PRESS RELEASE

I-Represent International Documentary Film Festival Holds 22nd-25th March 2012 at Terra Kulture & Freedom Park, Lagos

The highly acclaimed I-Represent International Documentary Film Festival which debuted last year holds its second edition from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th of March 2012, at Terra-Culture, Lagos, and Freedom Park Broad Street, Lagos Nigeria. It will feature screenings and discussions at Terra Kulture each day from 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday and screenings at Freedom Park’s outdoor theatre from 7pm-11pm Thursday-Saturday and from 10am-10pm on Sunday at Freedom Park Only.

The festival is conceptualized on the framework: AFRICA IN SELF CONVERSATION, and it would explore the theme: DEMOCRACY AND CULTURE – THE DOCUMENTARY FILM INTERVENTION.

As would be deduced from the unprecedented and sporadic people’s mass action that attended the January 1, 2012 removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, a new sense of participation in governance is evolving on the African continent. It is thus increasingly becoming important to explore opportunities open to African filmmakers to bring better understanding and approaches to participatory democracy as a part of African political culture through the medium of documentary films.

The scope of the Festival would cover such areas as Democracy and Demonstrations, New media technology and participatory democracy, and The potentials of the Nigerian films to explore and exploit the documentary format in its production values.

A key subtheme in the 2012 iREP Documentary Film Festival is: IS NOLLYWOOD DOCUMENTARY? This will feature a conversation among filmmakers and their publics on the potentials of Nollywood films to embrace the Documentary ethics in its operation and outputs. A key area of discourse would be the need to explore the production and distribution potentials and schemes of Nollywood towards achieving documentary objectives.

We have the pleasure of Professor Jean Paul Colleyn (Director of Institute of African Studies, Paris) to deliver the Keynote Speech at the Festival opening ceremony on Thursday at 10am. Jean Paul-Colleyn is an Anthropologist, Filmmaker and Professor at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France as well as Director of the Centre fod African Studies (Institute of African Studies). He has conducted extensive fieldwork research in West Africa; and currently engaged in a research project in Mali. He was a producer at Arte TV channel (1988-98); visting professor at New York University (1998-2001); Commissioned Editor of the series ‘The Art of the Myth’ (Arte, 2009-2010); Director of over 30 Documentary films and author of over 14 books and many scholarly essays on documentary films, Art and African Studies and Culture.

Also speaking at the Festival are luminaries with vast knowledge and relevant experience in filmmaking and the media. They include the Chairman of CHANNELS Television Mr. John Momoh, a veteran documentarist and award-winning journalist, Mr. EmekaMba, Director-General of the National Film and Video Censors Board and a reknowned authority on New Media channels for content management and distribution. The festival is holding this year in partnership with Goethe Institute and it will feature a host of International Filmmakers who are presenting films and conducting Training Workshops. Notable amongst them includeNigerian/German Filmmaker BranwenOkpakowho will be screening her internationally acclaimed film “The Re-education of Obama.” and other international filmmakers attending the festival include German Director Jens Wenkel, Kathrin Springer (Producer) Ulla Wessler (DokFEst Munich) and BärbelMauch (producer).

An important feature of this festival is a PRODUCERS’ ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE featuring conversation on Strategies For International Co-Productionto be attended by Documentary filmmakers from Cameroon, Germany, Ghana and Nigeria. It will be Moderated by Ms. Katarina Hedren a key promoter of the Documentary Network Africa Initiative. Ms. Hendren is the former chair of the Swedish based film festival, CinemAfrica, and she works as a translator/interpreter, as well as discussion and workshop moderator/facilitator/designer, film programmer, film critic, and writer with South African producers and directors as well as organisations such as Tri-Continental Film Festival, People to People Conference, Encounters International Documentary Festival, The Goethe-Institut and FESPACO. She is the coordinator of the Mokolo project – an initiative that aims to create a virtual platform for web content relating to African audiovisual industries, thus improving the accessibility and visibility of African audiovisual content and professionals.

The Training Workshop of the festival which last year was attended by over 100 young Nigerian Filmmakers will be holding once again at the Freedom Park Venue on Friday and Saturday and it will feature Facilitators such as BarbelMauch from Germany, Veteran documentaristAlhajiArulogun, Filmmaker Tam Fiofori, and Festival Executive Director Femi Odugbemi

The festival will be screening over 20 films at both Terra Kulture during the day and from 7pm-11pm at Freedom Park each night. Notable films on the schedule include “LAGOS: Notes of a City” by Jens Wenkel, “Linking Africa” by Michael Grotenhoff, “RedHot Nigeria” by Sandra Obiago, “Espoir Voyage” by Michel Zongo, “And the Chain was Not” by Femi Odugbemi, “An African Election” by JarrethMerz, “DuniyaJuyijuyi” by AbdullahiYahayaSa’ad and “The Guantanamo Trap” by Thomas Wallner.

ABOUT iREP FESTIVAL

i-Represent International Documentary Film Festival is an annual film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about the power of documentary films to serve as a means of deepening and sharing social and cultural education as well as encouraging participatory democracy in our societies. The maiden edition held in January 2011, in Lagos, Nigeria, brought together a pool of veteran filmmakers, film scholars, critics, Arts enthusiasts, and students from different parts of the World.

We believe strongly that the 2012 Festival would provide completely invaluable opportunities for all participants to appraise cogent issues that are germane to the future of filmmaking in Africa, and indeed, the World. Activities at the conference have been carefully designed to cover a wide spectrum of knowledge areas and interest, and would include Paper presentations, Training and Workshops, Interactive panel discussions, film screenings, and Networking.
We look forward to the pleasure of having your presence at the festival
Thank you.

More Details at
www.irepfilmfestival.com

SIGNED:
Femi Odugbemi
Executive Director
For IREP FILM FORUM
9TH MARCH 2012.

Genevieve Nnaji

The top 10 Nollywood divas have been selected based on their current active engagements both in home videos and cinemas since the revival of the movie theatre culture in Nigeria after many years of dormancy. They have proved to be truly the leading ladies of Nollywood in local and international movies. They all have their aces. They can walk tall on any red carpet in the world if they can improve their public relations and go beyond the African magic of Nollywood.

1. Genevieve Nnaji
2. Rita Dominic
3. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
4. Stephanie Okereke
5. Funke Akindele
6. Omoni Oboli
7. Monalisa Chinda
8. Tonto Dike
9. Ini Edo
10. Uche Jumbo

Rita Dominic

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Stephanie Okereke

Funke Akindele

Omoni Oboli

Monalisa Chinda

Tonto Dike

Ini Edo

Uche Jumbo

~ By Hope Obioma Opara
Publisher, Supple Magazine
President, Eko International Film Festival

Angelina Jolie

American actress Angelina Jolie who is well known for humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive a sizable part of the proceeds from the soundtrack LP of her thrilling new film In the Land of Blood and Honey, which is her debut as a director and screenwriter. The review was published in Supple Magazine last August.

The SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been caring for the children adversely affected by the Balkans war back in the 1990s.

“We are happy that a portion of the proceeds from the film’s soundtrack will support SOS Children’s Village in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide stable, family-based homes to children, regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender, who do not have their own families to care for them”, Jolie said.

In The Land of Blood and Honey has received favourable critical reviews and last December the Producers Guild of America announced that the film would be honored with its 2012 Stanley Kramer Award and it has been nominated in the Best Foreign Language category for the 69th Golden Globe Awards.

The following is the Official Soundtrack List for Angelina Jolie’s “In The Land of Blood and Honey”:

Music Composed by
Gabriel Yared
(The Lives Of Others, Cold Mountain)
Release Date: 01/10/12
1. When The Heart Dies (3:59)
Performed by Nataša Mirković – De Ro
2. Sables Mouvants (3:15)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
3. Towards The Unknown (2:16)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
4. The Loss (3:04)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
5. Miss Sarajevo* (5:44)
Performed by Passengers and Luciano Pavarotti
6. Evo Jedne Što Se Svira Na Plaži
(Here’s One That Is Sung By The Sea)* (2:53)
Performed by Bombaj Stampa
7. The Waves (5:11)
Performed by Dado Džihan & Waves and Patterns
8. Moja Bozicna* (4:14)
Performed by Rade Šerbedžija & Miroslav Tadić
9. Zemlja (2:13)
Performed by Samir Besirevic
10. Tebi Za Ljubav (3:15)
Performed by Radisa Urosevic
11. Stani Draga (3:52)
Performed by Almer Imamovic
12. Od Srca (From The Heart) (2:58)
Performed by Boban Markovic Orkestar
13. A Wish (3:59)
Performed by Dado Džihan & Waves and Patterns

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Yvonne Nelson

Ghanaian Actresses Are Hotter Than Nigerian Actresses

Nadia Buari

Jackie Appiah

Jocelyn Dumas

When you compare Nigerian actresses with Ghanaian actresses, you will see that the Ghanaian Actresses Yvonne Nelson, Yvonne Okoro, Juliet Ibrahim, Nana Ama McBrown and Jocelyn Dumas are hotter than Nigeria’s Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Rita Dominic, Mercy Johnson, Ini Edo and Tonto Dike on and off screen. They have more swagger and style, like Yvonne Nelson and Jocelyn Dumas who are already fast becoming style icons in Ghana and beyond. Yvonne Nelson in particular is just too hot from her head to her toes.

Genevieve Nnaji

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde

Ini Edo

What makes the Ghollywood actresses hotter than Nollywood actresses? Their thrilling sex appeal and trendy style! Except for Mercy Johnson and the audacious Tonto Dike, the other Nollywood divas cannot compete with Yvonne Nelson, Yvonne Okoro, Juliet Ibrahim, Ashanti sex symbol Nana-Ama-Mcbrown and Joselyn-Dumas.

Juliet Ibrahim

It takes more than a pretty face to be hot! When you are hot, you are sexy and so the Ghanaian actresses are definitely sexier than Nigerian actresses, because they are more daring to go the extra mile in playing their roles in romantic and erotic scenes of movies. The Nigerian actresses seem to be inhibited by certain reasons restraining them from emphasizing their sexuality in movies. They are coy when it comes to romantic and erotic roles and you can see that they are slyly hesitant; but coquettish.

Yvonne Okoro

Mercy Johnson

Nana Ama McBrown

Ghanaian actress Amake Abebrese (Sinking Sands) beat Nigeria’s Queen of Nollywood Genevieve Nnaji (Tango With Me) and Omoni Oboli (Anchor Baby) in the 2011 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) to win the Best Actress Award. So, Ghollywood has actresses who can stand and walk tall in competition with the best Nollywood divas.

Tonto Dike

The African woman is naturally sexy and as they say hips don’t lie, African women from their lips to their hips are sex symbols from coast to coast. And they don’t need Victoria’s Secret brassieres or thongs to prove their sexuality. That is why African maidens from Ghana to Nigeria and down to Swaziland and South Africa were bold to walk and dance topless in traditional festivals before the hypocritical Western puritans and prudes introduced their moral and religious code of conduct to restrict the public display of the sexuality of African beauty. We can still see more of the sexuality of the African beauty in Ghanaian actresses and that has made them hotter than the majority of Nigerian actresses.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima