CALLING ALL ASPIRING ACTORS AND ACTRESSES!! EMMABLINKS PRODUCTION WANTS YOU!!

Brought to you by: Emmanuel Nwachukwu president of EmmaBlink Production

Introducing Emmablinks Production! A film company based in Nigeria.

Do you aspire to become a Nollywood star Actor or Actress? This is the opportunity you've been waiting for! Emmablinks Production is looking for actors and actresses of all ages for their upcoming movie projects.

Finally, an opportunity to see your dreams come true! Do not hesitate, call now to see how you can be a part of their current film production.

For more info call: 07035303637 or 08186175392

Email: Emmablinksprodution @ gmail.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/emmablinkspage

Twitter: @Emmablinks

By: Unknown On 19.49

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DO NOT MISS "THE GREAT GATSBY"! MINGLE WITH YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE!!

You are invited to the "The Great Gatsby”, an elegant event put together by AfriPRO Houston, in partnership with the U.S. Bilateral African Chamber of Commerce. This roaring 20’s party recreates the mood of that era, and will feature music, dancing and a few other surprises. Mingle with young professionals with a passion for humanitarian causes.

There will also be a benefit for “Slum2School”, a nonprofit organization that sends slum children in Nigeria to school. The benefit will also help raise awareness for “Hannah’s House”, an international ministry that advocates for women and children’s health, education, and community development.

Guests are inquired to bring school supplies and toiletries to donate to the benefit.

DATE| Wednesday, Nov. 20th, 2013 at 4 p.m.

LOCATION:
The Sam Houston Hotel
1117 Prairie St.
Houston, TX 77002

WEBSITE| http://www.afriprohouston.org/

PHONE| 832-452-7784

TICKET INFO| $30

Facebook| https://www.facebook.com/afriprohouston

Twitter| https://twitter.com/AfriPRO_Houston

By: Unknown On 06.30

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SEE INFOGRAPHS!! TOP 5 REASONS WHY NOLLYWOOD SHOULD USE SOCIAL MEDIA?!!

An Electrifying New Story!

SEE INFOGRAPHS BELOW.

For the first time in history, Nollywood fans now have the ability to be a part of film projects from start to finish within the comfort of their homes. Our day to day life proves that social media is the tool that keeps us connected all over the world.

Almost everyone who uses the internet does some type of social media marketing online. Every time you update your status on Facebook or Twitter, you are indirectly promoting that thing you are talking about. Big companies are beginning to take advantage of this same pattern; Socialmediatoday.com posted on one of their articles that “A new BIA/Kelsey report says that social media ad revenue will reach $11 billion by 2017.” Meaning marketing and advertising profits via the use of social media will reach $11 BILLION by the year 2017!

If nothing more is said, it is clear that there is money to be made on these social media platforms we play on every day.

The following are the Top 5 reasons why Nollywood should use social media to promote their films.

1. The ability to build an online presence:

Social media is one of the most influential tools vigorously spreading the Nollywood experience all over the world. Take Mercy Johnson for example, she is well known in Nigeria but social media is the gear taking her works and reputation all over the world. The same currently holds for the actress Tonto Dikeh. Every comment these celebrities make on Twitter and Facebook does one of two things; keep their current followers count the same, or add more to it. The more public and irrational their behaviors are, the more people tend to want to know them and follow them. At the end of the day, it is just a number's game.

Below is an infograph put together by “CloudTactix”, in the graph you will see that Facebook generates 73% more leads (new customers) for businesses than any other website.

2. The ability to easily expanding your fan base:

Facebook is one of the easiest and best websites to unite people for almost any cause. Filmmakers looking to expand its fan base should take a closer look at social media. With social media, filmmakers now have access to an unlimited number of people to market to. Moreover, tools like Hootsuites or Tweetdeck allow the ability to automatically update status on multiple social media platforms all at once. Most importantly, Social media allows a relaxed environment to narrow the search for new customers in a comfortable atmosphere.

In the Infograph put together by “Social Media Week Lagos”, you will see that 45 million Nigerians are actively using the internet and 54% of them are accessing Facebook via mobile phones. This information is very useful for anyone looking to market to Nigerians.

3. Solidify your Brand Name (Trademark):

There is power and respect behind a reputable brand name. Take Ramsey Nouah for example, everyone who watches films in Nigeria knows who he is. His name alone brings to the table his qualifications and his ability to deliver. Most people will pick his movie over anyone else’s because they already have a rough idea of what to expect with his persona on screen. Another good example is Van Vicker, in Europe, Van Vicker represents one of the finest products coming out of Ghana. His name carries a certain price behind it. Due to proper branding and representation, the right story is being told all over the world concerning these actors. Social media is one of the driving authorities spreading this buzz around.

In the Infograph below put together by "Web Presence", you will see that most companies take for granted the authority behind their social media presence and band name. “Only 26% of businesses regularly include a "call to action" in their tweets”.

4. Get more Ticket and DVD sales:

One of the biggest obstacles for African independent filmmakers is the ability to take control of product sales. Most of the time, Nollywood movies are made on a small budget, and marketing is usually not included in the original film budget. Promotions are usually done outside of the film budget at the filmmaker’s personal expense. However, to avoid these headaches, most filmmakers sell the rights to their movies to private film distributors. This act in turn severely limits the amount of profit the filmmaker is able to make. As a result, they typically end up only covering to original cost of production.

Those who go as far as building a website or a blog for their film projects have the upper hand in acquiring sales. In addition, one of the key factors for a functioning website is driving enough traffic to the site. The more new people see your site, the more familiar they become with your product. However, solely driving traffic to the website is not good enough. The underlining factor is that, traffic sent to the website must have the ability to be converted into leads, and then eventually into actual product sales; the answer to that unspoken question is Social Media. Social media is one of the cheapest, effective, and newest ways to draw targeted traffic to any given website. More so, there are several options to choose from. Options include websites like, Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ (GooglePlus), and Pinterest. All of these websites offer both free and paid marketing campaigns.

Below is an Infograph put together by “Intuit”. In the graph you will see a 12 month plan on how to put your product in the presence of the right people. With patience and proper use of this tool, filmmakers now have the ability to take control of product sales.

5. Getting support :

The key element in film making, is the ability to acquire enough funds to begin and complete a film project. The good news is, the African film industry is shifting for the better and it is now mandatory for filmmakers to acquire the best film equipment and film crew when possible. It is obvious that films coming out of Nigeria these days are not only made for Nigerians. There are Nollywood fans all over the world. The bad news is, "Na money kill am!" (there is never enough funds). Furthermore, Nollywood artists are now heading abroad to feature in films, therefore enabling competition in compensation. These new factors although mostly new to the industry, require adequate funds to accomplish.

With social media, filmmakers have the opportunity to acquire individuals with a passion for the industry. Many times money may not be the issue; it may be the need for man-power, equipment or location. Through social media, one is able to find accredited individuals hungry, willing, and happily to fill these positions free of charge, in exchange for proper accreditation and being a part of the film project.

Below is a graph put together by Bentz Whaley Flessner, the graph shows how the acquisition of investor online is better than any other form. The graph shows that an average donor will give away $200 in their lifetime.

Blow is an extremely short survey. From the list of social media websites included in the survey, which one do you like the most?!

Don't worry, the following survey is confidential. **

No one (including "Nollywood Spotlight") will be able to see your personal information.

ALTHOUGH REPRESENTATIVES FOR THESE SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES WILL SEE THIS SURVEY, THEY STILL CAN NOT SEE THE NAME, PICTURE, OR INFORMATION OF THE PERSON WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS SURVEY.

HAVE FUN!!

Public OpinionPoll Results

******************************************************

This blog post is sponsored by : HOOTSUITE

Sign up for a Free 30 Day Trial of HootSuite Pro.

By: Unknown On 07.30

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BREAKING NEWS! MERCY JOHNSON MAY NEVER ACT AGAIN?!

An Electrifying New Story:

Mercy Johnson

Right alongside the Kim Kardashians’ and the Beyoncés’ of Hollywood, Mercy Johnson joins the Nollywood baby boom. Mrs. Okojie’s baby is now 1 month old! M.J. opens up to fans on twitter about her fulfillment as a mother but mentions nothing about her getting back to work any time soon.

Mercy Johnson and baby Purity Okojie

“I have given my life to him, nothing matters to me but him and our child, even if I take my last breath at his feet then I am fulfilled” Mercy Johnson on Bella Naija

Purity Okojie

Nollywood critics are beginning to worry that they may never see Mercy Johnson on screen again. History of marriage in Nollywood proves that husbands who marry Nollywood A-Listers end up divorcing their wives to keep away prying eyes. This leaves one to believe that if the cause of Mercy’s prior enthusiastic pursuit in the film industry was to make money, then we really may never see her in new film productions again?!

Mercy Johnson and Hubby Prince Okojie

It is in the open and the world can see it, Prince Odianosen Okojie is taking good care of his wife and child both physically and financially. So the question to you is this: When the time comes for her to decide, Should Mercy Johnson permanently quit her lifelong dream career to save her marriage?

Public OpinionPoll Results

** Don't worry, this survey is confidential. **

No one, including myself, will be able to see your personal information.

ALTHOUGH THIS ACTRESS AND HER HUSBAND MAY SEE THIS SURVEY, THEY STILL CAN NOT SEE THE NAME, PICTURE, OR INFORMATION OF THE PERSON WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS SURVEY.

SO! BE HONEST, HAVE FUN, AND DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT.

By: Unknown On 07.30

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#BREAKING #NEWS! #Tonto #Dikeh -Itz Ova : My new music track! LISTEN NOW!

Tonto Dikeh Ft. Snypa

By: Unknown On 22.43

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PLEASE RESPOND #IMMEDIATELY! BMR #Film Critic Wanted!

Dorothy Atieno Juma

Time is running out! Contestants are eliminated daily! Vote for your African Country or vote for the most beautiful contestant! CLICK HERE to visit BHF Magazine Africa right now and vote for her! Also visit Rebeccah Monyei's Facebook page for latest information on the competition and African Entertainment News!

By: Unknown On 07.30

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GOOD NEWS! #John #Dumelo is on the New BMR!

John Dumelo

BMR (BHF Movie Review) is the NEW platform for QUALITY African Films. Get FREE up-to-date information on the hottest African movies. Visit BHF Magazine Africa on Facebook and Rebeccah Monyei's Facebook page for daily updates! 

By: Unknown On 09.40

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Hypocrites in the Nigerian Movie Industry ( #Nollywood ) - Part One

“Secret Past” London Premiere: For Information and Tickets call 0795-645-9258 or 0742-702-0983 or 0787-820-2481

Click here for Information and Ticket for the “Golden Icons Movie Awards” (GIAMA) in Houston, Texas .

Click here for Latest on entertainment news and auditions .

Follow Rebeccah Monyei on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus!

Click here to follow me on Twitter . 

Click here to add me on Facebook . 

Click here to put me in circle on Google Plus . 

Click here for more information on how to Support the U.S president and help re-elect Barack Obama .

Rebeccah Monyei

By: Unknown On 20.13

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I will be ON-AIR #LIVE on #SPREAKER WEB RADIO!

Rebeccah Monyei will be ON-AIR Live on SPREAKER WEB RADIO! On Monday September 24th 2012 . Don't miss it ! She will be talking about Nollywood Hippocrates! Enjoy music and entertaining conversation about Nollywood U.S.A! Click Here to follow the show: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the_nollywood_spotlight_show

By: Unknown On 19.19

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Rebeccah Monyei Posted: Stephanie Okereke Vs. Uche Jombo

Thank you so much for Tuning-in and Listening to the Show last week! I sincerley appreciate your support!


Due to unexpected technical issues the show has been moved from Thursday to Saturday (July 28th 2012).


The Title of the Show is : Uche Jombo Vs. Stephanie Okereke.


I am going to be comparing both their careers and charity involvements.


You guys are going to decide who wins the Nollywood Spotlight Award for this week by "Liking" their Facebook Fan Page! I will also call you out on-air like I did last week! So, whatever you say on their Fan pages will be said on the radio with your name! If you don't want me to embarrass you, be NICE!


Whichever candidate gets the most "Likes" by Saturday (July 28th 2012) Wins the competition!

Invite your friends and family to like Uche Jombo's page if you want her to win. Click Here to Like Uche!

Invite your friends and family to like Stephanie Okereke's page if you want her to win. Click Here to Like Stephanie!


LET THA GAMES BEGIN! GOOD LUCK LADIES! 

By: Unknown On 16.25

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Rebeccah Monyei Posted: Tonto Dikeh Vs. Mercy Johnson; Who wins?!

A quick 40min show about why and what people like about Tonto Dikeh and Mercy Johnson. I also talked about who people think should win the bet! I played some awesome dance music! Listen, Download, and Share! Thank you for Listening!





Click here to LISTEN, DOWNLOAD, and SHARE! Look forward to having you on the show.


** Want to be Tonto Dikeh’s Friend? ==> Like her Facebook Fan Page Here


** Want to be Mercy Johnson’s Friend? ==> Like her Facebook Fan Page Here


** Vote for Ugezu J. Ugezu for best Nollywood Director: ==> Click Here To Vote!


**Read it first! The juiciest Gossip?! ==> Click Here!


** Talk Ta Me! Let’s be friends on Facebook! ==> Click Here!

By: Unknown On 10.17

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Rebeccah Monyei Posted: Am on Spreaker Radio LIVE!!!

I am going to be On-Air LIVE in 30min! Click here to LISTEN, DOWNLOAD, and SHARE! Look forward to having you on the show.


Topic of Today’s show: Tonto Dikeh Vs. Mercy Johnson; Who won?!


** Want to be Tonto Dikeh’s Friend?  Like her Facebook Fan Page Here


** Want to be Mercy Johnson’s Friend?  Like her Facebook Fan Page Here


** Vote for Ugezu J. Ugezu for best Nollywood Director:  Click Here To Vote!


**Read it first! The juiciest Gossip?!  Click Here!


** Talk Ta Me! Let’s be friends on Facebook!  Click Here!

By: Unknown On 07.55

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Tonto Dikeh Posted: I must have more friends than Mercy Johnson!

Okay guys look, I love my colleagues and all, but I thought you guys love me. Check it out guys! 

Look at Mercy Johnson’s Facebook Fan page: Click Here for Mercy Johnson's Facebook Fan Page

Now, checkout mine: Click Here for Tonto Dikeh's Facebook Fan Page

Am sorry guys but you have got to tell your friends about my Facebook Fan Page because I have got to win this bet! 


Tonto Dikeh must have more Friends than Mercy Johnson! 


Beccy is going to talk about it on the radio on Thursday; you guys better not disappoint me oh!

<3 you guys! ^_^

By: Unknown On 20.45

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How to Be Professional

By: Unknown On 16.53

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For Natalie & Benjamin: A Swan-Themed Wedding.

By now you've probably heard the exciting news that Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millipeid, the Black Swan pair who've been our "crush of the moment" for too many moments now (see sidebar), are pregnant and engaged.

a photoshopped imagining of their wedding cake
top from The Film Experience.

There's no exact word on when either of the blessed events (baby & wedding) are to occur though hundreds of thousands of years of human history tell us that the genetically lucky baby, certain to possess both dark haired beauty and physical grace, is coming in 2011.

We immediately tweeted advocating for a swan-themed wedding. Which is an obvious joke but come on. Swan has to be a common theme for weddings anyway and the possibilities are endless. Here are some other great suggestions from friends @jigsawlounge, @joereid and @moviedork18 on twitter.

I told Joe Reid that Timothy Hutton (Beautiful Girls) has to share that duty with Jean Reno (The Professional) if we're going there. But we shouldn't go there. That said, it does cause the mind to wander into Natalie's large filmography for wedding ideas. I still haven't figured out a way to work Clive Owen (Closer) in. Moviedork's comment made me giggle because it reminded me that Black Swan isn't the first time Natalie has had doubles. Remember those Queen Amidala decoys in the Star Wars prequels?!

He's sleeping with Natalie Portman and you're not.
The future Mr. Natalie Portman, choreographer/dancer/actor Benjamin Millipeid.

 But we digress...

Congratulations to the happy couple.

What would you suggest for Natalie's wedding? How would you work her filmography into the nuptials?
*

By: Unknown On 11.25

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My Favorite Thing About "The Fighter" Is...

I saw The Fighter last week and didn't even deliver a "this is all the time I have" 7 word review. I have more than 7 words on this one though what follows is not a traditional review. The first thing I tweeted was...

It still applies. Yep, Christian Bale is doing his best work ever in the co-lead role of Dicky Eklund (Let's call it The Fighters) or at least his best since American Psycho (2000). Barring Geoffrey Rush's mutant power (awards magnetism) the "supporting" Oscar is most definitely Bale's to lose. And this is an important distinction: It'd be his to lose even without his baity penchant for putting his health at risk to dwindle down to anorexic nothingness for a role. This is his third time doing so. We hope it's the last.

A Tale of Two (Half) Brothers

But what's my favorite thing about The Fighters other than him?

I guess it'd be the way Melissa Leo (playing the mother to both fighters) and Christian Bale are always believably in sync as mother/son. They're practically twins with their darting hollow eyes, perpetually nervous body language and emotionally vampiric yet super vibrant energy. Would that more actors would co-author such compelling familial bonds while playing at "family". What's more, Bale and Leo have mastered the weird arms-length charisma of charming people who are simultaneously completely off-putting. Alice Ward and Dicky Eklund are the type of people you can't help but want to hang out with... but from a very safe distance, with plentiful escape routes.

Melissa Leo's on fire.

No, no. it's not that. That sympatico style is great but it's not my favorite thing about the movie.

Also worth loving is the everyman mundanity of Amy Adams and Mark Wahlberg, a somewhat perverse use of their combined star power. (Though they both have it, they're more recognizably "human" and thus smaller than giant film stars, here and elsewhere). Charlene (and Adams who plays her) and Micky (and Wahlberg who plays him) are constantly drowned out by the cacophony of Much Bigger Personalities surrounding them. It's hilarious how often they both just shut right down in the center of a scene with an 'I give up' pout. And they're the "Stars" for lack of a better word!

No, no.

The best element has to be the idiosyncratic humanity that director David O. Russell keeps breathing into the proceedings. By all rights, The Fighter ought to feel far more generic than it does; make no mistake, this is a "true story" inspirational sports biopic. Russell keeps finding ways to vary the tone, play with the moodswings (even perpetually "on" people like Alice & Dicky have quiet days) and have fun with the framing, which generously allows the orbiting cast members to contribute to the movie as well (the standout being Jack McGee as Alice's impressively sturdy husband George). Sports movie fans won't like the film quite as much, one suspects, since the boxing scenes are arguably the most generically executed part.

And then there's the subplot involving the making of the unflattering HBO documentary on Dicky "High on Crack Street" (1995). Dicky willfully deceives himself about it but the doc scenes gives the film tremendous tragicomic boost.

There's also a choice scene in which Micky & Charlene go to the movies and... well, I don't want to spoil it.

David O. Russell loves a rangey ensemble.

 Oh wait, I know.

My favorite thing is the clown car chorus of Dicky & Micky's trashy big haired sisters (John Waters will be green with envy). There are so many of them. They're the most abrasively comic gaggle of sisters since the perpetual assault of Adam Sandler's siblings in Punchdrunk Love.

Or. Well...

The best thing might be the way The Fighters manages to slide so easily into David O. Russell's undervalued filmography even though it's much less original than his other films. When some auteurs make stabs at mainstream genres or popular appeal they lose themselves. Such is not the case here. Russell is still in love with the juggling act of impossibly noisy mixes of disparate acting styles (Flirting With Disaster, I Heart Huckabees), he's still fond of Oedipal undercurrents (Spanking the Monkey, Flirting...), he can still turn a film on a dime from comedy to 'wait, that's not funny' disturbing (Three Kings, Huckabees)  and he's still just about the only director who Mark Wahlberg should ever work with (though, that said, "Micky Ward" has nothing on Wahlberg's Kings or Huckabees performances... the character's too much of a cypher this time.)

But no, it's not that. It's... NO. 

No. No. No. You have to stop somewhere.

Needless to say, The Fighter is incredibly watchable. It's a solid good time at the movies. More importantly, it's a total K.O. for fans of Bale, Leo and O. Russell. A-/B+

By: Unknown On 13.00

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TIFF: A Glimpse of Rabbit Hole Enthusiasm To Come?

Nicole Kidman and hubby hit Toronto for the film festival. I haven't seen more than one true review yet, but she wore Prada. Just Jared has pics from the premiere.

As for the review(s)? Well it's mostly tweets at this point though I expect more reviews to emerge soon. Let's start negative and get positive.

Negative

• @ioncinema "Belly flop for JCM. Wish entry point into story was at the 10month point. Wish final scene was extended by 90 mins."
• @matt_mazur "Rabbit Hole was really mediocre. Kidman was great but the rest uninspired. Let down"

Positive

• The Playlist "honest and powerful"
• Deadline NY "Nicole Kidman making a major artistic comeback"
• @PeterKnegt of IndieWire says 'Bad buzz be damned. Quietly haunting and very affecting. Very strong and naturalistic work from Nicole Kidman'
• @Scott_Tobias "B+) Movie about loss of a child, on no sleep and a week away from my own kid? No way this wasn't going to wreck me."
  
• @juanmgc "Powerful. Remarkable. Kudos to John Cameron Mitchell for pulling Kidman and Eckhart's best performance of both their careers."
  

Juan is the only tweeter among the positive voices that I wasn't really familiar with. But I never trust "career best" statements from anyone until I've seen the film in question. That's a common heat of the moment statement and with Kidman, that would basically position it as a best of the decade contender just as the decade has begun. But at any rate this is good news (so far) and we share @GuyLodge's feelings... "Very excited about early praise for Kidman: that "best of her generation" claim I've doggedly stuck to needs new foundations."

Finally, here's a tweet adressed to me from friend of TFE Katey Rich


There's also a strangely lengthy non-commital post at Awards Daily about why they haven't covered it much. The rest of what I've seen is various tweets with "quotes" around them as if more people have reviewed it than I can find. Curious. Perhaps my coffee isn't strong enough this morning or I have forgotten how to type words into search engines. Next!

A couple of clips hit the net too. In the best of these (thanks for the tip Kaye), we get a peak at the tense relationship between mom (Dianne Wiest) and daughter (Nicole Kidman) in a bowling alley...



There's also another clip about a grief support group in which I kept getting distracted by Aaron Eckhart's superhero chin. He really is a cartoon. In a good way, mind.
*

By: Unknown On 06.57

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