Skip to main content

Loud start for Nigeria at TIFF



The historic Elgin Theatre was a colourful sight, as the cast and crew of ‘The Wedding Party’ comprising Kemi Adetiba, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Banky W., Iretiola Doyle, Sola Sobowale, Adesua Etomi, Zainab Balogun, Beverly Naya and Mo Abudu rocked the red carpet last Thursday before and after the screening of the romcom.

Incidentally, the film of the night, ’The Wedding Party’, directed by Kemi Adetiba, is among the eight Nigerian films that have been selected by the festival through its City-to-City programme, profiling Lagos this year.

This fall, Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, TIFF, had programmed the selection from Africa and the Middle East. Thus, there were other artistes and film promoters of the other seven films from Nigeria, which include: ’76 by Izu Ojukwu; ’93 Days by Steve Gukas; ‘Green White Green’ by Abba Makama; ‘Just Not Married’ by Uduak-Obong Patrick;  ’Okafor’s Law’ by Omoni Oboli and ’Oko Ashewo’ (Taxi Driver) by Daniel Emeke Oriahi.

The roll call also had OC Ukeje and Kunle Afolayan, who is being profiled by the festival as an exemplary model of filmmaking from Nigeria, even as his latest film, ’The CEO’, has been scheduled for an industry screening.

The night showed so much promise for the remaining days of the festival, as Bailey, David Oyelowo, a special guest and notable British-Nigerian actor, and Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, led the opening ceremony with remarkable speeches that captured the essence of Nigeria’s participation at this year’s event.

Comments

Popular Post

2016 US Open: Kerber now No.1 as Serena is knocked out

There will not be a record 188 weeks as No.1 for Serena Williams as the American was – for the second year running – knocked out of the US Open in the semi finals. After battling through in three sets against Simona Halep in the quarters, there was no hiding place against 10th seeded Karolina Pliskova on Thursday night at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 24-year-old Czech continued her hard-hitting, beating Serena 6-2, 7-6 before a largely partisan crowd. And in the second semifinal, Angelique Kerber defeated former No.1, Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4 6-3 to make it to her third Grand Slam final of 2016, having won the Australian Open by defeating Serena Williams. Kerber is now World number one dethroning Serena. In 2015, Serena faltered in this same semi final to Roberta Vinci with a chance to win a calendar Grand Slam. This year she was chasing a new record of being No.1 for 188 weeks having equalled Stefi Graf’s 187 weeks as No.1. She was also chasing a 23rd Grand Slam title tha...

Trump not qualified to be president, says Obama

Outgoing President Barack Obama condemned Donald Trump as unsuitable to be commander-in-chief Thursday, after the Republican nominee blasted US military brass and praised Vladimir Putin. "I don't think the guy's qualified to be president of the United States and every time he speaks, that opinion is confirmed," Obama said in unusually caustic language while overseas. Obama is in Laos for a summit with South East Asia leaders and his final trip to east Asia. "I can tell you from the interactions I have had over the last eight or nine days with foreign leaders that this is serious business," Obama said. "You actually have to know what you are talking about and you actually have to have done your homework. When you speak, it should actually reflect thought out policy you can implement." Trump on Wednesday raised eyebrows by saying that Russia's president was "far more" of a leader than Obama. Putin is "very much of ...

Investment bankers, analysts tango with Fitch over banks’ capital adequacy

….Analysts in divergent views A CONTROVERSY over capital adequacy amongst Nigerian banks may have ensued on the heels of claims by an international financial rating agency that most Nigerian banks are now undercapitalised following the persistent macroeconomic and currency challenges that characterized their operations since 2015. Amidst mixed results in the full year 2016 and first quarter 2017 financial reports of banks turned in to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, world’s leading financial rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has indicated that the banks still have capital adequacy challenges. The rating agency also indicated that for the full year ended December, 31 2016, most Nigerian banks under-provided for doubtful and substandard loans in other to remain within the regulatory capital adequacy ratio. But some Nigerian investment bankers would not agree with the global rating agency, saying the banks are in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Central Bank Of Nig...