By Prudence Arobani
Three Nigerian films – ‘Up North’, ‘Lionheart’ and ‘King of Boys’ – have been selected for screening at the second edition of the ‘Nollywood In Hollywood’ on Friday and Saturday in the United States.
Organisers of the event said the screening begins on Friday evening with a red carpet and opening night screening of ‘UP NORTH’ at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California.
UP NORTH stars Banky W and is directed by Tope Oshin, both of whom are in Hollywood courtesy of Air France
On Saturday, ‘Nollywood in Hollywood’ moves to the Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre at the University of Southern California.
The day will kick off with a panel discussion on current trends in ‘Nollywood’, followed by a screening of ‘LION HEART’, the directorial debut of Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji, who also co-wrote and starred in the film.
The showcase will close with a screening of KING OF BOYS, the sophomore feature by Kemi Adetiba, whose 2016 debut film, THE WEDDING PARTY, smashed box office records to become the highest grossing Nigerian film of all time.
‘Nollywood In Hollywood’ is the brainchild of Nigerian-American filmmaker, Ose Oyamendan, whose initiative was designed to expose ‘Nollywood’ films to the capital of the world’s entertainment industry.
Oyamendan said: “I look at it as a way of giving back to my country and broadening opportunities for Nollywood filmmakers and actors.
“Most people abroad know one side of Nigeria, the not-too-good side, now they get a chance to see another side and watch our stories.
“Thanks to our partners, Nollywood has the biggest audience in the world over the next few days”.
Gwen Deglise, the head of programming at the American Cinematheque said: “The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre is proud to partner with O2A Media and the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a second year to present ‘Nollywood in Hollywood’.
“We are thrilled that this event offers both our members and the larger Los Angeles film audience we serve, a window into Nigerian culture and filmmaking”.
