The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode has been pencilled down for an award by the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival, which holds in the United States of America (USA) on November 1, 2015 at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
The event is also in conjunction with some members of the Professional Filmmakers of Nigeria (PFN) and the backing of Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg, a reputable Hollywood director.
Ambode is expected to be at Beverly Hills on that day to receive an Image Award, the highest award category for outstanding individuals, for his support of Nollywood and the Nigerian Entertainment Industry.
The award is facilitated by Turning Point co-producer and CEO of E4PR, Egor Efiok, a long time business partner of Hollywood Weekly Magazine.
Egor is also the president of PFN, a group of filmmakers, who are working with Ambode in his quest to ‘bring Las Vegas to Lagos’.
Other members of PFN include Tade Ogidan, Tunji Bamishigbin, Greg Odutayo, Niji Akanni, Frank Adekunle Macaulay, Lilian Amah, Benny Merriman-Johnson, Norbert Young, Bimbo Manuel, Sonny McDon and Austin Faani.
Others are Gloria Anozie-Young, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Remi Ibinola, Tope Oshin-Ogun, Maimuna Yahaya, Favour Benson, Pamela Udoka, Adeoye Bakare, Uju Akukwe, Adebayo Tijani, Peter Nkereuwem, Kweku Elenitoba-Johnson, Eric Aghimien, Aaron Ugede, Olaitan Olaosebikan, Ireti Osayemi-Bakare, Bimbo Thomas, Wale Adesanya, Moshood Yakub Olawale, Belinda Yanga-Agedah, Omatta Udalor, Ebiti Jerome Angyunwe, Angela Unufe-Kennedy and Joy Amata.
According to Prather Jackson of Hollywood Weekly, “When Egor first approached us three and a half years ago to collaborate with her to take Nollywood and the Nigerian Entertainment Industry international, an industry we knew little about until our business liaison with E4PR started, we did not envisage how successful our collaboration would be.
“The first, which was our first ever cover of Nollywood, had Desmond Elliott, Monalisa Chinda, Jackie Appiah and Joseph Benjamin on our magazine cover and we were awed at how the edition outsold others and went viral. Thus began our love for Nollywood and the Nigerian Entertainment industry.
“We are now proud to be presenting our 4th collaboration, where we will be honouring His Excellency Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State with an Image Award and premiering our first Nollywood film, ‘Beyond Blood’, produced and directed by Nollywood director, Greg Odutayo, also HWMFF Nollywood director of The Year 2015 award recipient.
“Our second Nollywood award recipient is actress, producer and novelist, Lilian Amah, who will be receiving a Special Recognition Award for her outstanding contribution to Nollywood and the success of her second novel Dreams Of Yesterday, which is currently in the works for a film adaptation.”
