Eei, this movie business maybe i should quit my full time job and start selling naija and ghana movie dvds too, seems a lot of ppl making money out of it
My local african store owners have told me severally they make more money in renting and selling movies than they do with the food stuff and groceries, I have witnessed on a saturday a lady came in and spend $210 dollars (including 5 Beyonce titles) - i asked her why so many she saids she is mailing them to a few friends and relatives in different states (Rhode Island and Wisconsin) who dont have access to it. I was so shocked. After she left the store owner told me, she comes in at least once a month and spends that much, plus she wasnt the only one.
If only Nollywood and Gollywood knew how popular they were over here, they will take advantage of this opportunity and try and improve instead of staying stagnant in the scripts and production.
i swear if these producers took their movies, scripts and production seriously they will be multi dollar millonaires. Everybody will chop well far and beyond what they earn now, from production team to the actors. But sometimes i watch the movies and i think what a waste of production tape and everybodys time. I dont think they (back in africa) seem to know how serious this is.
I just hope they come up with a technology where ppl cant copy these dvds -cos trust me, many of these local stores are still breaking the code of the new dvds (e.g even the new sanga entertainment type dvds) and are copying these dvds and making a ton of money out of it. Its not fair on nollywood producers at all.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
NIGERIAN FILM DVDS FLY OFF THE SHELVES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,6926604.story
African movies that come out of Nigeria and Ghana are the craze these days. The movies, which have soap-opera type themes are particularly popular among South Florida Caribbean's population. Emanite Charles, of Miami, browses through a large selection of DVD's
They've never walked along the dusty roads of Lagos, Nigeria, or set foot in an extravagant mansion in Ghana.
But fans of African movies now being sold in South Florida say they find themselves glued to their screens because in so many ways, the faraway continent feels so familiar.
"It's everything from the drapes hanging at the entrance door in the kitchen to the way people go down on their knees before saying good morning to their elders," said Hermante Leonard, who sees similarities to her Haitian culture in the movies.
Despite mediocre sound quality and a lack of special effects, Nigerian films are growing in popularity in South Florida, especially among Caribbean natives. In strip plazas in Lauderdale Lakes, Miramar, West Palm Beach and North Miami, vendors who used to specialize in movies from Jamaica and Haiti said they've recently switched their focus to African films because of the demand.
"These movies are entertaining," said Fay Bailey, a retired nurse from Jamaica. "They showcase the beauty and strength in Africa, and there's more laughter than anything."
Fans say they help satisfy a need here, where mainstream films starring black performers are few and far between. They like the intelligent dialogue, relative absence of nudity and the prominence given to areas of Nigeria and Ghana not usually seen on Western television.
The Nigerian film industry, often referred to as "Nollywood," churns out about 1,500 new movies a year, making it the third largest in the world, after Hollywood and India. Industry analysts estimate it grossed $286 million last year, compared with $2 billion brought in by Indian films.
African movies are performed in English with story lines that center on infidelity, family cohesiveness, folklore and spirituality. Unlike Hollywood blockbusters, however, these films are usually made on a shoestring budget of about $20,000, and sell here for about $10. Caminito Rose, who is originally from Haiti, began selling the movies about four months ago in his North Miami store, Lionel Productions African Movie Mall. He said on an average Saturday he sells about 400 Nigerian movies. Fans say it's not the price but the story lines that keep them wanting more.
Hopeton Green, of Lauderdale Lakes, said he buys them because "the backgrounds reminded me so much of Jamaica. The way the people dressed, their demeanor. The accent was the only thing that really marked the difference."
Leonard said she
became hooked after watching Blood Sisters, about a bad sister trying to destroy the good sister's life.
So about a year ago, she started selling the movies at her music stores, Se Mizik Lakay, in Lauderdale Lakes and Oakland Park.
Other retailers say their clients introduced them to the films.
"I started selling them about two months ago because people came to me and asked me for certain titles," said Jerome Altidort, manager at VS Music Store, in West Palm Beach, which specializes in Haitian music and movies.
Nigeria's movie industry got its start in the early 1990s, when Nigeria was undergoing a financial crisis and foreign films were scarce.
Experts say violence at that time kept many Nigerians from going to local theaters.
To fill the void, local directors began filming with hand-held cameras and producing movies on a shoestring budget. The video films, as they're called, often have sequels and, in some cases, up to four or five parts.
Some movie watchers say they block out time to watch the films, which are usually about three hours long, because once they get into Part 1, it's difficult not to watch the sequel. "I know it sounds [like a] cliche, but you really feel like you're experiencing your roots," said Opal Brown, of Pembroke Pines.
Industry specialists say easier access to the films is increasing their popularity, especially in New York City, Washington, D.C., and South Florida. "The distributors of these video films don't have to rely on a huge marketing strategy," said Onookome Okome, author of the upcoming book Nollywood: Cinema, Culture, Society.
But piracy is also a big issue and local retailers say it's hard to compete with the copiers who sell at rock-bottom prices.
"I used to have a lot more customers, but the piracy is slowing things down," Leonard said.
Back at African Movie Mall, patrons Fay Bailey and Cherley Sanon are debating which story lines are more intriguing.
Sanon, who is Haitian, watched her first Nigerian film about three months ago in a hair salon.
She now has 20 titles and said she likes the movies that show off the affluent Nigerian neighborhoods.
Not so for Bailey, who countered, "I like the movies that bring me right into the villages."
Quote:
|
Leonard said she became hooked after watching Blood Sisters, about a bad sister trying to destroy the good sister's life.
|
Dreaming is half the getting there 
Bubbels Champion!
Linear Mode
