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| L-R: Ose Oyamendan (2nd L), Kemi Adetiba, and Banky W |
When you live in Los
Angeles, you often feel you have seen everything. You have most likely gone
through an earthquake or two. You have seen men become women and women become
men. You have seen stars rise and fall. You have eaten food you can not even
pronounce. You have been on a roller coaster through life and, sometimes, you
do not know what is real and what is make belief.
Last week, the
city saw what it had not seen before, not in this light. Nigeria was in town.
“We’re gonna rock
this town the way it’s not been rocked in a long time,” beamed
Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan as he strolled in his Ankara shirt
under the mild afternoon sun into a meeting with the big wigs at The Egyptian
Theatre on Tuesday afternoon.
A few hours later,
the online version of the prestigious Los Angeles Times spilled the beans on
the unsuspecting city when it announced, “Watch Out Hollywood, Nollywood is
coming to town”. This is the closest you get to a cultural coup. Nigeria, long
bashed in the media for scandals, corruption and fraud, was getting a public
rebranding, thanks to the Nollywood In Hollywood event.
The headline lit up
social media. Kemi Adetiba, the queen of Nigeria’s box office whose film, KING
OF BOYS, was selected for screening posted a blurb of the newspaper headline on
her Instagram page with a simple line, “Hey mommy… Hey daddy… Guess who just
got featured in the @latimes”. Good news must travel fast. Within an hour, the
news had been viewed or shared over a million times on social media. It would
expand to over ten million in the next few days.
Nollywood in Hollywood is
the brainchild of Ose Oyamendan who created the initiative to give Nigerian
films, actors and filmmakers a foothold in the global centre of the film
industry in Hollywood.
“Nigerian filmmakers are
doing great stuff in Nollywood with very little institutional support. I felt
if I can help the industry move the needle even a little, I should. Nigeria is
at a point where we may get to the promised land quicker if we follow John
Kennedy’s charge to do what you can do for your country instead of waiting for
what your country will do for you,” says Ose.
He reached out to two of
the most powerful institutions in Hollywood for a partnership that would see
three of the best films in Nigeria presented to the Hollywood Industry, film
lovers and the African Diaspora every year. The historic Egyptian Theatre and
the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California signed on
and the event kicked off in 2018.
In just its second
edition, Nollywood In Hollywood is easily the biggest African cultural event
outside the continent. Across town, Alessandro Ago, the director of programming
at USC, was surveying the majestic Eileen Norris Theatre, excited about the
prospect of showing LIONHEART and KING OF BOYS. “We enthusiastically support
this opportunity to share and discuss the latest films and current trends in
Nigerian cinema with our students and Los Angeles film enthusiasts,” says Ago.
Nollywood could not have
chosen a better group to represent it at the event. The debonair, immensely
popular actor/musician, Banky W, brought the charm and the natural warmth of a
superstar. Adetiba brought the class and glamour. Tope Oshin, the director of
UP NORTH brought a charisma that shined through the two nights.
Guests came literally
from all over the country for this event that is fast becoming the cultural
rallying point for the black diaspora. Nigeria’s Consul General, Aisha Musa led
a delegation from Atlanta. Executives with New-York based networks flew into
town to see the latest Nigerian talents. Groups of people flew in from Houston,
San Francisco and Washington DC.
Every one of the 650
seats in the Egyptian Theatre was filled for the opening night screening of UP
NORTH. The fire department turned a blind eye to the extra seats in the aisle.
This was a screening that became a celebration, a celebration that turned into
a party!
The party spilled into
the courtyard of The Egyptian after the screening where Streamliner, a start-up
streaming service for African content, flexed their entertainment muscles as
the sponsor of the after screening celebration. There was snacks, drinks, and
music.
“I am just really
grateful to be here. To screen your film at The Egyptian is really a big
achievement. We had a great time and you could really see that there were new
doors opening for Nollywood,” chimed in Tope Oshin, director of the opening night
film, UP NORTH.
The party moved next door
to the Pig N Whistle nightclub where Hollywood Entertainment Productions
sponsored a fun-filled after party with Nigerian music blasting out to the
historic Hollywood Boulevard. The club was packed with ‘who is who’ in Nigerian
entertainment in Los Angeles, studio executive, agents and managers. Hefty
security men had to turn away tens of revellers who sought to join the
Nigerians in the packed club.
Banky W stepped out of
the club early Saturday morning ahead of dozens of colleagues, admirers and
fans, stood on the walk of fame with the names of dozens of stars on the
sidewalk, took in a deep breath of the night air, looked up and down Hollywood
Boulevard and flashed that million dollar smile and whispered, “Nollywood, we’re
here”.
The events moved to the
celebrated Eileen Norris Theatre at the University of Southern California the
next day. The school not only boasts the best film school in the world but the
greatest film directors in the world have screened their films here for
decades. Only two nights before, Jordan Peele screened US a day before its
release and steep climb to the top of the box office. Today, Adetiba was
screening King of Boys to a packed theatre.
“I am really grateful. I’m
speechless actually. It was far beyond what I expected. This is really great
for our industry. I really have to thank Ose for putting this up for Nigeria.
It’s really remarkable,” says Adetiba whose two films are at the top of Nigeria’s
box office history.
“We’re flying the Nigeria
flag and African flag. It’s been an unbelievable two days here for Nollywood.
Hopefully, this will lead to more opportunities,” says Banky W.
For one weekend, Nigeria
was the centre of Hollywood and Nigerians everywhere could hold their heads
high. Nollywood is here.
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