Nigerian director and producer, Ade Adepegba, speaking ahead of the new film festival, Nollywood Now–apparently the first entirely dedicated to the genre–that takes place in London from 6-12 October:
Nigerians are the largest group of Africans living in the UK, and the majority of them live in London … Nigerian films still hold their strongest appeal to first generation immigrants who feel a deep attachment to their homeland. So, at the moment nostalgia is the main reason for the appeal of Nollywood.
And Nollywood Now’s creative director, Phoenix Fry:
Ultimately, it’s the way the films are crafted, rather than their juicy content that gives them universal appeal … The storytelling is so good. Nigerian filmmakers really know how to entertain their audiences. They’ve studied the populist genres from other countries – Bollywood musicals, low-budget horror and Brazilian soap operas, for example – and reworked these to appeal to anyone with a love of drama.
The Guardian’s Film Blog.
I have read the source blog at the Guardian’s website and Ade Adepegba has been misquoted. Ade does talk about nostalgia but the comments about universal appeal and Bollywood musicals is actually attributed to Phoenix Fry, the Nolly wood Now festival’s creative director. The original blog is at this link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/sep/21/nollywood-nigerian-film-industry
Thanks. I corrected it. Somebody’s reading this blog.