Post by account_disabled on Feb 27, 2024 2:22:18 GMT -5
Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry is growing rapidly, producing hundreds of brilliant films and , a year. Here is an insight into the world of Nollywood.
The Nigerian film business , also known as Nollywood (in reference to the Indian film industry , Bollywood ) has become one of the leading film industries in the world, surpassing Hollywood in terms of the number of films they produce annually. They are now the second largest film industry in the world; There is even a MasterClass hosted by Jodie Foster on the Nigerian industry.
There are many factors as to how Nigeria is finding its love for cinema and is becoming increasingly successful in doing so, despite its economy ranking th in the world in GDP. Let's take a look at Nollywood and how it became the fastest growing film industry in the world.
What is Nollywood?
With an annual production of almost , films , Nigeria's Nollywood is the world's second largest film industry , just behind India's Bollywood . While Nollywood films films made on the African continent, English-lan Brazil Mobile Number List guage films made in Ghana and Nigerian films made in the United States and other countries also fall under the Nollywood genre.
In the early stages of Nollywood , films were recognized with a home video style of filming, but as the industry has grown and expanded into other genres, it has produced a wide range of comedies, horrors, period pieces and even Nolly- black; Some notable Nollywood films include Violated (), Married But Living Single (), Ojuju (), Taxi Driver: Oko Ashewo () and From Lagos With Love ().
However, the term "Nollywood" has generated controversy. Many people will recognize the term as a nickname for Nigerian cinema, but many have stated that it is simply a copy of Bollywood and Hollywood , and invalidates their achievements and cultural identity. Several filmmakers have also stated that the term ignores the period of Nigerian cinema before the epithet was created and used in Western society in the s.
The beginning of Nollywood
After Nigeria declared its independence in , Nigerian filmmakers such as Ola Balogun, Hubert Ogunde and Eddie Ugboma began producing films and are now considered the first generation of Nollywood filmmakers . The films then became incredibly popular among Nigerians and were encouraged in cinemas, especially in the country's largest city, Lagos, where a mix of international and local films were shown.
Various reasons, including lack of film equipment, affected Nollywood and Nigerian cinema declined during the s. Many of the films revolved around cultural and social issues, which meant that story was more important than value. of production, but the industry was a bit stagnant. However, despite a lack of funds, self-made directors used commercial cameras to capture their films and sell them for home viewing.
Although the films had very low production value, the original and often mythical stories made Nollywood unique (unlike Hollywood) and the films quickly became a hit. In the mid-s, filmmakers began making a living making them and began to have more success with recognizable films, one of which was Chris Obi Rapu's blockbuster Living in Bondage.
Although the film was released on home video, it became a huge hit and a cultural sensation. To illustrate this, and the love for Nollywood cinema no matter how low the budget, the film had a sequel released theatrically in ( Living in Bondage: Breaking Free ) which was produced for $ million Naira ($, USD) but he won $ million Naira ($, USD).
The success of these early video films transformed Nigerian cinema , and thus the global cinema powerhouse, Nollywood, was formed . Nollywood was so popular that Nigerian film companies released four to five films a day, which were seen by approximately million people in Nigeria and five million in other African countries.
In the s, with government funding and modern cinemas refusing to show video films, Nigerian cinema began to make industry-wide changes. The new Nigerian cinema was filled with high production value, professionally produced films (which could then be shown in modern cinemas) with complex and detailed plots as well as talented actors. Films like Kemi Adetiba's The Wedding Party, among many other brilliant films, set box office records and attracted the attention of several international film festivals.
The second largest film industry
The rise of Nollywood has surprised critics and non-critics alike, and over the past two decades it has become a cultural phenomenon that continues to attract millions of moviegoers, not only in Africa, but around the world. Nollywood has been producing incredible stories of both the pre-colonial past and present life, tensions and beliefs. New Nigerian Cinema has surpassed the United States, making it the second largest film sector, and also the third most profitable industry, as evidenced by its valuation of $ billion in
It has become so successful that Western streaming services have made distribution deals, allowing the latest Nollywood films to gain global views. While Hollywood films are shown in cinemas around the world, Nollywood films are generally released on the internet and streaming services, one of the most popular being YouTube, where there is a channel dedicated to Nollywood films, called NollywoodLove.
The Nigerian film business , also known as Nollywood (in reference to the Indian film industry , Bollywood ) has become one of the leading film industries in the world, surpassing Hollywood in terms of the number of films they produce annually. They are now the second largest film industry in the world; There is even a MasterClass hosted by Jodie Foster on the Nigerian industry.
There are many factors as to how Nigeria is finding its love for cinema and is becoming increasingly successful in doing so, despite its economy ranking th in the world in GDP. Let's take a look at Nollywood and how it became the fastest growing film industry in the world.
What is Nollywood?
With an annual production of almost , films , Nigeria's Nollywood is the world's second largest film industry , just behind India's Bollywood . While Nollywood films films made on the African continent, English-lan Brazil Mobile Number List guage films made in Ghana and Nigerian films made in the United States and other countries also fall under the Nollywood genre.
In the early stages of Nollywood , films were recognized with a home video style of filming, but as the industry has grown and expanded into other genres, it has produced a wide range of comedies, horrors, period pieces and even Nolly- black; Some notable Nollywood films include Violated (), Married But Living Single (), Ojuju (), Taxi Driver: Oko Ashewo () and From Lagos With Love ().
However, the term "Nollywood" has generated controversy. Many people will recognize the term as a nickname for Nigerian cinema, but many have stated that it is simply a copy of Bollywood and Hollywood , and invalidates their achievements and cultural identity. Several filmmakers have also stated that the term ignores the period of Nigerian cinema before the epithet was created and used in Western society in the s.
The beginning of Nollywood
After Nigeria declared its independence in , Nigerian filmmakers such as Ola Balogun, Hubert Ogunde and Eddie Ugboma began producing films and are now considered the first generation of Nollywood filmmakers . The films then became incredibly popular among Nigerians and were encouraged in cinemas, especially in the country's largest city, Lagos, where a mix of international and local films were shown.
Various reasons, including lack of film equipment, affected Nollywood and Nigerian cinema declined during the s. Many of the films revolved around cultural and social issues, which meant that story was more important than value. of production, but the industry was a bit stagnant. However, despite a lack of funds, self-made directors used commercial cameras to capture their films and sell them for home viewing.
Although the films had very low production value, the original and often mythical stories made Nollywood unique (unlike Hollywood) and the films quickly became a hit. In the mid-s, filmmakers began making a living making them and began to have more success with recognizable films, one of which was Chris Obi Rapu's blockbuster Living in Bondage.
Although the film was released on home video, it became a huge hit and a cultural sensation. To illustrate this, and the love for Nollywood cinema no matter how low the budget, the film had a sequel released theatrically in ( Living in Bondage: Breaking Free ) which was produced for $ million Naira ($, USD) but he won $ million Naira ($, USD).
The success of these early video films transformed Nigerian cinema , and thus the global cinema powerhouse, Nollywood, was formed . Nollywood was so popular that Nigerian film companies released four to five films a day, which were seen by approximately million people in Nigeria and five million in other African countries.
In the s, with government funding and modern cinemas refusing to show video films, Nigerian cinema began to make industry-wide changes. The new Nigerian cinema was filled with high production value, professionally produced films (which could then be shown in modern cinemas) with complex and detailed plots as well as talented actors. Films like Kemi Adetiba's The Wedding Party, among many other brilliant films, set box office records and attracted the attention of several international film festivals.
The second largest film industry
The rise of Nollywood has surprised critics and non-critics alike, and over the past two decades it has become a cultural phenomenon that continues to attract millions of moviegoers, not only in Africa, but around the world. Nollywood has been producing incredible stories of both the pre-colonial past and present life, tensions and beliefs. New Nigerian Cinema has surpassed the United States, making it the second largest film sector, and also the third most profitable industry, as evidenced by its valuation of $ billion in
It has become so successful that Western streaming services have made distribution deals, allowing the latest Nollywood films to gain global views. While Hollywood films are shown in cinemas around the world, Nollywood films are generally released on the internet and streaming services, one of the most popular being YouTube, where there is a channel dedicated to Nollywood films, called NollywoodLove.