His colleagues and fans call him the Sheik of moviedom. Literally, foremost movie producer, Zeb Ejiro (OON) actually rules over the television and movie screens.

Many would recall his exploit in one of Nigeria’s longest running soap opera, Ripples shown on NTA network in the early 1990s and in the chartbusters, Mortal Inheritance, Tears in Heaven, Intimate Strangers, Domitila and Sakobi to mention but a few. These days, the Isoko, Delta State-born artiste told Daily Sun that he has a new-found love in exploring film to boost Nigerian tourism potentials.

According to him, the first in that venture is his coming film titled A Night in the Philipines. Shot in London and in the Philipines, the film which was inspired by last year’s edition of Miss Earth Beauty Pageant held in the Philipines is also starring Nigeria’s representative at the pageant, Ifeoma Ojenabo and Nollywood stars, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Desmond Eliot, Marie Ebuka among others . The former President, Association of Nigerian Movie Producers (AMP) speaks on his works, Nollywood, and why he went as far as the Philipinnes to shoot a movie.

Works
First of all, I am very much around and I am working. Again, I have not deviated from tradition; I don’t release many movies in a year. I might release one or two in a year. As I am talking to you now, I have a movie that will be released soon. It is titled, A night in the Phillipines. The movie was shot in London and in the Philipines. Again, I’ve just completed the shooting of another movie titled Rebel Act. That one was shot in Nigeria . There is another film shot in London which I am still keeping close to my chest. As I speak to you, I have three movies that are yet to be released. In April, I am also coming out with a soap opera.

Delayed release
The reasons bother on the fact that the market is comatose and I am trying to look for a new market outlet; this time, from my own stable. I am also taking my time, I don’t want to do what I’ve been doing before, I want to take my time.

The choice of Philipines
First of all, the Philipines is a tourist’s delight. It has beautiful islands and fresh waters. I believe that the location will capture the setting and the mood I want to achieve in A night in the Philipines. Apart from that, the last Miss Earth Beauty Pageant took place in the Philipines, and a Nigerian girl was there to represent the country. I also thought that with the fact that a Nigerian girl featured in the competition, I thought that we could as well do something with her. So the girl featured in the movie. With that we used one stone to kill two birds. Mind you, my going to the Philipines had nothing to do with the trend in the industry in which producers make use locations outside the country, I just wanted to add flavour to what I have been doing over the years. Also, I believe that the Philipines would help tourism development in Nigeria by exposing to Nigerians the way the Filipinos handle their tourism industry.

Launching a new act in each film
Yes, I am still keeping to that tradition. For example, A night in the Philipinnes is the first film of the beauty queen, Ifeoma. The same thing applies to the one shot in London. I can’t drop that practice.

Pioneers filmmakers quiting
Some of them have withdrawn from the Lagos scene to develop their localites. For instance, a chunk of the industry has moved to Enugu. Apart from that, Governor Donald Duke is trying to woo the movie industry to Calabar too. The sames goes for Governor Goodluck Jonathan who is also trying to woo the industry to Bayelsa through the African Movie Academy Awards. It’s only Delta State that appears indifferent to the movie industry and its potentials, despite the fact that a much greater input into the industry is coming from that state. I think that these developments have taken a large chunk of the industry from Lagos. Unfortunately, Lagos State which is the cradle is also indifferent to the movie industry. They forgot that a greater number of the people that make up the Lagos scene are non-indigenes who only came down to Lagos to settle. So, government would have offered incentives that would have made the practitioners stay.
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpage...5-2006-001.htm