IF Nollywood practitioners have not been paying attention to the way the two industry regulatory agencies ' the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), and the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) ' have been discharging their duties, year 2012 will be different.Practitioners have pledged to keep a tab on the activities of these agencies with a view to ensure they deliver effectively. In fact, the new leadership of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) says it will set up a mechanism that will keep an eye on the agencies and ensure that the agencies pay more than a passing interest in the affair of Nollywood.The practitioners appear resolute in their conviction that things denigrated in Nollywood in 2011 because the agencies left the core issues of lack of a definite film policy, absence of a practitioner's council, poor distribution network, widespread piracy and the absence of a film fund unaddressed.They particularly blamed the stagnation of Nollywood on the failure of the much-touted National Distribution Framework (NDF) of the NFVCB, which they claimed further magnified the effect of a directionless and unregulated industry.Indeed, nearly three years after it was introduced, the framework appears to have failed to yield the desired results.Even those who embraced the policy at inception have turned around to say that the framework has led to the collapse of the industry and has set it back by at least one decade and they seem to have a strong point.Indeed, things were fairly okay with distribution even though informally done before the imposition of the distribution regime. Rather than ensure the enforcement of standards in the area of distribution, the NFCVB went to town and licensed some unqualified distributors who lack the capacity to handle the intricacies of movie distribution.Till date, not a single national distributor out of the over 100 that were licensed has activated the license. Nollywood is today back to the informal distribution method, which has shown that there was no need in the first place to dissipate precious official time and energy dictating and controlling how movies are to be distributed in a free enterprise.No doubt, Nigeria urgently requires a structured distribution system and the NFVCB from statements credited to its Director General, Emeka Mba seems poised to review the present framework. Mba has always maintained that the distribution guideline was intended at structuring the industry and aligning it to the mainstream business sector and global practices of movie distribution with its auditable processes.The NFVCB DG has a point there. But what it needs do is to pursue legislation that will encourage investment in distribution of movies. It must also pursue a legislation that will compel cable stations to pay more for movies and to only screen works that have not fully engaged the distribution circle. Besides Nigeria is even very ripe for a film distribution company that will be limited by guarantee. Such a structure will inspire real investment in that sector of movie business as against the NFVCB's current licensees most of whom reportedly grabbed the license because they felt it could be used as collateral for obtaining bank loans.THE NFC has continued to ensure visibility for the industry internationally and has resolved to continue to impact positively on the Nigerian motion picture industry through industry intervention, capacity building, institutional and infrastructural development and better service delivery. But practitioners think that the NFC should translate its overzealous concern for the well-being of the industry into providing easy access to facilities that can enhance professionalism in film production ' the kind of access that will make it possible for producers to employ public infrastructure like airports, court rooms, police and military formations.The practitioners also want the NFC as a film developmental agency to encourage the setting up of more training facilities, pursue the provision of incentives and tax rebates for acquisition of professional equipments and to pursue the institution of the National Film Fund.They reckon with the NFC's effort to partner with organisations like SMEDAN in the provisions of funds for movie production, but they are of the opinion that what will be more enduring will be the Film Fund, which they believe will encourage excellent creative endeavour and would to a large extent counter undesirable commercial movie making. They also think that the NFC should support the growth of industry festivals like BOBTV and Abuja International Film festival among others, instead of expending official energies in organising the biennial Zuma Film Festival.BUT it was not all about talk and no action in 2011. The sun also shone on a number of occasions. Even in the face of a glaring glut, moviedom witnessed more releases in 2011. There was a noticeable effort to produce something substantial. Movies like 'Ghetto Dreamz', Uche Jombo's 'Damage', 'Maami', 'Kiss and Tell', 'Two brides and a Baby', the box office hit 'Return of Jenifa' and a few others readily come to mind. These films screened at major cinemas in the country, an indication that the cinema rooms will show Nigerian movies once they are of certain top quality. But a cursory look at the content of some of the movies released still showed a yawning gap in technical details and inconsistencies in such 'must' as editing, lighting and sound.Observers also noted in most instances, art was sacrificed on the alter of meeting cinema deadline. There were still a lot more offerings that were spurious, superfluous and that explored nave story lines. This explained why some of these films were yanked off the movie screening radar after one week of screening at major cinemas. There were even movies that were released directly to the viewing public without recourse to the NFVCB for censorship or classification with a near x-rated movie like Dirty Secrets, starring Tonto Dike, Muna Obiekwe and Jibola Daboh as an example.Also a number of practitioners were honoured both at home and abroad and were roundly applauded for their enterprise and their imaginative use of the alternative technology of video to make movies.Honour has continued to pour in for Tunde Kelani from abroad. His films were in focus at Bem Vindo a Nollywood a festival that was conceived to give the Brazilian audience the opportunity to experience a cinematic alternative to the usual American and European offerings.Also the Federal Government conferred six notable Nollywood practitioners ' Olu Jacobs, Amaka Igwe, Osita Iheme, Stephanie Okereke, Genevieve Nnaji and Anayo Onyekwere Kanayo with national honours. Although their awards of Member of Federal Republic (MFR) did not come without some dissenting comments, with a few arguing that some of their colleagues that were honoured have not done enough to merit such a priced recognition, others simply remarked that the award to these long standing practitioners was a clear testimony of their impressive track record of meritorious service and indeed recognition of their individual efforts, dedication and service.Similarly, the year witnessed more events that were reputed to be access points for moviedom. The various film financing forums organised by the World Bank and the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the intervention of the iREP Documentary Film Forum in the area of documentary film production readily come to mind.Similarly events like the BOBTV market; the AMAA awards which held in Bayelsa, the Eko International Film festival (EIFF), Abuja international Film Festival, the IN-SHORT film festival, the Gospel film festival held annually in Ibadan and the African International Film Festival (AIFF), which was held in Lagos as against its planned traditional venue of Rivers State, were successfully held.Filmmaker Mahmood Ali Balogun, actress Rita Dominic and the epic film Aramotu directed by Niji Akanni gave Nigeria something to cheer about at the festival, which focused on cinema of the Caribbean's. Aramotu was voted best film of AIFF while Ali-Balogun and Rita Dominic were voted best director and best actress respectively.The 2011 AMAA was by far one of the most successful editions of the annual pan-African festival. The films that were entered for the award truly reflected the Pan-African vision AMAA has been trying to promote. The award scheme proved that it was increasingly attracting international awareness and recognition judging by the growing number of entries submitted from countries other than Nigeria.AMAA also raised the bar in cinematography and filmmaking in the continent. And it showed in film like Aramotu, Sinking Sand and Viva Riva, which was voted the best film in Africa for 2011.The 2011 edition of the annual BOBTV event, the iREP Documentary Film Festival, Eko International Film Festival promoted by Supple Communications, the IN-SHORT film festival and the Abuja international film festival were also successful in so many ways. Each of the festivals attracted a quality crowd with participants and guest staying through the sessions. The festivals also attracted students-young filmmakers and were peopled by resource persons and filmmakers of international repute.But the organisers of the AMP-EKO International Film festival and the Leap International Film Festival (LIFF) were not so lucky this year. LIFF promoted by the Regional Secretary of the Federation of Pan-African Cinema (FEPACI), Madu Chikwendu and which was supposed to hold in Aba, Abia State from December 7 to 10 was postponed the very day it was to hold because of a lame excuse that 'the government of Abia State canvassed a postponement because it wanted to support the festival'. The festival will now hold in February 2012. The AMP-EKO festival promoted by the immediate past leadership of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Paul Obazele tottered and recorded very low turnout, a reason some observers have proposed to the new leadership of the AMP to rest the festival and instead turn it into a platform where members can put their best foot forward annually. They insist that if the AMP must hold an international film festival, it must be professionally done.There was also an effort to democratise across the guilds and associations. The AMP now has a new President in Zik Zulu Okafor. Okafor took over from the restless Paul Obazele. Also the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) has a new President in the long-standing motion picture director Andy Amenechi. Andy succeeds Bond Emeruwa and will replace him as Chairman of the snoozing Coalition of Nollywood Guild and Associations (CONGA). Elections into the National Executive Council of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) will hold in February 2012 and with the incumbent President Segun Arinze giving notice of his intention not to seek a fresh term, in office, the coast is clear for three of the top presidential hopefuls ' Emeka Rollas Njezie, Ibinabo Fiberisima and Steve Eboh to contest in the February elections.THE grim ripper ' death ' also feasted on Nollywood in the year under review. Apparently troubled at the rate death has claimed the lives of prominent players in the entertainment sector lately including the late veteran actor Samuede Arase Efeimwonkiyeke aka Sam Loco, Ashley Nwosu, Ahmed Durojaye a.k.a. Alasari, Christie Okoronkwo, Donald Okoli and foremost marketer Azubuike Udensi, the practitioners sought divine intervention to prevent deaths and strange illnesses in the sector.At the most recent of the deliverance session held on December 4 at Covenant Christian Centre, Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos with Poju Oyemade and Paul Emmanuel of Cornerstone International Ministry presiding, the clergies prayed against deaths and illnesses among the artistes and also delivered a sermon on how the entertainers could harness their talent in righteous and profitable ways.UNEVENTFUL as the year seems for moviedom, well informed observers believe that the path of growth for the movie especially in its match towards self actualization would be for the pursuance of professional excellence in the organisation of the industry and in the content and quality of the movie offerings. Also efforts should be geared towards investing in technologies and in the development of human capital. Vital too is the need for a more cursory look at certain aspects of the sector particularly the twin issue of piracy and distribution.The practitioners have spent more time chasing pirates and worrying about how to get the movies to the right prospect than they have concentrated in churning out quality jobs. This is why critics of the sector think that an effective copyright system, an auditable distribution system, a regulatory structure like the MOPPICON and a film fund that will be devoid of mercantilist tendencies ought to be put in place if 2012 is to be any better and if Nollywood is to play the swing again.
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