The 76th Festival de Cannes winners’ list
HELENA-ALEXIS SEYMOUR TAKES CONTROL
IGUAZU WATERFALLS AND THE MOVIE BLACK PANTHER
REST IN PEACE TINA TURNER
CANON/EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 FILM INDUSTRY WORKSHOP

RUBEN ÖSTLUND PRESIDENT OF THE JURY OF THE 76TH FESTIVAL DE CANNES

RUBEN ÖSTLUND

50 years after fellow citizen Ingrid Bergman, Swedish director Ruben Östlund, a two-time winner of the Palme d’or, will preside over the Jury of the 76th edition of the Festival de Cannes to be held from May 16 to 27.

« I am happy, proud, and humbled to be trusted with the honor of Jury president for this year’s Competition at the Festival de Cannes. Nowhere in the film world is the anticipation as strong as when the curtain rises on the films in Competition at the Festival. It is a privilege to be part of it, together with the Cannes audience of connoisseurs. I am sincere when I say that cinema culture is in its most important period ever. The cinema has a unique aspect – there, we watch together, and it demands more on what is shown and increases the intensity of the experience. It makes us reflect in a different way than when we dopamine scroll in front of the individual screens. », declared the futur President Ruben Östlund.

With a track record of only 6 features, the filmmaker was already selected twice at Un Certain Regard, where he was awarded the Jury Prize in 2014, before later entering the Competition. No sooner does he appears there that the Palme d’or is awarded to him twice; first for The Square at the 70th Festival de Cannes, and then for his next film acclaimed last year, Triangle of Sadness.

After studying cinema in Gothenburg, he directed his first feature film, The Guitar Mongoloid, in 2004. On the edge of the documentary genre, the film describes the intersecting destinies of outcasts in a fictional city that closely resembles Gothenburg. Humor as a tool of sociological description is already apparent.

His next short film, Autobiographical Scene Number 6882, gathers all the ingredients of his future work, which are affirmed in Involuntary, a feature film selected at Un Certain Regard in 2008. Östlund positions the camera at a relevant distance to better observe human behavior: small weaknesses and major flaws caused by group dynamics are then dissected to the point of discomfort. Two years later, Incident by a Bank won the Golden Bear for best short film at the 60th Berlinale – it examines the reactions of passers-by to a bank robbery. His third

feature film, Play, which was presented at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2011, describes harassment between youth gangs. When it was released in Sweden it gave rise to a major debate across Swedish society.

In Force Majeure, which was screened at Un Certain Regard in 2014, the situation takes on the aspect of an avalanche where a father prefers to take cover rather than save his wife and children: how can he accept the aftermath, in bad faith and in fear of losing face? Such is the issue that the director examines with ferocious acidity.

Ruben Östlund repeatedly explores a provocative dialectic which has become his signature: an initial situation sets the stage for a sociological examination where the baser instincts of our humanity are painstakingly and uncompromisingly examined with corrosive humor.

In 2017, in The Square, he tells the fictional story of an artistic experiment he conducted in his native country. The film addresses brilliantly the boundaries of public space, art and the animal aspects within ourselves.

Finally, in 2022, Triangle of Sadness chronicles a cruise ship caught in a storm that reshuffles the cards of class struggle in Western societies in a nauseating hullabaloo.

By inviting Ruben Östlund to preside over the Jury, the Festival de Cannes wishes to pay a tribute to films that are uncompromising and forthright and which constantly demand that viewers challenge themselves and that art continue to invent itself.

Ruben Östlund has therefore become the third two-time winner of the Palme d’Or to be the President of the Jury, following Francis Ford Coppola and Emir Kusturica, and the very first to take on this role the year after his acclaim in Cannes.

« As president, concludes Ruben Östlund, I will remind my colleagues in the jury about the social function of the cinema. A good movie relates to the collective experience, stimulates us to think and makes us want to discuss what we have seen – So let’s watch together! »

TRACY OBONNA FEATURED IN HOLLYWOOD FILM BERMUNDA ISLAND

TRACY OBONNA

Nigerian born US based Actor Tracy Obonna  featured in a recent  Hollywood movie  Bermuda Island.

She played the character in Film: Laura

Beverly Hills Fine Arts Theatre is the location for the sold out premiere of the Mahal Empire thriller, Bermuda Island starring Tom Sizemore, John Wells, Greg Tally ,Tracy Obonna and others.

 Directed by Adam Werth. Story by Michael Mahal & Sonny Mahal, Screenplay by  Robert Thompson.

SYNOPSIS

Passengers on their way to a tropical paradise crash at sea and find themselves on a deserted island. Desperate to survive the elements and infighting between survivors, they find that the island has more in store for them than they ever imagined.

Tracy on set

Tracy  Obonna Bio

Tracy graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from The University of Albany in New York. She then obtained a MBA in Finance from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Tracy also received a scholarship to play Division 1 volleyball for Youngstown State University in Ohio. She was then inducted into the Schools Hall of Fame. Tracy is now working on numerous film projects around the world.

www.instagram.com/Tracyobonna

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5919982/?ref_=rvi_nm

Tracy on set

ADIDAS IS EXPECTED TO LOSE $1.3 BILLION IN SALES AFTER DROPPING KANYE WEST


The rapper formerly known as Kanye West told the world last year that he lost $1 billion after severing a partnership with Adidas. Now it turns out Adidas stands to lose even more.

The German sportswear brand expects to lose $1.3 billion in sales this year because Yeezy clothes and shoes will not be available, the company said Thursday. A lack of Yeezy products will also reduce operating profit by $534 million, with the company projected to break even this year, Adidas said.

“The numbers speak for themselves. We are currently not performing the way we should,” CEO Bjørn Gulden said in a statement. “2023 will be a year of transition to set the base to again be a growing and profitable company.”

Courtesy CBS News

THE MOVIE “BERMUDA ISLAND” 2023 1h 25m

SYNOPSIS

Passengers on their way to a tropical paradise crash at sea and find themselves on a deserted island. Desperate to survive the elements and infighting between survivors, they find that the island has more in store for them than they ever imagined.

Story by Michael Mahal & Sonny Mahal, Screenplay by  Robert Thompson. Director Adam Werth

THE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR NOLLYWOOD MOVIE ‘DOUBLE DEKOI’

DOUBLE DEKOI SYNOPSIS:

Amanda (Abimbola ESTHER-Modella BBN) visits her younger brother, Steve (Baaj Adebule), in prison to hear his side of the story. Steve has been convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. After listening to his brother’s story, Amanda realizes it is a set up by the same organization that killed her father. StarCity Properties Ltd is an Estate Development firm on the outside. But on the inside, the company engages on illegal activities like drug and human trafficking. When Amanda’s father realized what the company was really about, he threatened to go to the police if they don’t stop. StarCity Properties Ltd had two choices, either to disengage from its criminal activities or remove Mr. Bankole from the face of the earth. They chose the latter. Now, StarCity Properties Ltd is a criminal organization ran by the blood thirsty Madam Seggy(Sola Sobowale), whose only daughter(Ojumu Christiana-ChristO BBN) is a renowned Police Inspector, Betty. Now, there is a potentially incriminating documents Mr. Bankole hid somewhere before his demise. StarCity Properties Ltd want that recording by all means. That is why they set up Bankole’s only son, Steve, hoping to propose a deal to the young man in exchange for his freedom.

Convinced that her brother is innocent, Amanda decides to infiltrate the Double Dekoi (StarCity Properties Ltd). She sends her mother(Franca Brown) to Abuja and joins her cousin, who lives in the ghetto. Amanda recruit her cousin, Jaspa(Nwekete Bright Chidi-BBN) and the funny Flecky (Seyitan Adeyemi). And together, they infiltrate the Cartel, in search of evidence that could set Steve free. “DOUBLE DEKOI” is intriguing, hilarious. Action packed and suspense- filled. But above all, the lessons are priceless.

Also starring

Kanayo O Kanayo as Don Malaika

Hilda Dokubo

Tony Akposheri

Angela Phillips

Leon Slaboh

Ronke Odusanya 

Yinka Quadri

Sunny McDon

Elliel Otote  and others

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR NNAMDI ODUNZE

Nnamdi Odunze, Director of DOUBLE DEKOI, Multimillion Dollar Nollywood Film

You must have heard about the multi-million dollar star studded film Double Dekoi. But you may not have heard about the director behind it.

Nnamdi E Odunze is n ot new in the Nigerian film industry . he started his entertainment career at The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), trained as a core Script Supervisor & Director by the best hands on television and films.

He created the first reality TV show in Nigeria after the Big Brother Africa in 2004,”Next Nollywood Star” a TV Talent Hunts Show. He has directed over a dozen movies/TV programmes. He has also packaged and managed several premiere deals for Nigerian international Diaspora filmmakers.

Odunze has a vast knowledge of organizing road shows of any standard.

He has to his credit, Assistant Director: “Sakobi Returns” (A ZebEjiro Production), Director: “Adaeze” (1st Igbo soap opera in Nollywood), Director: ‘Enu Ofe’(Igbo soap opera), Director: ‘Crossed Road’(Golden Pyramid Productions Ltd.), Director: ‘Comfort Zone’(Golden Pyramid Productions Ltd.), Director:

‘Adamma ’(FAD Productions Ltd.), Director: ‘Ikpe Omuma’ (TV Series-Golden Pyramid Productions Ltd./Africa Movie Magic), Director: ‘Secret Pain’(TV Series-Golden Pyramid Productions Ltd./Africa Movie Magic ),Director: ‘Diary of a Hood’(Heavy Metal Studios Ltd.), 1st Assistant Director ‘Sweet & Sour’ (ZebEjiro Productions (on The NTA Network Service), 1st Assistant Director & Script Supervisor: ‘Mortal Sin’ (ZebEjiro Productions Ltd), Assistant Director: ‘Extreme Measures’ (Zeb Ejiro Productions Ltd), Director: ‘Ice Cold’ (MacMillan Productions), Director: ‘Sweetest Goodbye’ and ‘Paradise of Shame’ (Monarch Productions), Production Designer & Script Supervisor:

Slave Masters’(New-Vision Productions, London), Producer: A Queen For Domingo(A Live Musical Drama Makeli Multi-media Productions Ltd), Assistant Director: ‘with God’ (O’King Productions Ltd.),Unit Director: Black Night In South America(African Oasis Productions, Brazil ), etc.

In the last few years, Odunze has established good reputation in producing and directing movies, organizing and management of events, stage plays in partnership with Nigerian Television stations.

Nnamdi’s experience spans beyond theatre and the shores of Nigeria as he can be considered as a world Citizen by being involved in productions “12 Ayilara Street (on tour) in the Republic of Benin by the Embassy of France/French Cultural Center (Lagos –Nigeria) and the Republic of Togo.

This flowing experiences made it easy fir him to gather top veterans like KOK, Sola Sobowale, Hijda Dokubo and a host if others in the criss cultural feature film Double Dekoi.

NnamdiE. Odunze is the creator of“Millionaire’s Mansion” reality TV shows.

Nnamdi E Odunze is happily married to his beautiful wife and blessed with lovely children.

LIST OF WINNERS AND NOMINESS UNIVERSAL MOVIE AWARDS 2022

LIST OF WINNERS AND NOMINESS UNIVERSAL MOVIE AWARDS 2022

BEST PICTURE CATEGORY                                                          

EAGLE WINGS (Nigeria)  by Paul Apel Papel – WINNER

CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE (Uganda) by Leonard Amanya  – Nominee

KUNGFU  GIRL  (China)  by Kenny Gage, Devon Downs -Nominee

OCTOBER 22  (Singapore) by Nauwroz Khan – Nominee

KAPANA   (Namibia) by Philippe Talavera – Nominee

NOT TO FORGET (USA) by Valerio Zanoli – Nominee

STAY  (USA) by Oluyinka Davids -Nominee

NEXT TUESDAY (Nigeria)  by Mercy Manuels – Nominee

 BEST ACTOR MALE CATEGORY

ENYINNA NWIGWE   EAGLE WINGS (Nigeria) – WINNER

ABIGETE EDISON (CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE)  Uganda – Nominee

LOUIS GOSSETT JR NOT TO FORGET (USA) -Nominee

A PANNEEIRCHELVAM OCTOBER 22  (Singapore) -Nominee

BEST ACTOR FEMALE CATEGORY

OLYMPIA DUKAKIS (NOT TO FORGET) USA  – WINNER   

MIKIROS GAROES (KAPANA)  Namibia – Nominee

CLEO KABUYE  (CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE ) Uganda – Nominee

YIXI TAO (KUNGFU  GIRL)  China – Nominee

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR MALE CATEGORY

FEMI JACOBS  (EAGLE WINGS )Nigeria – WINNER

GEORGE CHAKIRIS (NOT TO FORGET) (USA) –  Nominee

JOSHUA EMMANUEL  (NEXT TUESDAY)  Nigeria  – Nominee

JOSEPH BENJAMIN (STAY)  USA – Nominee

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR FEMALE CATEGORY

KATOOKO SUSAN (CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE) Uganda – WINNER

STELLA DAMASUS  (STAY)  USA – Nominee

KAREN GRASSLE (NOT  TO FORGET) USA  –  Nominee

SITHIRA THEVI  (OCTOBER 22 )Singapore – Nominee

BEST DIRECTOR CATEGORY

PAUL APEL PAPEL (EAGLE WINGS) Nigeria – WINNER 

VALERIO ZANOLI  (NOT TO FORGET) USA – Nominee

 LEONARD AMANYA  (CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE) Uganda – Nominee

 NAUWROZ KHAN  (OCTOBER 22 )Singapore – Nominee

BEST SCREENPLAY CATEGORY

NOT TO FORGET (USA) – WINNER

OCTOBER 22  (Singapore) – Nominee

KAPANA   (Namibia) – Nominee

CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE (Uganda) – Nominee

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY CATEGORY

NOT TO FORGET (USA) – WINNER

EAGLE WINGS (Nigeria) – Nominee

STAY  (USA)  –  Nominee

OCTOBER 22  (Singapore) –  Nominee

BEST STORY CATEGORY

CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE (Uganda) – WINNER

NOT  TO FORGET (USA) – Nominee

EAGLE WINGS (Nigeria) – Nominee

 OCTOBER 22  (Singapore) – Nominee

BEST ORIGINAL SONG CATEGORY

EAGLE WINGS (Nigeria) –  WINNER

NOT  TO FORGET (USA)- Nominee

CRYSTAL COUNTLESS MISFORTUNE (Uganda) – Nominee

OCTOBER 22  (Singapore) – Nominee

SHORT FILM CATEGORY

JOSEPH (Nigeria) by Efa Iwara, Ifeme C.S  – WINNER

WASHERWOMAN (UK) by Obi Ejikeme – Nominee

UNDERWATER (Switzerland) by Nicolas Seguel – Nominee

EMI (I AM MY DEMON) (Nigeria)  by Barbara Babarinsa – Nominee

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY

ASYLUM LOVE HAS NO BOUNDARIES (UK) by Anastasia Charalambous Barnfather – WINNER

WHERE LUNA LIVES (Belarus) by Aliaksandra Markava – Nominee

SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT. (USA) by Aminah Salaam – Nominee

BLACK DADDY THE MOVIE (USA) by Damon Jamal Taylor – Nominee

THE CONDEMNED FREE (USA) by Bethel Bates – Nominee

SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY

AMERICAN JUSTICE ON TRIAL: PEOPLE V. NEWTON (USA) by Andrew Abrahams, Herb Ferrette – WINNER

ROMEO YUSUPOV (New Zealand) by Romeo Yusupov – Nominee

IN A WHOLE NEW WAY (USA) by Jonathan Fisher – Nominee

RAPE OF JUSTICE (Nigeria) by Willie Workman Oga – Nominee

ANIMATION FILM CATEGORY      

LION HARE & HYENA (South Africa) by Sheldon Christopher Noble – WINNER

HOW MUCH FOR THE EXAMS (Croatia) by Ivica Valentić – Nominee

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM CATEGORY

ITLU AMMA  (India) by Umamaheswara rao C  – WINNER

KIAPO (OATH) (Kenya) by Amos Mwaki  – Nominee

JUYIN SARUATA ( PALACE COUP) (Nigeria) by Falalu A. Dorayi – Nominee

AFREXIMBANK, SILVERBIRD SIGN MOU TO CONSTRUCT WORLD CLASS FILM, STUDIO COMPLEX IN NIGERIA

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Silverbird Group have signed an MoU in an agreement to construct a state-of-the-art and Africa’s largest film and studio studio complex in Nigeria.

The Partnership was signed by Mrs. Helen Brume, Director Project & Asset-Based Finance, Afreximbank and Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, Founder of Silverbird Group.

The Ben Murray-Bruce Studios and Film Academy (BMB Studios and Film Academy), will transform the 32,725 square meter land area in Eko Atlantic City into two purpose-built sound stages, a Digital Hub with music and broadcast studios, editing bays, screening rooms, Studio backlot, Production Offices and a Film Academy designed to meet the aspirations of today’s and tomorrow’s content creators.

The development of the BMB Studios and Film Academy is in line with Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Initiative, a programme established by the Bank to support Africa’s creative and cultural industry.

Courtesy Vanguard Newspaper : Read more  (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/11/afreximbank-silverbird-sign-mou-to-construct-world-class-film-studio-complex-in-nigeria/)

MAIDEN EDITION OF AFRICA’S FUTURE EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE (AFEC)

Rudolf Brenyah Launches the Maiden Edition of Africa’s Future Empowerment Conference (AFEC)

Rudolf Brenyah – a Dutch-born Ghanaian – is set to launch a revolutionary Africa’s Future Empowerment

Conference on October 8th, 2022, in Lagos, Nigeria.

Rudolf Brenyah, through Rudolf Brenyah International, presents the first edition of Africa’s Future Empowerment Conference (AFEC), slated for 8th October 2022. The event, designed to empower, inspire, and prepare African youths for leadership, will take place at D’podium International Event Center, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

Rudolf Okyere-Brenyah is an author, award-winning digital entrepreneur, and motivational speaker.

Despite being born in Amsterdam to Ghanaian parents and spending most of his life in the West, Rudolf has always focused on African Youths, which is his motivation for launching AFEC.

According to a publication from UNICEF, three out of five people are under the age of 25, and half of Africa’s population is between 3 and 24 years old, making Africa the youngest continent. Rudolf Brenyah believes this population should be leveraged and utilized for Africa’s development. When he was asked the reason he started this conference, Rudolf said;

“Africa has a very young population. So, the reason why I started the Africa’s Future Empowerment Conference

(AFEC) is because I want to ensure that I play my part in preparing this young population that we have for

leadership and consequently, position them for greatness. We do not always have to depend on the government for

everything. I believe in taking actions not complaints. And this is what AFEC is all about – taking actions that will impact Africa positively.”

AFEC is Rudolf’s way of contributing to Africa’s development. AFEC is a mega-conference! The conference aims to educate African youths on self-development, financial education, entrepreneurship, purpose discovery, unleashing potentials, tech skills, and equipping them for leadership.

Africa’s Future Empowerment Conference is not just a conference but a movement. AFEC is projected to take off in Nigeria and move on to every African country! And it gets better. AFEC will feature a section called ‘Pitch and Win’, where people (especially young minds) can present their business ideas and win prizes like grants and mentorship.

Entry into the event is free, but registration is compulsory.

You can register for the conference here.

Media Contact

Africa’s Future Empowerment Conference AFEC

info@afeconference.com

www.afeconference.com

Rudolf Brenyah

Info@rudolfbrenyah.com

www.rudolfbrenyah.com

“It was an extremely toxic environment” Chioma Ikokwu speaks on her time on The Real Housewives of Lagos #WithChude

Serial Entrepreneur, Chioma Ikokwu, widely known as Chioma Good Hair sits with Chude Jideonwo, host of #WithChude to discuss being on the reality TV show – The Real Housewives of Lagos, her expectations before she joined the show, and her experiences.

“I enjoyed some parts of RHOL, like the fun activities. But in most parts, I didn’t. If you are having fun, you are having fun, and anyone who knows me knows that I like to have a good time. For a lot of the activities we had, I actually genuinely enjoyed it. I felt like I met one or two amazing people and that was interesting. Also, It challenged me, physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

“But, it was a very toxic environment and my real life is not toxic at all. I don’t have anybody around me that is negative or jealous or has an unsolicited opinion. I don’t have people like that around me. To be subjected to that kind of thing day in and day out, where I can’t avoid you is very toxic, it is unnecessary.

“I went there quite naive, thinking, ‘be yourself, have fun with it’. I didn’t even realize that reality TV dramas sell, that when you have issues people gravitate towards you, whether they hate you or love you and you become popular. So, some people have that strategy and that is why they were probably acting crazy from the start. With other people, I feel like you can’t really hide your persona, like they say, a character is like pregnancy, you can’t hide it for long”.

Reacting to the meanness on the show and the drama that follows, she shared, “for me, it was just embarrassing. Looking at the person that I am, and the family that I came from, this is not something that I have ever even engaged in. I was never even on Twitter. The last time I was on Twitter was when I was in Lebanon because I had a desktop but after that time I never really went back. I just felt like it was such a violent space to be in, seeing all that was so new to me “.

“All the back and forth could have been avoided. What did we teach young girls? People come to me, and say things like, “Oh my, you are so inspiring”, but I know how much more I would have offered to the situation to actually genuinely inspire people, to want to be better and do better but I don’t want to be seen on TV as someone who is fighting or arguing. That is not the legacy that I want to leave. I don’t want the tagline to be insults, I want it to be something you can use to empower yourself and I never really liked the fact that they pushed more negativity. At the end of the day, of course, drama sells on TV, but it could have been mixed a little bit more”, she added.

When asked if she regretted being part of the show, she mentioned that she has mixed feelings about it, “some days I will just wake up and wonder what possessed me to be in the show, where even when there is the violence they don’t mind. Other times, I see that it also gave people an opportunity to see

different sides of me, before that it was just pictures on Instagram, and people kind of thought that I was so stuck up.”

Courtesy Joy, Inc.