SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION PAN-ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
SMC brief
June 2013
An In house publication of the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University
I
still remember, as though it were yesterday, a visit to the cinema that I, a gawky teenager, was treated to back then in Benin City. It was quite an experience to step into the rich interior of the then newly opened Saidi Centre and sink into one of the plush, red upholstered seats. There was a hushed air of expectancy as we waited for the lights to go out and the screen to light up. It was rather magical. Unfortunately, there were not too many opportunities to engage in that brand of magic. The economic depression and its consequent realities led to the crash of the cinemas, and cinema halls were, in the main, turned to other uses. But things have now come full circle, and there is renewed interest in the establishment of cinemas. This is the good news contained in our lead story, which features a report on the June edition of the Filmmakers’ Forum of the GTBank Nollywood Studies Centre. The MD/CEO of The Filmhouse, Mr. Kene Mkparu, was the guest on that occasion and spoke positively about the future of cinemas in the country. He had words of advice for the filmmakers as to how they could make the best use of the opportunities inherent in the renewed growth of cinemas. This edition also carries the interesting report on the 'Distilling the Freedom of Information Act for Public Understanding and Participation' workshop. The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, who spoke during the workshop, defined the freedom of information as a human right. I hope you enjoy the issue. Ikechukwu Obiaya newsletter@smc.edu.ng
Mr. Kene Mkparu, MD/CEO The Filmhouse Ltd.
A Trip to the Nigerian Cinemas
T
he number of modern cinemas in Nigeria is expected to rise to 30 by 2014, with a total number of 135 screens. And by 2016, there will be 40 cinemas with 200 screens. These figures were given by Mr Kene Mkparu, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of The Filmhouse Limited, while speaking at the June edition of the Filmmakers' Forum of the GTBank Nollywood Studies Centre. Although Nigeria has a history of film exhibition that stretches as far back as the 1900s, the prevailing economic depression and the consequent insecurity of the 1980s and 1990s led to the demise of cinema culture. But there is now a renewed surge of interest in the cinemas as shown by the increasing numbers. And this is a positive development for filmmakers. Mr. Mkparu noted that Nigeria is grossly underserved by the number of screens currently available. And, although the projected numbers may not appear to be significant, given the size of the Nigerian populace, they are nevertheless an important sign of growth. T he numbers are also important for the Nigerian filmmaker since they point to the distribution
possibilities that exist. However, in order for the filmmakers to make the most of the opportunities that the cinemas provide, Mr. Mkparu stressed, they must reach an understanding of the way cinemas function. He acknowledged the various c o m p l a i n t s f r o m f i l m m a ke r s , particularly in the last two years, who say that they have been poorly treated by the cinema owners. They have complained about having had problems with one or the other cinema, about the fact their money was not remitted to them in time or that they did not receive as much money as they expected for their film from the cinema. Such complaints, the Filmhouse MD implied, could largely be traced to a poor understanding of the workings of the cinema. Among other things, Mr. Mkparu emphasised the need for filmmakers to work with theatrical distributors. Such distributors are in a better position not only to monitor the progress of a film in the cinema but also to oversee the collection and sharing of revenue. In addition to this, the distributor has a better knowledge of the good cinemas as well as the best play dates for releasing one's films.