When the Most Prolific Nigerian Filmmaker, Chico Ejiro Met Prof. Robert Hurst at AFRIFF 2019

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Chico Ejiro and Prof. Robert R. Hurst.


The famous Nollywood director, Chico Ejiro,  the most prolific filmmaker in the history of filmmaking in Nigeria was at the 2019 annual African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) held from November 10 -16 at the Landmark Retail Blvd on Victoria Island.
We met on the opening day for the Nigerian première of the opening film, the critically acclaimed award winning documentary film on the Syrian war, FOR SAMA of the young brave Syrian woman, Waad Al-Kateab and British filmmaker, Edward Watts. The film won the "L'oeil d'or", the best documentary movie award at 2019 annual Cannes Film Festival.  Before, the screening, I introduced the famous American documentary filmmaker and scholar, Prof. Robert R. Hurst to Chico Ejiro and we discussed the phenomenon of Nollywood from the mass production of home videos on VHS of the 1990s to the present digital format of DVDs, cinema and OTT streaming video platforms with the attraction of Netflix. Chico, who is one of the pioneers of the first indie film industry in Africa summarised the emergence of Nollywood to Prof. Robert R. Hurst, popularly called Bob who came from the Department of Film & Media Studies of the University of Kansas, U.S A. He conducted a Masterclass on documentary filmmaking at the film festival. The popular Hollywood director, Philip Noyce conducted a Masterclass on directing. I met him later before the screening of the closing film,"The Ghost and the House of Truth" produced by Ego Boyo and directed by Akin Omotosho on Friday, November 15, 2019.

It was an awesome opening night with the Founder and CEO of AFRIFF, Ms. Chioma Ude looking really beautiful and glamorous as she welcomed me and other VIPs who were invited to the event with Chioma Onyenwe, the Creative Director of AFRIFF by her side.
The dignitaries of different races and cultures came from within Nigeria, other countries in Africa and overseas; including Hon.Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Federal Minister of Information and Culture; Donald Duke, former Governor of Cross River State, U.S Consul General, Claire Pierangelo of the Consulate of the United States of America in Lagos, Mrs. Cynthia Uche Nwuka, of Creative Industry Group in the Bank of Industry of Nigeria, beautiful Mallely Florian, CEO of La Sima Consultants and Liaison Representative in Africa, representing the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean Diaspora - Promoting the Africa-Caribbean exchange.

Famous Nollywood actors and directors who came on the opening day, included John Njamah; Fred Amata, President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN); award winning filmmaker and jurist, Mahmood Ali-Balogun; Jay Franklyn Jituboh and the famous Nollywood divas, Hilda Dokubo, Kate Henshaw, Ini Edo, Uche Jombo, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Kemi "Lala" Akindoju and other beauties were glowing on the red carpet in the klieg lights of the cameras to give us the colourful glitz and razzmatazz of the most vibrant film festival in Africa with fireworks in the dark blue sky of the night.

- EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.
247 Nigeria @247nigeria Twitter