Watch the full movie ‘IN THE COLD’ on a  YOUTUBE Channel
The 77th Festival de Cannes is open!
IGUAZU WATERFALLS AND THE MOVIE BLACK PANTHER
ETHNIC BIGOTRY & XENOPHOBIA AGAINST THE IGBOS IN NIGERIA
CANON/EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 FILM INDUSTRY WORKSHOP

The Deceit Of Beauty Pageant Charades

Agbani Darego 1Agbani Darego

The Deceit Of Beauty Pageant Charades

The origin of beauty pageant competition dates back to only when God knows. The insurgence of many pageants in Nigeria which do not basically look out for the natural endowment of shape, size and brain is gradually loosing the prestige, but for personal aggrandizement.

When Agbani Darego was crowned the Miss World in 2001 I gave Silverbird Productions Limited my kudos and also much credit must be given to the then Pageant Manager Mrs. Joan who contributed in no small measure to nurture and groom Agbani to attain the enviable height of global stardom.

I agreed she deserved the crown, because I followed the competition live on television. Her victory as Miss World is not because she was more physically beautiful than other competitors but for her good instinct and intelligent answers to the questions asked (you don’t crown a dummy queen).

But today all our saints and knights and what have you have conjured their own exclusive pageants to stream out young girls who come in turns every other year as their bed mates in the name of promoting their products and fashions.

It is very damaging to the future of our young Nigerian girls who joined the competition genuinely to flaunt their natural God given nature to pursue their dreams as big time models and in furtherance of their education, but unfortunately they are now being exploited due to the harsh economic turndown of the country. You might be a moneybag, but you should stop taking advantage of these innocent young girls in the name of making them stars.

Agbani 2Agbani Darego won the Miss World Pageant in 2001.

Remember the saying “he who cheats another man’s child will not take his own child to the grave when he dies”; in other words “he who defecates along the road side, on your way back the flies will not only greet you but will welcome you.”

~ By Hope O. Opara

Toun Oni: Dedicate a Prize in Her Memory

Florence-Toun-Oni-of-blessed-Memory

One of the most accomplished actors in Nigeria, star actress, Toun Oni,67, passed away last Wednesday.

She would be remembered for her outstanding roles in Nigerian TV drama series Acada Campus, Checkmate, a popular soap opera on TV , Tunde Kelani’s Oleku Kunle Afolayan‘s film, Irapada, and Amaka Igwe-produced Fuji House of Commotion and so many other stage productions, TV drama and movies.

“Even with the talk of unpaid bills, Okot would order a big bottle of White Horse whisky for the great actress Florence Toun Oni who had joined the table. Presenting the whisky with a flourish Okot blew a kiss to the smiling lady.”
~ from Okot p’Bitek at Ife: Days of Dance, Dreams and Drinks By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

Akeem Lasisi of The Punch remmebered her and noted all her accomplishments.
You can read the tribute to Toun Oni on the website of The Punch.

Supple magazine sends condolences to the bereaved family and it would be worthy to dedicate a Toun Oni Prize for the best actress of the year in Nigeria.

Sonu Niigaam to Make Rare Appearance in UK

Sonu
PRNewswire, London, July 9. LONDON – Sonu Niigaam. (PRNewsFoto/United Business Media & Asian Awards Ltd) LONDON ENGLAND

9 Jul 2010 08:00 Africa/Lagos

Sonu Niigaam to Make Rare Appearance in UK

LONDON, July 9, 2010/PRNewswire/ — Legendary playback singer and songwriter Sonu Niigaam has today confirmed that he will make a rare personal appearance in the UK when he tops the bill at The Asian Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in London on October 26.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100708/398619 )

The variety, emotional range and sheer power of his internationally acclaimed voice have earned Niigaam a huge global following. A Bollywood icon, his many songs for movies, as well as his award-winning Indi-Pop albums and other varied musical collaborations, have put the 36-year-old firmly among India’s most successful and endearing stars.

The Asian Awards, in partnership with Lebara, is a prestigious new global event saluting achievement and excellence by individuals born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh. Unusually, members of the public are able to share in the celebration and tickets are available to buy online at http://www.theasianwards.com.

“Guests at this prestigious gala ceremony, including international business and community leaders, Parliamentarians, movie, music and sport stars, will witness the honouring of outstanding individuals in eleven categories – including business, philanthropy, cinema, music and sport,” said Caroline Jackson Levy, managing director of UBM Awards. “We are so thrilled Sonu Niigaam will be leading our entertainment. His pre-eminence as a popular Indian entertainer demonstrates the high quality of this great and unforgettable evening.”

Winners of The Asian Awards will be selected by independent judges chaired by Baroness Verma of Leicester, a Government Spokesperson in the House of Lords. Born in Amritsar in Punjab, India, Lady Verma moved as a child with her parents to England in 1960. “I am delighted in giving The Asian Awards my wholehearted support. This remarkable event will recognise the incredible talent of incredible Asians and I am truly honoured to be associated with it,” said Lady Verma.

Yoganathan Ratheesan, founder and CEO of the headline sponsor Lebara, said, “We’re delighted to be the headline sponsor of The Asian Awards which recognise what can be achieved with hard work, commitment and determination. At Lebara we share and promote these important values.”

The Asian Awards, a partnership between United Business Media and Indian businessman Paul Sagoo, supports Save the Children as its official charity partner.

http://www.theasianwards.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100708/398619

Source: United Business Media & Asian Awards Ltd

For further information please contact Robert Janes (Stonebyte Consultants, London), Telephone: + 44(0)7974-173-403 Email: robert@stonebyte.co.uk

World Première of GuGu E. Michaels’ Unge’s War Thriller at the Eko International Film Festival

UNGE'S WAR

World Première of GuGu E. Michaels’ Unge’s War Thriller at the Eko International Film Festival

The world première of GuGu E. Michaels’ Unge’s War thriller will be at the Eko International Film Festival (EKOIFF) tomorrow July 8, 2010, at the Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, The Palms, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.

SYNOPSIS

Unge’s war is a story about Ukah (M.J. Mathias) the greatest warrior of his generation who needed his son Unge (Five times world martial arts champion, Leo U’ Che) to carry on his blood line. Unge being a puny man amongst giant warriors, have to prove that it’s not the size of a man that makes a great warrior. When Unge goes to war he’s woman Adani (Matilda Godson) befriends the prince (Eric Anderson) of her villages. Unge leads his army against the most skillful warrior of his time Kwamme (Hoomsuk) Get ready for masterful fight sequences that will leave audiences at the edge of their seats. Directed by international action director GuGu E. Michaels. Unge’s War is an epic-action adventure, that will leave you breathless.

GuGu E. Michaels is an International Action Director that has written and directed over 6 feature length pictures. GuGu E. Michaels’ vision is to improve Nigerian movies and their style, to an international standard, in order that Nigeria can truly be recognized for quality international movies. It is his belief that with solid scripts, good directing, professional cinematography, good acting, good audio, good sound design, good editing, professional music score and color grading Nigeria will be able to show the world that Nigeria has truly arrived in the world of international movie making.

GuGu E. Michaels aim to use this picture “Unge’s War” to garner the attention of major global studios into investing in the Nigerian market. That is what prompted him to open a production house “Gu International Pictures (G.I.P)” along with his partner Christian Nwankpa, the due plans to shake the world with Nigerian movies.

Features Directed by GuGu E. Michaels:

Thugz (1998)
Dangerous County (2002)
Urban Killaz (2004)
Repentance (2007)
Best Served Cold (2008)
Pastor’s Wife (2008)
Dangerous Men (2009)
Unge’s War (2010)

Inaugural Eko International Film Festival Opens Wednesday July 7 in Lagos

UNGE'S WAR
Umge’s War will open at EKOIFF on July 8, 2010

Inaugural Eko International Film Festival Opens Wednesday July 7 in Lagos

The inaugural Eko International Film Festival (EKOIF) opens Wednesday July 7 at the prestigious Genesis Deluxe Cinemas at The Palms in Lekki, Lagos.

Award winning filmmakers from Germany, UK, Spain, France, Albania, Kenya and Nigeria are participating in the film fiesta with over 25 films including the thrilling Glamrock City and the King of Palma.

The thrilling tale of the femme fatale, “ART ET DECES aka Glamrock City,” written and directed by Christophe Kourdouly and Stéphane Jauny, opens the film festival and to be followed by the screening of other films from Wednesday to the closing day at the weekend.

The following is the list of the selected films.
1. The Man in the Ground
Director:Jesus Risueno
Duration:19minutesSynopsis:winter,every nigh in the city streets, on unknown person is brutally murdered. There is no relation between the victims, no purpose no evidence.

Year:2010
Country: Spain
2. El Forjador De Historias(The Storymaker)
Director: Jose Gomez Gaugo
Duration:15 minutes
Synopsis: For better or worse, Nothing escapes my will.

Year 2009
Country: Spain
3. The Cortege(Elr Cortejo)
Director ;: Marina Sereseky
Duration: 14 minutes
Synopsis:
Cap is the oldest to grave digger in the cemetery. Used to working amidst the suffering of others and the jokes of his colleagues there is only one person capable of taking him out of his daily routine. Every month for the last couple of years he has waited for months to take flowers to the groove of her husband. She is his last hope.

Year:2009
Country :Spain
4.Thunderbolt And The Mermaid
Director: Diego Sanchidrian Rubio
DURATION:11minutes
Synopsis: It is said that dreams are unreachable for they are far away,hiding beyond the stars. But in order to make them come true you do not have to know where they hide, you just do not have to be bold enough to

5. Balcony Boy
Director: Pilar Palomero
Duration: 10 minutes
Synopsis: Balcony Boy, poor balcony boy. His fault?

Having big ears. His bad habit? Putting his head where he shouldn’t have.

Year: 2005
Country: Spain
6. Fearful John (Juan Con Miedo)
Director: Daniel Romero
Duration: 11 minutes
Synopsis: During the holidays at his grandparents village, John meets Mary, a mysterious girl who tells the terrifying legend surrounding the peasant’s old house. John, unlike the character in the tale is fearful, Mary is not.

Year: 2010
Country: Spain
7. Antena
Director: Geatian Rexhep Koci
Duration: 19 minutes
Year: 2010
Country: Albania
8. Jinx in a Jiffy
Director: Geatian Rexhep Koci
Duration: 18 minutes
Year: 2010
Country: Albania
9. Trope Zones
Director: David Macian And Eduardo Molinari
Duration: 6 minutes
Synopsis: He’s crazy about food; she’ll do anything to please him. A perfect romance as long as something is in the fridge.

Year : 2010
Country: Spain
10. La Union
Director: Carlos A. Sambricio
Duration: 18 minutes
Synopsis: Sara encounters her boyfriend Fran, who died in a car crash six months earlier. A mysterious and breathtaking develops as Fran employs a hypnotic seduction game in order to convince Sara that he is real and that they can be together again.

Year: 2008
Country: Spain
11. Out Of Here
Director: Chino Moya
Duration: 8 minutes
Synopsis: After a dispute, a young woman leaves her older boyfriend’s comfortable apartment.

She has nowhere to go, so she wanders the streets aimlessly, eventually ending up in a café where she has a random encounter.

Year: 2010
Country: Spain/UK
12. Weightless
Director: Oliver Krafcht
Duration: 10 minutes
Synopsis: 18th Century: Five children spend the day outside in a mysterious garden. When they try to fly a kite, they discover a tree full of red berries. The oldest girl Elsie warns that these fruits are poisonous, but the children don’t listen and try them. They are sweet, but soon the poison begins to work…

Year: 2010
Country: Germany
13. Dolls
Director: Rosa Marquez
Duration: 14 minutes
Synopsis: Ana wakes up in an old abandoned stable; next to her, there is a mysterious girl who seems to have been there for a long time, but the only thing she can find out about her is her name: Irina. Ana will try desperately to get Irina’s help to escape from their captor.

Year: 2009
Country: Spain
14. Ansiedad (Anxiety)
Director: Eduardo Casanova
Duration: 25 minutes
Synopsis: Violeta Largertija is a great prima donna with social phobia. Violeta can neither speak nor relate by anybody that knows her, with her lovesick character, she survives feeding on tranquillizers.
Bertlo is crazy in love with Violeta, but he knows her problem and has a plan to know her.

EKOIFF, July 7

EKOIFF LOGOTHURSDAY, JULY 1, 2010

Come And See Glamrock City At The Eko International Film Festival On July 7

TICKET: NGN5, 000 PER SEAT.
CALL 234 8033036171 FOR RESERVATIONS.

GLAMROCK CITY

Glamrock City: A Love Story

A thrilling tale of the femme fatale, “ART ET DECES aka Glamrock City,” written and directed by Christophe Kourdouly and Stéphane Jauny, screened at the Marche on May 19th. Produced by Antetime Production, the film is of two girls who in search of inspiration kill men to capture their last breath of life and create Art from Death for their next painting exhibition. The film showed great emotion and an intriguing plot line that keeps your attention. In a twist, the directors listed above, including the third director, Luc Job, casted themselves into the final scene. An emotional and riveting tale, Glamrock City is a story of love taken to the extreme.

DATE: JULY 7, 2010

VENUE: EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, GENESIS DELUXE CINEMAS, THE PALMS, LEKKI, LAGOS, NIGERIA.

TICKET: N5, 000 ONLY
CALL 234 8033036171 FOR RESERVATIONS.

Catch up with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in Knight and Day

Catch up with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz this weekend in Knight and Day

Knight and Day centers on a lonely woman (Diaz) whose seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a super spy (Cruise) takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source. Grace is playing Diaz’s sister, who is getting married, excited that Diaz will take the place of their late father and walk her down the aisle. .

knight-and-day

The Story
A woman is caught between a covert agent and those he claims set him up. As their globetrotting adventure erupts into a maze of double-crosses, close escapes, false identities, and head-spinning romantic snafus, they come to realize that all they can count on is each other.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance and Thriller

Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.

Release Date: June 23rd, 2010 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language.

Distributors: 20th Century Fox Distribution

See Full Details

Cast and Credits

Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Maggie Grace, Marc Blucas, Paul Dano

Directed by: James Mangold

Produced by: E. Bennett Walsh, Joe Roth, Gregory Goodman

Box Office Charts
Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.)
Jun 18 – 20 weekend

1. Toy Story 3
2. The Karate Kid
Sony Pictures Releasing
3. The A-Team
4. Get Him to the Greek
5. Shrek Forever After
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
7. Killers
8. Jonah Hex
9. Iron Man 2
10. Marmaduke

Independent Film, SPOKEN WORD, Featuring Ruben Blades Picked up by Variance Films

Spoken Word Poster

22 Jun 2010 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Synopsis

Cruz Montoya (Kuno Becker) is a rock star on the West Coast poetry circuit, where audiences from San Diego to Seattle gather to hear him perform. Just off the road from such a tour, he gets an unexpected phone call alerting him that his father, Senior (Rubén Blades), is fatally ill.

Cruz rushes home to his dying father, a reclusive former schoolteacher still leading a traditional life in their once bucolic mountain valley, now ravaged by poverty, drug abuse, and violence. Once home, Cruz retreats to his old life, managing a Santa Fe hip-hop club owned by local crime boss, Emilio (Miguel Sandoval), who Senior used to run with back in the day. Seduced by the fast action and easy money, Cruz loses his poetic voice, his identity, and almost his life, before he finds a way to heal his relationships with his family, his community, and himself.

cruznshaeA scene from the film

Spoken Word depicts the edgy collision of old and new worlds, and explores how families can move beyond words, both spoken and unspoken, to share the language of their hearts.

Independent Film, SPOKEN WORD, Featuring Ruben Blades Picked up by Variance Films

NEW YORK, June 22 /PRNewswire/ — Variance Films is proud to announce the acquisition of US theatrical rights for SPOKEN WORD, the latest feature from director Victor Nunez, featuring acclaimed actor, Ruben Blades.

Ruben BladesRuben Blades

SPOKEN WORD stars Kuno Becker (“From Mexico With Love”, the “Goal!” trilogy) as Cruz, a San Francisco spoken word artist who returns to New Mexico to care for his dying father, played by legendary actor and Grammy-award winning recording artist Ruben Blades (“Assassination Tango,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”). Aided by shady nightclub owner Emilio, played by Miguel Sandoval (“Bottle Shock,” CBS’ “Medium”), Cruz quickly finds himself slipping back into the dangerous life he tried to escape. Seduced by the fast action and easy money, Cruz loses his poetic voice, his identity, and almost his life, before he finds a way to heal his relationships with his family, his community, and himself. The film was directed by Victor Nunez, who also directed the Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning drama “Ulee’s Gold.”

Variance, in conjunction with Santa Fe-based Luminaria, will release SPOKEN WORD in New York at Big Cinemas Manhattan on July 23rd, followed by runs in Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Chicago, and additional cities to be added in the weeks following.

In a statement, Luminaria’s William T. Conway said, “Written and developed in New Mexico to tell a universal story in a very specific place, SPOKEN WORD has attracted an amazing team of international film artists led by director Victor Nunez and stars Kuno Becker, Ruben Blades and Miguel Sandoval to help bring that story to life. As we embark on our theatrical release, Luminaria is excited to welcome Dylan Marchetti and Variance Films as part of that talented team.”

Variance Films President Dylan Marchetti added, “Victor, Kuno, Ruben, Miguel, and the Luminaria team have put together a fantastic film, with great performances and a wonderful balance of emotion and warmth. Audiences are going to walk out of theaters absolutely glowing.”

Variance Films, www.variancefilms.com, is a privately held, full-service theatrical distribution company designed to bridge the gap between self-distribution and traditional theatrical distribution. Luminaria, LLC, www.luminariafilms.com, is a New Mexico based film and television production company, and acts as the production arm of New Mexico Media Partners.

Source: Variance Films

CONTACT: Contact for the film: Dylan Marchetti, Variance Films,
+1-212-537-6769, dylan@variancefilms.com or Neyda Martinez, +1-917-656-7846,
monserrat536@msn.com

Web Site: http://www.variancefilms.com/
http://www.luminariafilms.com/

Hollywood Discovery Awards for the Next Hollywood Star

hollywood_film_festival

22 Jun 2010 10:15 Africa/Lagos

Hollywood Discovery Awards – Be Discovered and Become the Next Hollywood Star

HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL TEAMS UP WITH THE CASTING SOCIETY OF AMERICA, HOLLYWOODNEWS.COM AND YAHOO! MOVIES FOR THE HOLLYWOOD DISCOVERY AWARDS®

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., June 22 /PRNewswire/ — The Casting Society of America (CSA), Hollywoodnews.com and Yahoo! Movies are teaming up with the Hollywood Film Festival® and the Hollywood Awards®, to present the Hollywood Discovery Awards®, a nationwide acting competition which will celebrate the talent and star quality of two lucky winners. A blue-ribbon panel of casting directors from the Casting Society of America will select ten finalists, and their audition videos will be posted on Yahoo! Movies, where the general public will vote online for their favorite.

“We are very excited and proud that Actorcast.com, Casting Society of America , Hollywoodnews.com, and Yahoo! Movies joined us in our quest to discover the next Hollywood Star,” stated festival founder and executive director Carlos de Abreu. “We want to ensure that we bridge the gap between established Hollywood and new talent during the 14th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards®.”

The two winners will receive round-trip air transportation to Los Angeles, plus hotel accommodations, to receive the Hollywood Discovery Awards® at the prestigious 14th Annual Hollywood Awards® Gala, on October 25, 2010, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California.

“Casting Directors are always opening their doors to new and exciting performers. The Casting Society of America is pleased to bring the talent-spotting skills of our members to this nationwide competition,” said Pam Dixon, President of the CSA.

The Hollywood Awards® Gala ceremony itself is one of the most glittering nights in the film calendar and is known for launching the awards season. The Hollywood Discovery Awards® winners will have a unique opportunity to walk the red carpet and be recognized in a full room of major Hollywood players and stars. At last year’s event, attending luminaries included Kate Beckinsale, Sandra Bullock, Diablo Cody, Zooey Deschanel, Morgan Freeman, Kathleen Kennedy, Diane Kruger, Anthony Mackie, Michael Mann, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Monaghan, Steven Spielberg, Charlize Theron, Marisa Tomei, and Chris Weitz among many other Hollywood stars and executives. Our honorees included Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank, Christoph Waltz, Julianne Moore, Jeremy Renner, Carey Mulligan, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Melanie Lynskey, Zachary Quinto, Paul Schneider, and Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe for acting, Bradley Cooper for comedy, Kathryn Bigelow and Lee Daniels for directing.

We encourage all aspiring young actors with great talent to submit their audition video. For guidelines and submission protocol please go to www.discoveryawardsopencall.com.

The 14th annual Hollywood Film Festival kicks off October 20 for a six-day series of screenings and special presentations with Q/A sessions at ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. On October 25, the festival culminates with the prestigious Hollywood Awards®, which honor both established Hollywood and emerging talent.

The festival and awards presenter is Starz Entertainment, LLC, a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz® and Encore® brands with approximately 17.1 million and 31.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies and new original series every month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz, a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation.

Source: Hollywood Film Festival

CONTACT: Hollywood Film Festival, +1-310-288-1882,
awards@hollywoodawards.com, Hollywood Discovery Awards®, 433 N. Camden Drive,
Suite 600, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, http://www.hollywoodawards.com/

Web Site: http://www.hollywoodawards.com/
http://www.discoveryawardsopencall.com/

Prof. Wole Soyinka to Star in new Film

soyinka-photo-homepageimagecomponent

Not many people know that the first African Nobel Laureate in Literature Prof. Wole Soyinka whose corpus promotes the Yorùbá religious tradition is a professional actor and director on stage and the silver screen. His movies are Kongi’s Harvest in 1970 and Blues for a Prodigal, in 1984 and he is returning to play a leading role in a new feature Letter to the Prof by Chike Ibekwe.