BOB TV 2010 - 7TH AFRICAN FILMS AND TELEVISION PROGRAMMES EXPO

BOB TV NEWS & EVENTS

FINAL DAY: BOB TV FILM FESTIVAL

DAY FOUR

You know the melancholy you feel on the last day of an exciting vacation? Story of my day. Today is the last day of the BOB TV FILM FESTIVAL, and after a thrilling week of ‘star gazing,’ power networking, stimulating sessions and workshops, robust debates and fiery discussions, scores of beautiful faces to look at – guests and famous ones – the prospect of returning to ‘life as I know it’ is mildly disheartening. I’ve decided to make the most of today’s events which culminate in a Gala Night. It’s been the best working week a la vacation of my year thus far.

8:00 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

These students have had tremendous fun. Imagine studying media, film or theatre, and being taken on a trip outside your school province to where you see all your idols in the same place and at the same time, and get to interact with them to boot. They share my melancholia as they groan about returning to school which, exciting as it is for them, is far removed from the experiences they shared here. The last batch of their 16 minute shorts are shown, and the Facilitator, Chris Ihidero, and Judge, Nasir Mohammed, congratulate the students on efforts made so far. Tonight, the best picture of them all wins a grand prize. That’s by 8pm at the Gala Night.

10:00 NIGERIAN FILM CORPORATION

You know the famous Chief Newton Jibuno, the one who globe trots by road? Well, he’s an environmentalist and therefore the Chief Speaker of the Nigerian Film Corporation Lecture titled THE FILM AND ENVIRONMENT. His charge to filmmakers is ‘To tame the various environmental deprivations through the powerful medium of film, or Africa as we know it will be destroyed.’ I take some of the free papers on the discussed theme, and steal out to go see what’s happening in other sessions.

10:00 CHILDREN PROGRAMMING

Okay, Noma Shodipe, the Facilitator, continues to teach the principles for reaching and affecting children through television to a Hall largely filled with women, many of them established producers. Okay, onward then to the screening room again.

SCREENING ROOM

The darkened hall is almost filled as a Genevieve melodrama is played. We didn’t catch this at the beginning so let’s take a stroll.

EXHIBITION HALL

Emem Isong is excited about audience response to RELOADED last night. Her films are selling faster because of the satisfied viewers from the day before, and now fans have become ‘clients.’ Can’t chat much with her as she’s seeing to and taking comments from fans and the press.

Jetta Amata, surrounded by friends, is talking to a TV press crew, and Kayode Peters is having a jaw-jaw with a lady from AIT as visitors to his stall are attended to by his people. Abuja-based filmmaker, Oliver Aleogena, hooks me by the arm and draws me outside for a chat. It’s been thirty minutes now, and Oliver and I have been conversing about creating low-priced but good value content for Nigerian TV. He’s passionate about helping to create great programmes that will go beyond feeling up airtime to entertaining and affecting positively. I’m with him on that point but I have to pry myself lose to cover the dying minutes of this year’s BOB.

Quickly I run into the Hall again. The stands are considerably packed because it’s the last day, and everyone wants to be sure they’ve missed nothing. I also hurry to the Nigerian Copyright Commission stand, make my way through the crowd and purchase a booklet on Contracts for Filmmakers. Okay, out of this Hall now.

The afternoon session begins and audiences are just emerging from the screening room where Lancelot Imausen’s latest movie, EBUWA, just played. The crowd make their way to Hall 4 for Lancelot’s session, DIRECTING MASTERCLASS. I see Chris with the technical people, readying for the sequel to his STORY, STORY session. That’s by two.

PRESENTATION AND POISE FOR ACTORS

If I have a beef with Nollywood screen performers, it’s carriage. Many don’t have it and those who do rarely harness it. Thank God for a session like this hosted by frontline Image Consultant, Temitope Falana, who is enthusiastically teaching the seated actors and actors-in-training about how to carry themselves according to the demands of specified roles – the ardor of romantic heroes; the braggadocio of arrogant characters; the menace in the femme fatale, and the hilarity in the onscreen comic. The audience respond with laughter (Temitope is herself a great performer as a tutor), and largely, applause.

I feel the lessons here apply even to public speaking, making presentations, defense of school projects and every situation where one addresses two or more people. Hm, good lesson for me there.

2:00 STORY, STORY

The eager audience applauds and surrounds Chris for his details and to salute his pleasing tutelage. It’s been a stimulating two hours of learning the secret pillars that hold up great stories, and Chris convincingly made his case with slides, precise examples and best of all, his personal histrionics. I shake and commend him for a job beautifully done, even as I remind myself to go over notes made while in his class.

Out of here now to the venue of the Distributor’s parley

LICENSED DISTRIBUTORS/ STAKEHOLDER’S MEETING

The debate and discourse for the building of Nollywood continues as stakeholders, marketers, broadcasters, actors and producers, make suggestions on the best path forward and counter or bolster those made by colleagues. One thing is clear – everyone of these people love and wish Nollywood the best, and having that central goal in mind, things are headed for ‘great.’

I hear the announcement for a HI-TV conference as I step out of the Hall and see a crowd surging towards its venue.

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