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Nigerian zombie flick Ojuju was a recent hit on the festival circuit. |
“Vital, complex and inspiring, Lagos is entirely unique,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF’s Artistic Director and curator of the programme, in a statement from the festival. “The city of Fela Kuti's music has also given birth to one of the world’s most vibrant film industries. The 1,000 low-budget features ‘Nollywood’ produces each year generate about $1 billion in box office. Now, from that commercial hotbed, a new generation of filmmakers is emerging to both advance and challenge Nollywood. Bigger budgets, greater artistic ambition — the new cinema of Lagos is bold, exciting, and ready to take its place on the international stage. We’re excited to share the creativity of this remarkable city’s filmmakers with TIFF audiences in September.”
Lagos features one of the world’s largest film industries
that remains relatively removed from Canadian movie screens. ‘Nollywood’ has a
robust business of video productions that reaches Lagos film lovers and
ex-pats, but don’t have much, if any, commercial life here until now. Recent
notable highlights from Nigeria to hit the festival circuit include the
co-production of Half of a Yellow Sun,
a Nigeria/UK co-production starring Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, which
premiered at TIFF in 2013, and last year’s horror circuit hit Ojuju (pictured), which gave Night of the Living Dead an
eco-conscious Nollywood spin.
The African nation has yet to be in the Oscar's foreign language film race, although a committee called for submissions to compete in the most recent competition. No films were deemed eligible, so the films selected for City to Citycan expect one of the bigger boosts for Nollywood on the international stage.
The African nation has yet to be in the Oscar's foreign language film race, although a committee called for submissions to compete in the most recent competition. No films were deemed eligible, so the films selected for City to Citycan expect one of the bigger boosts for Nollywood on the international stage.
Previous City to City tours include London, Seoul, Mumbai,
and, most controversially, Tel Aviv. The film selections for the programme are
set for an announcement on August 8. The 2016 Toronto International Film
Festival runs Sept. 8 – 18.