CNN published an article on the growth of Nollywood today, which was titled “More than feuds and dramas, Nollywood is a mighty economic machine,” by writer, Milena Veselinovic. The writer touched on the amazing development of the Nigerian entertainment industry, which decades ago centered around ‘informal home gatherings around old flickering TV sets’, and now, ‘Nollywood films have now gone global.’
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Jeta Amata, Genevieve Nnaji, & Ramsey Nouah were also named as the top movie stars in the industry, earning them the title of being Nigerian film’s most recognizable faces. A brief info was also provided of the four:
“Ramsey Nouah stumbled into the film industry almost by accident. He was looking for funds to cover his school fees when a friend suggested he tried acting. Some 25 years later, Nouah is today one of Nollywood most prolific stars.
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, heralded as the queen of Nollywood, has appeared in around 300 films since her debut in 1995. Her allure earned her the nickname of “Omosexy,” while two years ago she was named one of the top 100 influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
Jeta Amata comes from a family of Nollywood stars, so it was perhaps not surprising that he became one of Nigeria’s most prominent film directors. He is often praised for the high production values and strong narratives of his movies, and has worked with both Nollywood and Hollywood famous stars, including Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger.
Genevieve Nnaji, dubbed the “Julia Roberts of Nollywood,” has been acting since the age of eight and has won the 2005 African Academy Movie Award for Best Actress.”
Lastly, Veselinovic talked about a new wave of filmmakers who plan on changing the mindset of many regarding Nollywood’s reputation for shoddy productions, with a goal of eventually bridging the gap between Nollywood and Hollywood.
Actor Wale Ojo, one of the biggest supporters of the movement, told CNN:
“New Nigeria Cinema basically means an elevation of Nigerian film — high production values, good strong narratives, stories that capture the essence of who we are as Nigerians, as Africans.
“And it means also that these films can be shown at international film festivals anywhere in the world, from Toronto to Cannes to Venice.”
Source/Photo Credit: CNN
