rd Art Stampede held on June 2, 2002 at the National secretariat of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, 30a Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA Ikeja had participation from a good cross section of stakeholders in the movie industry as well as friends of the sector. In
attendance were representatives of the various guilds and associations the Central Working Committee (CWC) which presented a position paper; as well as members of Guilds of Scriptwriters; Directors; Actors; Producers as well as marketers. Also in attendance were executive officers of the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners, ANTP (representing the Yoruba FilmMakers). especially acknowledged was the presence of the veteran Broadcaster, Music Impresario and elder
artiste, Steve Rhodes (who gave a speech that was informally accepted as the Keynote Address); the Broadcaster and foremost Music Critic, Benson Idonije and the founder of the famous jazz 38 Art Centre, Lekki, Tunde Kuboye among others. Notable stakeholders in attendance also included Gab Onyi Okoye aka Gabosky; Fred Amata; Mahmoud Ali-Balogun; Aina Kushoro; Bayo ShittaBey; Madu Chikwendu; Don Pedro Obaseki; Ebereonwu; Francis Onwuchei; Agatha Amata
among others. There was a good presence of members of the Print and electronic media as well as other members of the public:
OBSERVATION
It was observed:
* Nigerian movie practitioners need to be mare cautious in their approach to their trade as of recent
there has been a major increase in the attention of international media on the Nigerian media. Examples were made of two recent major articles by the Times magazine and New York Times both of which sent correspondents to Nigeria to study the situation of the local industry; * That the seemingly intractable differences and constant conflicts and bickering among the various associations within the movie sector would not augur well for the proper harnessing of potentials of the industry. Hence the need to as a matter of urgency iron out the differences. * That there is the urgent and imperative need to evolve a practitioners council in the movie/film sector in the fashion of for example the APCON, NIPR, COREN, NBA among other such professional bodies. The council it was said would ensure the proper structuring of the film sector and prevent the activities of quacks and charlatans who have invaded the industry. * That honesty of purpose and sincerity in operation and comportment by practitioners are lacking thus creating rooms for frequent crisis among stakeholders. * That potentials of the marketing and distribution prospects of he sector are being undermined by the reluctance of practitioners to stretch their dreams beyond the traditional means of distribution. This is undermining the potentials of the sector to assert itself as a credible alternative to oil as revenue earner for the practitioners and the nation. *That the government has not been encouraged to take the movie practitioners serious because of the incessant intra- and inter association fighting which prevents the presentation of common front and positions and the strength to ask for the due policies, actions and respect for the sector by the government;
* That there is the need to devise a means of bridging the gaps between the various disciplines of the arts so that each of them could be of use to the other.
RESOLUTIONS
*That the CORA should facilitate the constitution of a neutral body of eminent artists of diverse disciplines to look into the various points of departure and disagreement among the various bodies towards a meaningful resolution of such identified crises. This it is hoped would create a convivial atmosphere for dialogue on how to tackle the pressing matter of evolving strategies to sanitize the sector. *That the proposal for the emergence of a Film Practitioners Council is a laudable one therefore all efforts should be geared towards its realization. To do this the various conceptions, perceptions and positions of the various stakeholders should be harmonized to facilitate the emergence of the said council; * That the proposed Council by the Nigerian Film Corporation should be thoroughly examined to ensure that interests of the practitioners are well catered
for in the proposal and that the council does not become yet another governmental agency that would jeopardize interests of the stakeholders.
Other Resolutions:
* That film makers should desist from making negative statements about the sector as such are capable of fundermining the importance of the industry in the estimation of other members of the Nigerian economy and may thus negatively affect its attraction for investment. * Filmmakers should be ready to accommodate the contentions of other stakeholders in matter affecting welfare of members of the sector as well as operation of the industry; * Practitioners should take advantage of services of Training facilities available such as the Nigeria Film Institute, Jos; Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria, ITPAN, Lagos; Nigeria Television Authority Training School, Jos; NANTAP Wole Soyinka Training School among others; * Ensure that contents of films are sufficiently cleaned up to avoid themes and materials capable of projecting wrong impressions about the culture and people of Nigeria; * Work harder at ensuring that only quality products
are pushed into the market at all times. This will ensure that below standard works would be gradually phased out of the sector. That film makers should look at the possibility of
adapting many of the literary works that have made marks internationally into the movie medium for wider dissemination of such works and as well for the economic benefits of the movie.
Sometimes, you wonder who else out there shares your dreams and aspirations. A chanced meeting with the multi talented Paul Roberts made me wonder how many of us - Africans are really out there, daring the odds, and forging ahead to carve a niche for African actors, producers and directors.
When the Lagos born Paul Roberts paid me a visit in New York, little did I know that out there in Philladelphia, my dreams were being lived. Soft spoken, and typical of an artiste, moderately dressed, my three and half hours with with him was not only an eye opener, but it was also inspirational.
Africamovies.com: "Nice meeting you Paul..."
Paul: "Thanks..."
Africamovies.com: "Please tell our readers about Paul Roberts ..."
Paul: Brief silence " I was born in Lagos. My mother was Ibo and my father was Efik. I came to the United States in 1980. I am happily married with a beautiful daughter. I Attended Middlesex county college, Woodbridge NJ. My parents wanted me to become an Engineer, but I always had a passion for movie making...I'd rather build bridges across cultures than across nations"
Africamovies.com: "That is some deep passion...and I guesse this gave birth to your first movie "A hungry Woman". I must confess that I was taken aback a little bit at your boldness- , considering the culture that you and I were born into; don't you think the content will raise some questions. I mean, we still frown at the sight of On-screen romance, but your movie had quite some eye popping nudity, especially for a film that's meant for the general audience."
Paul: Another pause " I wanted to tell a love story. Its human nature for us to be uninhibited; however, some societies have reservations, bu every artist would love to express himself. Besides, I am not afraid to push the envelope. There is a fine line between my films and tripple X movies.
Africamovies.com:"We all know how hard it is to make a film, especially without some Hollywood backing, how hard was it for you to put your first project together...?"
Paul: "I had a lot of help from the godfather of African film makers-Melvin Van Peebles. He believed in my stories, my talent. He also invested in my subsequent film "The Immoral Incident" It is a great honor to have someone like him on my side. I owe a debt of gratitude to him"
Africamovies.com: "Do you have any projects in the offing...?"
Paul:"Oh yes..., presently we have two movies in post productions "Get in my way" and "A sweet sensation"...Very compelling love stories."
Africamovies.com: "How do you promote your films, because that seem to be the hardest part of making a film".
Paul:We ran advertisements on BET, and the response was overwhelming. The demand was so enormous that it crushed the company. We did not have the proper tools in place before we took such a leap.
Africamovies.com: "After watching your first two movies, I noticed some technical flaws, were these a result of your budget..?"
Paul : "It was a low budget film alright, but the technical imperfection did not distract the audience"
Africamovies.com: "What do you think of the proliferation of home videos in Nigeria..?"
Paul: "At the rate at which, Nigerians are making feature films, the world would just have to wake up and smell the coffee.
Africamovies.com: "You have made films in the United States of America, what's your next step ?"
Paul: "I plan to go into Nigeria some day, and do a film in conjuction with the local actors and producers".
Africamovies.com: I wish you the best of luck Paul"
Paul: "Thank you very much"
A HUNGRY WOMAN
An emotionally traumatized young black woman must posses two brothers as her lovers or cease to exist.
A Hungry woman marks the creation of a new genre in contemporary black cenima - The back psychosexual drama.
An Ultra sexy and complex love story with suprises, A hungry woman showcases the profound imaginative powers of a one-in-a-million powerhouse story teller...
Once in a while an arist is discovered and you wonder why it has taken you such a long time to find this talent. For some of us who are doing everything within our means to propagate our rich cultural heritage, Joy fills our souls when a talent is born.
If you haven't seen the movie "Back to Africa", do not read this before you do.
This month, Africamovies.com brings you Tony Abulu, the director of the classic, "Back to Africa". It seems to me that brilliant artists have peculiar looks and demeanor, either they are annoyingly quiet, or incredibly obnoxious; but Tony is neither. However, he would never waste words nor keep mum when he is required to talk. Although born in Onitsha and raised in Lagos State-Nigeria, Tony still has affinity with his ancestral home in Edo State. Standing at about six feet tall, Tony is an embodiment of talents. After training as a graphic artist in Ibadan Polythecnic, he started working at Lintas Advertisement (One of Nigeria's leading advertising companies). Rolling stones they say gather no morse. As a result of his relentless effort to make a much more conspicous impact in the art world, two years later, the magazine "Black Ivory ancient African illustrated was born.
Africamovies.com: "What was the magazine about?"
Tony : "My main interest was ancient Africa. I wanted to present Africa the way no one had ever presented it. The aim of the magazine was to present the uninvestigated Africa to the rest of the world". The rich cultures of African people has never been properly documented either in the print or televesion media. As a result, I took it upon myself to bear the flag of documenting our rich cultural heritage. Unfortunately, Nigerians were not ready for my form of arts, so in 1985, I left Nigeria for the United States of America.
Africamovies.com: "What problems have you encountered as an African artist in New York?"
Tony: "African art is not part of the American culture, subsequently, any artist or producer of African inspired products will have to cultivate his own audience. African culture is in complete infancy in America. If you take a survey of a typical American, or have them list their interst in the world, they will not mention Africa. Recently, the president of the United States gave his state of the Union address, the only time he made mention of Africa, was when he talked about AIDS. As far as Americans are concerned, Africa is synonymous with death, pain, anarchy and suffering. On the other hand, about 1% of the African American population have begun to question their heritage".
Africamovies.com: "Are you saying that it is difficult for one to make it as an African artist?"
Tony: "America is more like a market place. Different cultures of the world come into this country to try to tap into this bouyant market. People don't just buy things because they are good. There are micro communities that suppot them. If you don't have the advertising dollar, it is almost impossible".
Africamovies.com: "So how can we break this jinx?"
Tony: "Market identification. niche market. The Afrocentric market. African Americans, Carribbeans, West Indians etc.They have their particular events and buying unique habits.
Africamovies.com: It is clear that you are not a push over in this feild. However, I have one more question Tony. We have seen a proliferation of movies from Nigeria, yet most artists are still living below poverty line. What do you think is responsible for such.
Tony: There is no set standard in Nigeria. Anyone who has access to a camcorder releases a video the following day. The artists don't have a defined representation. Subsequently, the producers and film makers take advantage of the sorry state of the artist.
TONY ABULU. Matter of fact
My main interest was ancient Africa...Tony Abulu...
