By Chris Ihidero



Why is the National Film Institute still in Jos? Why is there no NFI liaison office in Lagos? What’s Nollywood’s effect on the NFI? What’s wrong with us? Where is Baba Sala’s professorial chair? Ogunde? Why is TK not lecturing at the NFI? What’s wrong with us? When are we going to learn that young storytellers need to start by learning from Zeb Ejiro , Ralph Nwadike, Tunji Bamishigbon and Taju Adepetu? Were these not the people that gave us our TV classics? Why are they not good enough but one boy or girl from the New York Film Academy is an expert? Why is Joke Silva not giving an acting Masterclass? Why is Sola Sobowale not doing the same? Why have we not set up processes that will make use of their abundant skills and techniques in the training of the next generation of actors? Apparently the method of acting learned in Los Angeles on government money is better. Do we need oyinbo people to come and tell us that Baba Wande is a genius? Did you watch TK’s Ti Oluwa Nile? What is wrong with us? Use your money to train anywhere, that’s your prerogative. I have used my money to do short courses in film schools abroad. But government money? Nkem Owoh is a comic genius. He should be holding masterclasses across the country, but you know, we don’t want that because it’s kinda razz , not Behind at all. Appointments to the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board are still political, so sometimes you get an engineer or born again whip bearer. A strand of your film industry is making phenomenal global impact but your film institute, funded by public funds, sneers at it. #Sigh. The worst condemnation of Nollywood I have heard comes from Nigerians in Nigeria. Meanwhile oyibos can’t stop doing conferences and seminars on it. Our actors are not good enough, right? We now need to go learn screen acting in America, right? Have you seen the following actors perform? Have you seen Sola Sobowale in practically anything in her heyday? Go watch her in Tade Ogidan ‘s Diamond Ring again. Ashewo To Re Mecca? Have you seen Baba Wande in practically ANYTHING? Genius. Anike Obot in Tunde Kelani’s Ayo Ni Mo Fe. Do you know Ayo Mogaji? Did you see that Agbepo film? #Sigh. Have you seen a 34 year-old Joke Silva play Mama Tega on Amaka Igwe ‘s Violated ? Did you ever see her in Owuro Lojo, with Tunji Sotimehin ? I ran into Matt Dadzie‘s son at Eko Hotel the other day. It was a pleasure to tell him how grateful I am for his father’s contributions to Nigerian TV. It took Kunle Afolayan bringing back Sadiq Daba in October 1 for us to remember our dear Brutus and what talents we have had in this country. Maybe some of you are too young to remember, but let those who know tell you what happened when Nosa of Zeb Ejiro ‘s Behind the Clouds died. Why are we not reassured in our essence? Why? Why do we keep seeking validation from others? Why aren’t we learning from India? Please understand that I don’t have anything against film schools abroad or going to them. However, if the government is going to use public funds to do ‘capacity building’, then it makes sense to look inward first. Go abroad on your on money to do finishing. It is that simple really. If Mildred Okwo, Pat Oghre, Tope Oshin, John Njamah or Lancelot Imasuen are not good enough to teach you the basics of directing, and you’d rather have public funds to go abroad and learn Hollywood standards, well go and do it with your father’s or mother’s money. If Victor Sanchez, Emem Isong, Nkiru Njoku, Yinka Ogun, Uduak, Ijeoma Uduma and Tunde Aladese are not good enough to teach you the basics of screenwriting, well dip into your trust fund and go get the fucking ‘Hollywood Standard’ on your own money. No fight inside the matter. Ariyike Oladipupo has created and produced about 5 series for TV. She’s not a good enough producer to teach you? You’re not well. That’s how the people at Lagos Business School went and brought one person who had written one episode of Eastenders or something in all of her 15-year career to come and teach Nollywood people screenwriting. And the devil used them to ask for 450k for the yeye class. I laugh die. Sebi, you people didn’t see Ramsey in Dangerous Twins ? You didn’t see Segun Arinze as Black Arrow, abi? Or Sunday Omobolanle in that film where he was an armed robber? (Forgotten the title.) We can’t respect that, after all sebi it’s just Ramsey, that Surulere boy we all saw grow up. SMH! I don tire, abeg. Those of you saying that NFI does not have to be in Lagos for national development, I don’t know what to say. Does it not bother you that your publicly funded film institute has no presence in your commercial capital where the industry’s trends blossom? Well… Anyways, I am grateful GEJ lost. His good heart was about to ruin Nollywood. All that money was a problem, clearly. Thank God! I trust Buhari , one kobo he won’t give us. Sai baba, sebi you won’t look Uche face? Thank you sir! Not a brass farthing! Sebi if government does not give you money, you all will go back to what you originally wanted to do with your lives before free money brought you to film?




http://thenet.ng/2015/07/chris-ihidero-unedited-whats-nollywoods-effect-on-the-nfi/