Film Industry: Tunde Kelani building a worthy legacy for the younger generation
Veteran Nollywood producer, Mr. Tunde Kelani, has been described as building a worthy legacy for the younger generation. This was contained in the keynote address delivered by Mr. Femi Odugbemi at the graduation ceremony of Mainframe Film and Media Institute established and funded by Tunde Kelani in Abeokuta on Friday July 8, 2016.
Notable personalities including Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Former National Team Captain – Segun Odegbami, Nollywood Producer Kunle Afolayan, CEO of BlueOcean and Member of MFMI Advisory Board – Mr. Segun Adaju, Dipo Famakinwa, Member of MFMI Advisory Board – Mr. Tunde Adeniji, BNI Nigeria National Director – Chimaobi Agwu and Seye Oyeleye graced the occasion held at the Community Hall, Olomore, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Mr. Odugbemi who delivered the keynote address said that “film making is an artistic endeavor that seeks to influence the minds of the audience and causes society to reflect on its values. It is cultural and without culture film making will lose its relevance”. History, he said will remember Tunde Kelani ‘as a deeply committed advocate of cultural relevance’.
“Systematic film education is critical to sustenance of the film industry in Nigeria. The ugly fact is that we have more practitioners driven by pecuniary interests instead of skills”, Mr. Odugbemi added. He illustrated this with the case of erecting an edifice by quacks as against doing same by trained professionals. Concluding he said that professional education is not something we should take for granted instead we should begin by creating the right curriculum incorporating global template for film making and training of a technically adept crew.
In his remarks, Professor Wole Soyinka showered appreciation on Tunde Kelani for his consistency in the film industry and for citing the Mainframe Film and Media Institute (MFMI) in Abeokuta and not Lagos. He recalled a situation in the past when Nigeria sought film training collaboration with institutions in Brazil but the Brazilian government and institutions watered down the quality of those to be sent to Nigerian and this was subsequently rejected. Now with Mainframe Film and Media Institute such insults from foreign countries and organizations cannot repeat itself.
In his remarks, Mr. Tunde Kelani, the institute’s Proprietor said that while Nollywood has received lots of accolades for its achievement, we should be humble about that because the industry still lacks the technology, tools and institutions to go the full hub as in other countries. He drew comparisons with other countries whereas in Nigerian there are just 24 screens, the USA has over 40,000, Indian over 19,000 and China over 24,000. He regretted that fact that to date there is no single dedicated building to the film industry in Nigeria and thus Nollywood and the film industry are like orphans and still have a long way to go.
At the graduation ceremony 14 pioneering students of the Mainframe Film and Media Institute (MFMI) who successfully completed the intensive eight weeks course on Film School Basic (FSB) program on film making received their certificates. Before then, the students treated the audience to two shorts films they produced during their training.
The students got to know that film making is a collaborative art which involves various professionals. They received the theory and hands-on practical training in the different aspects of film making under the wings of seasoned working industry professionals. They also had various interactions with many visiting notable practitioners in diverse fields.
The graduates made up of 12 males and two females were Oyesiku Mobolaji, Soyiga Olu-Ogunlana, Lawrence Adeyemi, Olawoyin Rotimi, Olurunyomi Adeleye, Olumuyiwa Ademola, Somide Damilola, Yeye-Irojah Oluwatobi, Jimoh Samsideen, Olatunji Samuel, Akhile Tolani, Adetayo Bamidele and the two females namely, Ademola Ayomide and Soyomi Olufunmilayo.
Mainframe Film and Media Institute was established earlier this year by Mr. Tunde Kelani as part of his giving back to society, contributing to the growth and sustenance of Nigeria’s film industry and as a way of empowering the younger generation for a better Nollywood. Tunde Kelani has produced numerous epic films and is regarded as among the very best film makers to come out of Africa.
