sarsira017 Nolywood - Wikipedia
WIKIPEDIA
Nollywood
‘Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry.!"! The origin of the term dates back to
early 20005, traced to an article in The New York Times|#I°1 Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts,
there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, and it has been subjected to several controversies.
Contents
Etymology
2 Sub-industrios
24 Nigerian cinema
22 Ghanaian English-language cinema
23 Nollywood USA
Nollywood at 20 controversy
See also
References
Etymology
‘The origin of the term "Nollywood" remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002
article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema] Charles Igwe
noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times.{I]
‘The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to
be a portmanteau of the words "Nigeria" and "Hollywood’, the American major film hub /®171€191
Definition of which films are considered Nollywood has always been a subject of debate. Alex Eyengho defined
Nollywood as "the totality of activities taking place in the Nigerian film industry, be it in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo,
Itsekiri, Edo, Efik, Ijaw, Urhobo or any other of the over 300 Nigerian languages". He further stated that "the
historical trajectory of Nollywood started since the pre and post independent Nigeria, with the theatrical (stage) and
cinematic (celluloid) efforts of the likes of Chief Hubert Ogunde, Chief Amata, Baba Sala, Ade Love, Eddie Ugboma
and a few others
Over the years the term Nollywood has also been used to refer to other affiliate film industries, such as the Ghanaian
English-language cinema, whose films are usually co-produced with Nigeria and/or distributed by Nigerian
companies. The term has also been used for Nigerian/African diaspora films considered to be affiliated with Nigeria or
made specifically to capture the Nigerian audience.) There is no clear definition on how "Nigerian" a film has to be
in order to be referred to as Nollywood.
Some stakeholders have constantly expressed their disagreement over the term; giving reasons such as the fact that
term was coined by a foreigner, as such another form of Imperialism. It has also been argued that the term is an
imitation of what was already in existence (Hollywood and Bollywood) rather than an identity in itself, that is original
and uniquely African.!®! Those who defend the use of the term, argue that itis a form of resistance to the very cultural
and media imperialism to which its crities attribute its origins, arguing that the term Nollywood represents Nigerians
making movies of their own, in their own style - for Nigerians, by Nigerians (rather than simply consuming and
importing mostly Hollywood content like many developing countries do).
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Film sets
Sub-industries
Nigerian cinema
Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are
distinct film industries — each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents.
However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most,
of the regional industries.
‘The Yoruba-language cinema is a sub-industry of Nollywood, with most of its practitioners in the Western region of
Nigeria. The Yoruba-language cinema began as actors of various Yoruba travelling theatre groups began to take their
‘works beyond the stage to delve into movie production using the Celluloid format, as far back as the mid 1960s. These
practitioners are considered in some quarters to be the first true Nigerian film makers.{19] Movies like Kongi's Harvest
(1972), Bull Frog in The Sun (1974), Bisi, Daughter of The River (1977), Jaiyesimi (1980), and Cry Freedom (1981) fall
into this era of a blossoming Yoruba movie industry. Practitioners like Ola Balogun, Duro Ladipo and Adeyemi
Afolayan (Ade Love) played a significant role when they came out with "Ajani Ogun” in 1976. This film was one of the
few huge success that helped put the Yoruba-language cinema on the map, and it was followed by other productions by
Hubert Ogunde and others.!"®l One of the first blockbusters from Nigeria, came from the Yoruba language industry; a
notable example is Mosebolatan (1985) by Moses Olaiya which grossed N107,000 (approx. 2015 N44.2 million) in five
days of its release "11
‘The Hausa-language cinema, also known informally as Kannywood, is also a sub-industry of Nollywood, mainly based.
in Kano. The cinema, which is the largest in Northern Nigeria, slowly evolved from the productions of RTV Kaduna
and Radio Kaduna in the 1960s. Veterans like Dalhatu Bawa and Kasimu Yero pioneered drama productions that
became popular with the Northern audience. The 1990s saw a dramatic change in the Northern Nigerian cinema,
cager to attract more Hausa audience who find Bollywood movies more attractive, Kannywood; a cinematic synthesis
of Indian and Hausa culture evolved and became extremely popular. Turmin Danya ("The Draw"), 1990, is usually
cited as the first commercially successfull Kannywood film. It was quickly followed by others like Gimbiya Fatima and
Kiyarda Da Nil"21 Sunusi Shehu of Tauraruwa Magazine created the term "Kannywood” in 1999 and it soon became
the popular reference term for the industry. By 2012, over 2000 film companies were registered with the Kano State
Filmmakers Association.["3]
Ghanaian English-language cinema
(Over the years the term Nollywood has also been used to refer to other affiliate film industries, such as the Ghanaian
English-language cinema. Around the year 2006 through 2007,
contract with a Ghanaian production company, Venus Films, which involved helping to introduce Ghanaian actors
into mainstream Nollywood. This collaboration eventually led to extreme popularity of certain Ghanaian actors, such.
as Van Vicker, Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel, Yvonne Nelson, John Dumelo, Nadia Buari and Yvonne Okoro, arguably
as much as their Nigerian counterparts. Furthermore, over the years, due to the high cost of film production in
igerian filmmaker Frank Rajah Arase signed a
‘Nigeria, Nigerian filmmakers have been forced to make films outside Lagos in order to cut costs, mirroring the exodus
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of filmmaking in Hollywood from Los Angeles to cities like Toronto and Albuquerque, a phenomenon known as
runaway production. Several other producers as a result started shooting in cities like Acera, Ghana, channeling the
savings into investing in better equipment, many of them trying to get their films onto the big sereen.{"4 This
development has created a sort of merger between the Nigerian and Ghanaian film industry, and most English
language films from Ghana also started answering the tag "Nollywood". This is due to the increased amount of co-
productions these films get, and the ease with which they secure distribution deals with Nigerian film production
houses. This is also mainly because most non-West Africans cannot differentiate between these movies and Nigerian
movies, since it became a norm for major films from Nigeria to star actors from both Nigeria and Ghana"51
Nollywood USA
Nollywood USA is a broad term, that is used to refer to Nigerian films made in the diaspora. Although they are
popularly called Nollywood USA, these movies can be shot in any non-African country. These films are typically made
by Nigerian filmmakers living in the diaspora and they are typically made for the Nigerian audience.) Like the
"Nollywood" term, the definition of "Nollywood USA" is vague.
Nollywood USA movies typically tell Nigerian stories, and they usually star established Nollywood actors, alongside
‘upcoming Nigerian/African actors living in the diaspora.!"61("91 The movies usually have their premieres in Nigeria and
they also sometimes secure national theatrical release like the regular Nollywood movies.
Nollywood at 20 controversy
In 2012, it was announced that Nollywood would be celebrating its 20-year anniversary. This year marked the 2oth
year after the release of direct-to-video movie Living in Bondage (1992), which arguably marked the boom in the
video film era. The anniversary was eventually celebrated in June 20139120124]
‘The event was later revealed to be a decision of a segment of the industry and not a unanimously agreed event; the
event was organized by Association of Movie Producers (AMP), an association consisting of producers of video
films.(9120121} since announcement of the "Nollywood @ 20" event in 2012 till its celebration in 2019, the event had
sparked controversies from many stakeholders; most of whom believed the industry was much older than 20 years.
‘Since Nollywood has been a term for the entire Nigerian film industry, it was argued that Living in Bondage cannot be
used to celebrate the Nigerian film industry, stating that the film wasn't in fact the first Nigerian video film, neither
video film 22] much less the first
was it the first "successful rian film.23)
This controversial celebration also gave rise to reports that another segment of the industry, the “Association of
Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP)" are planning to rename the industry into another term which would
encompass the entire history of Nigerian film industry, since the term Nollywood has allegedly become ethnically
dichotomized.?"I24] While it was argued by supporters of the event that it was the "Nollywood brand” that was being
celebrated and not the industry, counter arguments were made that the term "Nollywood" came into existence only in.
the 2000s, so explanations were needed on how the "Nollywood Brand" could be extended to the year 1992 which isn’t
specifically significant in any way, and why not just to the very first Nigerian film that was made_?51251
‘Alex Eyengho had noted in a 2012 article that the term "Nollywood" was absent during the formative years of both the
video film era and the Golden Age”! Seun Apara, in his article on 360Nobs.com stated: "It's either the promoters of
the event didn't do their research well or intentionally do not want to reckon with history".!®! Adegboyega Oyeniya
comments: "I dont know what they are talking about by celebrating ‘Nollywood @ 20'; are they celebrating Ramsey
‘Tokunbo Nouah or Genevieve Nnaji? Probably, they are celebrating fortune. These people should stop deceiving
Nigerians".271 Some media outlets also reported that the event was a result of greed and selfish interests, as the
organizers visited political figures to solicit funds in the name of the Industry, but allegedly shared the funds raised
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amongst themselves.1 Another issue raised to fault the event is that the real
achievers” in Nollywood were not
honoured, but rather the practitioners at almost the same level with the organizers of the supposed flawed event were
honoured.23)
Several filmmakers and stakeholders expressed their displeasure with the supposed false celebration; Kunle Afolayan,
‘commented: "The whole idea of Nollywood at 20 does not make sense to me because the Nollywood that I know is
more than 20 years, I remember my father shot a film about 37 years ago and I also grew up in the industry. As far as
am concerned, it's absolute erap"."! In another interview, he stated: "If Nollywood is the name that people decide to
call the movie industry in Nigeria, then I am part of it. If Nollywood is what they say is 20 years, then I am not part of
that
‘commented:
industry, then the industry I belong to is not 20 years. There is a necd to tell the world the sincere story of our industry
and don’t rubbish the pioneers. As far as I am concerned, what they are celebrating is Living in Bondage and not
Nollywood".! Tunde Kelani stated: "how will Nollywood be celebrating 20 years and I am over 40 years in the
industry?"271
Nollywood because I have been doing film business for more than 30 years now’?6l Jide Kosoko also
The Nigerian movie industry as far as I'm concerned is not 20 years. If we all truly belong to the same
President of Actors Guild of Nigeria at the time, Ibinabo Fiberesima, admitted that Nollywood is more than 20, but
gave what was considered an unconvincing statement on the reason behind the event, stating: "It's about celebrating
our own even though Nollywood is more than 20 years. It's been long that people have been celebrating us but right,
now, we are celebrating ourselves and giving lots back to the society. It's a good step we have taken especially now that
the qualities of our movies have improved" !®1
See also
= Cinema of Nigeria
= Media in Nigeria
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