ACTORS GUILD OF NIGERIA (AGN) MEETS SAG IN LOS ANGELES

 In its avowed commitment to youth development and upliftment of the entertainment industry in Nigeria, THE IFEANYI UBAH FOUNDATION, recently sponsored 10 members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, to Los Angeles, USA to meet with the Screen Actors Guild of America, SAG.

The star studded delegation was led by the National President of AGN, Mr. Segun Arinze, other members of the entourage include the National Secretary, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Bob Manuel-Udokwu, Kingsley Ogbonna(Dauda), Ejiro Okurame, Uchenna Nnanna, Obi Osotuleand renowned film maker, Kingsley Ogoro.

The delegation was received in Los Angeles by the President of Screen Actors Guild, SAG, Prof. Ken Howard,Members of the Executive Council and members of the Board. In his welcome address, Prof. Howard tagged the visit as Nollywood Meets Hollywoodand revealed that it was the first time ever that SAG would be meeting any Guild/Association involved in film production from Africa.

Salient issues bothering on the development of the Nigerianfilm industry, aka, Nollywood were discussed especially training and re training of actors in particular and practitioners in general.

Series of meetings were held with both the Executives and Special Committees of SAG on the need for co operation and partnership in the following areas;

Setting up the AGN Foundation

Provide Template of Standard Contract for members as approved by the International Federation of Actors, FIA

Organize Regular training for AGN members

Provide template for the AGN Screen Actors Awards

Involve AGN in all of their major developmental projects

Commence the process of twining Arrangement under FIA

Both Guilds also agreed to protect the rights and welfare of members working within their territories and to equally curb the menace of mediocre and charlatans in the industry.

Henceforth no Nigerian Actor can work in the USA without proper clearance from AGN and also no American Actor can work in Nigeria without proper clearance from SAG.

The AGN delegation also visited the famous Universal Studios where they met with the top management of the production company. During the meeting, AGN President invited them to come to Nigeria as the country is virile for film productions especially with our beautiful locations, rich cultural heritage and God given talents. He informed them of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’sinterest to develop the entertainment industry and the Administration has provided the enabling environment for Foreign Investors especially in the motion picture industry which he holds close to his chest. Mr. Arinze talked about the $200 million intervention fund provided for the entertainment industry by the Nigerian President as a clear demonstration of his love and interest to develop the industry. He assured them that Nigeria is safe and a haven for film productions.

The management of Universal Studio said they were glad to receive the AGNdelegation and declared that Nigeria is the new frontier in film production and as famous filmmakers; Nigeria is certainly their next destination. They concluded that they have made a feasibility studies on making films in Nigeria.

The AGN team were treated to a star studded Hollywood traditional Luncheon by their counterpart before departing to Nigeria. The trip was also supported by SIFAX GROUP.

The Board of Trustees, National Executive Council, NEC and the entire members of ActorsGuild of Nigeria, AGN, wish to sincerely thank the Chairman and Management of IFEANYI UBAH FOUNDATION, for the Sponsorship and also the Management of SIFAX GROUP for their support.

-Abubakar S. Yakubu
National P.R.O Actors Guild of Nigeria

FAJ-A PHILOSOPHER-KING, AHEAD OF HIS TIME, AND HIS WORKS

-DELE MOMODU
Very blunt and frontal, though some will describe him as brutally confrontational,Femi Akintunde-Johnson, whom we all love to call FAJ is one man who is passionate about his craft.
He is rarely caught sitting on the fence on issues and each time he writes, his is deep and incisive. It is this writing style that makes him cut that figure of a bully. In any case, he had to be, because we are in a country where we love to take things for granted. He became the godfather, and the bible of entertainment. You would have thought he was already in his fifties at that time. As tall as he is, his pen was taller and mightier.
FAJ was incorruptible. He was addicted to his work, this thankless job that has become our religion. Please forgive my blasphemy. His principle was that of no friend nor foe. No story was too intimidating for FAJ to write. Many times, friends begged me to beg FAJ. Let me confess that I did not have the influence to deliver the message. I knew his ready-made answer. ‘Bob Do, you know you are too much of a politician and have too much friends, if we spare all your friends, there will be no paper to publish’. I admired his guts. He was a philosopher king, ahead of his time, and his art.
Reading his masterpieces, you could easily see that FAJ had an impeccable pedigree. He was a scholar in journalism. He should have been teaching Mass Communications, Theatre Arts, Music, English Language, Literature, and so on. He would have excelled in all.
If this was a serious society, FAJ would have been banished to Harvard, Oxford orCambridge Universities as a researcher into our fading arts. Or he would have been in New York’s Broadway checking out plays, music and movies. He would’ve been inducted into the Academy of Arts in any part of the world. But here we hustle between our art and our trade, or better put our daily bread. In the process only two things suffer: Our Art and Our family.
It is within this order that FAJ had endured all tribulations; to stick to his art. He himself may not be as visible as before but FAJ has remained committed to his lifetime passion. This book, I have been asked to present is an eloquent testimony to the triumph of mind over matter.
Aptly titled, FOOTPRINTS, Interventions in Nigerian Entertainment, it is a potpourri of powerful reportage, as well as a cadaverous analyses of Nigerian arts and entertainment. In this collection of essays by FAJ, the reader is taken down memory lane and on a tour de force of creativity at its best. The time span is long. It covers many generations of our arts and artists. But mainly the era before the explosion of hip-hop. He still finds space for the new wizkids of music though.
I know there is so much more from this master chronicler, the consummate artist, the quintessential teacher, the avuncular critic, the stupendously talented prose stylist and above all, a man of God. This book is a compendium of reference materials and a must-read for all lovers of great music and spectacular performance.
I thank FAJ for this honour, and I thank his ‘number one’, his wife, Ire, for standing by him through thick and thin. In FAJ we see the promise of a great future of Nigerian intellectuals. The best we can do is to give him a standing Ovation for his gallant effort and help to spread this book all over the world.



-culled from NET