Hi folks. was chatting with a reader who became my friend on facebook and put together a collection of the chat we had. very interesting. Thanks Mary-Angela

My Hollywood movie

Something funny seems to be going on in Nigeria. Everyone who goes to Los Angeles and puts some faceless individuals in his or her movie comes back to Nigeria to say I shot a Hollywood film. Such ignorance. The culprits include Stephanie Okereke and her hot mess Through the glass, Lancelot Imasuen, Chineze Anyeane, King Joe and some others. Anchor Baby is a movie I have not seen, it has much hype, its has been said that its not all that great, but what I like is that it is moving like a lion. It has won awards at actual festivals and stars Sam Sarpong and some recognizable names, yet, it has not gone anywhere to say that it is a Hollywood film. At least not that I have heard. It has 25,000 fans on facebook. It is not doing great at the cinemas because of course, the box office breaker Genevieve Nnaji is not in it and the people is stars are really not that dear to anyones heart. I call that unfair, but Chineze did an impressive job in marketing, people need to learn from her.

Sorry, I digressed. I want to give kudos to the only bonafide Hollywood filmmaker in Nigeria, Jeta Amata.

He is the only one who can say “I have made a Hollywood film” because his films are on Netflix and they are guild films. Funny enough, no one talks about him. No praise, nothing. They only run after the clanging empty barrels. I read a headline that said “How a student film changed nollywood” (ije) and I was offended. I said, so what have Jeta Amata and Tunde Kelani been doing all this while? Ije, a student film, supervised by professors in class, and Inale, Black Gold, Amazing Grace made by an independent filmmaker who went to hustle to raise his financing. Is it really Ije that has redefined Nollywood? Absolutely nothing special about the film, the trailer for Jeta’s Hollywood star studded Black Gold has not changed Nollywood, neither did his Amazing Grace which I watched on Netflix and can rent from blockbuster.

How can we so soon forget people who set the pace? What makes a movie a Hollywood film? A film is a Hollywood film if it pays allegiance to the guilds of Hollywood and if it is distributed by Hollywood.

If you have not seen the massive trailer for Jeta’s black gold, here it is…. This is the film that will redefine Nollywood. Jeta was mentioned in variety.com and CNN and Hollywood reporter. I am yet to read about Ebuwa and Ije in any international film print. Kodak wrote on Ije because Ije was shot on a Kodak grant. But jeta and Kunle are simply doing massive things.

Please give credit where it is due. I am waiting to watch Ebuwa. Much talking Lancelot. Lets see the “Hollywood” film.