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{{short description|Nigerian film industry}}{{About|the colloquial term for Nigerian cinema|further information on the Nigerian film industry|Cinema of Nigeria|other uses}}{{Use Nigerian English|date=September 2022}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}{{Culture of Nigeria}}Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry.WEB,weblink Facts About Nigerian Movies and History, Total Facts about Nigeria, 22 October 2014, The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject of several controversies.

Etymology

The origin of the term "Nollywood" remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema. Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times.WEB, Igwe, Charles, British Council, 6 November 2015, How Nollywood became the second largest film industry,weblink BritichCouncil.com, NEWS, Onishi, Norimitsu, 16 September 2002, Step Aside, L.A. and Bombay, for Nollywood, New York Times,weblink The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words "Nigeria" and "Hollywood", the American major film hub.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110326105136weblink">weblink dead, 26 March 2011, History of Nollywood, Nificon, 15 October 2014, WEB, Ayengho, Alex, 23 June 2012, INSIDE NOLLYWOOD: What is Nollywood?,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210224104543weblink">weblink 24 February 2021, 18 February 2015, E24-7 Magazine, NovoMag, WEB,weblink "Nollywood": What's in a Name?, Nigeria Village Square, 3 July 2005, 20 February 2015, 10 March 2021,weblink dead, WEB, Apara, Seun, 22 September 2013, Nollywood at 20: Half Baked Idea,weblink 20 February 2015, 360Nobs.com, Definition of which films are considered Nollywood has always been a subject of debate. Alex Eyengho defined Nollywood as "the totality of activities taking place in the Nigerian film industry, be it in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Itsekiri, Edo, Efik, Ijaw, Urhobo, Ibibio, Annang or any other of the over 300 Nigerian languages". He further stated that "the historical trajectory of Nollywood started since the pre and post independent Nigeria, with the theatrical (stage) and cinematic (celluloid) efforts of the likes of Chief Hubert Ogunde, Chief Amata, Baba Sala, Ade Love, Eddie Ugbomah and a few others".Over the years the term Nollywood has also been used to refer to other affiliate film industries, such as the Ghanaian English-language cinema, whose films are usually co-produced with Nigeria and/or distributed by Nigerian companies. The term has also been used for Nigerian/African diaspora films considered to be affiliated with Nigeria or made specifically to capture the Nigerian audience.WEB, Onikeku, Qudus, Nollywood: The Influence of the Nigerian Movie Industry on African Culture,weblink 12 February 2015, Academia, WEB, Onuzulike, Uchenna, 2007, Nollywood: The Influence of the Nigerian Movie Industry on African Culture,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140131115725weblink">weblink 31 January 2014, 12 February 2014, Nollywood Journal, There is no clear definition on how "Nigerian" a film has to be in order to be referred to as Nollywood.Some stakeholders have constantly expressed their disagreement over the term; giving reasons such as the fact that the term was coined by a foreigner, as such being another form of imperialism. It has also been argued that the term is an imitation of what was already in existence (Hollywood) rather than an identity in itself that is original and uniquely African.

Sub-industries

Nigerian cinema

{{Expand section|the other regional (Igbo, etc) film industries and the general English-language cinema |date=August 2015}}Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking from most of the regional industries. {{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}Although the Igbo language film Living in Bondage by Kenneth Nnebue was the first massive nationwide hit of the videotape era,{{Citation | last = Onishi | first = Norimitsu | title = Step Aside, L.A. and Bombay, for Nollywood| newspaper = The New York Times | date = 16 September 2002 | url =weblink

Patience Ozokwor (Mama G), Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme (Aki and Pawpaw), Nkem Owoh (Osuofia), John Okafor (Mr. Ibu) who are ethnically Igbo people>Igbo, but have mostly acted in English language movies. These actors occasionally sprinkle their movies with Igbo aphorisms and expressions (e.g. 'Chineke!', 'Tufiakwa!') but the vast majority of the dialogue is in English.The Yoruba-language{{clarify|date=February 2024}} cinema is one of the most impactful movie genres of Nigerian cinema, with most of its producers and actors based in the Western region of Nigeria. The movie genre began in Yorubaland specifically Lagos. The Yoruba-language cinema began as actors of various Yoruba traveling theatre groups began to take their works beyond the stage to delve into movie production using the Celluloid format, as far back as the mid-1960s. These practitioners are considered in some quarters to be the first true Nigerian filmmakers.WEB, Yoruba Movies {{!, Yoruba Films |url=http://yorubamovies.com.ng/ |access-date=17 July 2017 |website=Yoruba Movies |language=en-US}} Movies like Kongi's Harvest (1972), Bull Frog in The Sun (1971), Bisi, Daughter of The River (1977), Jaiyesimi (1980), and Cry Freedom (1981) fall into this era of a blossoming Yoruba movie industry. Practitioners like Ola Balogun, Duro Ladipo and Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade Love) played a significant role when they came out with "Ajani Ogun" in 1976. This film was one of the few huge success that helped put the Yoruba-language cinema on the map, and it was followed by other productions by Hubert Ogunde and others. One of the first blockbusters from Nigeria, came from the Yoruba language industry; a notable example is Mosebolatan (1985) by Moses Olaiya which grossed ₦107,000 (approx. 2015 ₦44.2 million) in five days of its release. The modern film industry started with films such as, The Narrow Part, which was also titled The White Handkerchief by Tunde Kelani. The stories were adapted from Bayo Adebowale's book The Virgin.The Hausa-language cinema, also known informally as Kannywood, is also a sub-industry of Nollywood, mainly based in Kano. The cinema, which is the largest in Northern Nigeria, slowly evolved from the productions of RTV Kaduna and Radio Kaduna in the 1960s. Veterans like Dalhatu Bawa and Kasimu Yero pioneered drama productions that became popular with the Northern audience. The 1990s saw a dramatic change in the Northern Nigerian cinema, eager to attract more Hausa audience who find Bollywood movies more attractive, Kannywood; a cinematic synthesis of Indian and Hausa culture evolved and became extremely popular. Turmin Danya ("The Draw"), 1990, is usually cited as the first commercially successful Kannywood film. It was quickly followed by others like Gimbiya Fatima and Kiyarda Da Ni.WEB, Sheme, Ibrahim, Bahaushe Mai Ban Haushi,weblink 8 February 2015, Ibrahimsheme.blogspot.com, Sunusi Shehu of Tauraruwa Magazine created the term "Kannywood" in 1999 and it soon became the popular reference term for the industry. By 2012, over 2000 film companies were registered with the Kano State Filmmakers Association.JOURNAL, Gana, Babagana M., 1 June 2012, Hausa-English code-switching in Kanywood Films., International Journal of Linguistics,weblink dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20130216052959weblink">weblink 16 February 2013, The Efik-language cinema, also known as Callywood is also a sub-industry of Nollywood, mainly based in Calabar but also include the Ibibio and Annang cinema. The establishment of The Divine Shield Film Academy and Valianticom Movie Academy in Calabar; and the establishment of Empire Film Academy in Uyo and a campus of Royal Arts Academy in Uyo, the Efik/Ibibio/Annang cinema is heading into a bright future. Ghanaian English-language cinema Over the years the term Nollywood has also been used to refer to other affiliate film industries, such as the Ghanaian English-language cinema. Around the year 2006 through 2007, Nigerian filmmaker Frank Rajah Arase signed a contract with a Ghanaian production company, Venus Films, which involved helping to introduce Ghanaian actors into mainstream Nollywood. This collaboration eventually led to extreme popularity of certain Ghanaian actors, such as Van Vicker, Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel, Yvonne Nelson, John Dumelo, Nadia Buari and Yvonne Okoro, arguably as much as their Nigerian counterparts. Furthermore, over the years, due to the high cost of film production in Nigeria, Nigerian filmmakers have been forced to make films outside Lagos in order to cut costs, mirroring the exodus of filmmaking in Hollywood from Los Angeles to cities like Toronto and Albuquerque, a phenomenon known as runaway production. Several other producers, as a result, started shooting in cities like Accra, Ghana, channeling the savings into investing in better equipment, many of them trying to get their films onto the big screen.NEWS,weblink Nollywood: Lights, camera, Africa, The Economist, 16 December 2010, 20 February 2015, Nollywood USA {{Expand section|date=August 2017}}Nollywood USA is a broad term, that is used to refer to Nigerian films made in the diaspora. Although they are popularly called Nollywood USA, these movies can be shot in any non-African country. These films are typically made by Nigerian filmmakers living in the diaspora and they are typically made for the Nigerian audience.WEB,weblink Nollywood Producers Guild USA Kick off Film Production With Arrival of Annie Macaulay Idibia, WEB, 8 June 2013, Nollywood USA emerging,weblink Like the "Nollywood" term, the definition of "Nollywood USA" is vague.Nollywood USA movies typically tell Nigerian stories, and they usually star established Nollywood actors, alongside upcoming Nigerian/African actors living in the diaspora.NEWS, Brown, DeNeen, 23 May 2013, Nollywood USA: African Movie Makers Expand Filming to D.C. Area,weblink The Washington Post, WEB,weblink Stolen, a Nollywood-USA movie by Robert Peters,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120704204500weblink">weblink 4 July 2012, dead, The movies usually have their premieres in Nigeria and they also sometimes secure national theatrical release like the regular Nollywood movies.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}} Nollywood at 20 controversy In 2012, it was announced that Nollywood would be celebrating its 20-year anniversary. This year marked the 20th year after the release of direct-to-video movie Living in Bondage (1992), which arguably marked the boom in the video film era. The anniversary was eventually celebrated in June 2013.WEB, Husseini, Shaibu, A YEAR OF MIXED FORTUNES FOR NOLLYWOOD,weblink dead,weblink 6 September 2021, 9 July 2014, Ehizoya Films, Ehizoya Golden Entertainment, WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140127064630weblink">weblink dead, 27 January 2014, Group Wants 'Nollywood' Renamed to 'Naiwood', yabaleftonline.com, 31 December 2013, 17 February 2015, Olamide, The event was later revealed to be a decision of a segment of the industry and not a unanimously agreed event; the event was organized by Association of Movie Producers (AMP), an association consisting of producers of video films. Since announcement of the "Nollywood @ 20" event in 2012 until its celebration in 2013, the event had sparked controversies from many stakeholders; most of whom believed the industry was much older than 20 years. Since Nollywood has been a term for the entire Nigerian film industry, it was argued that Living in Bondage cannot be used to celebrate the Nigerian film industry, stating that the film wasn't, in fact, the first Nigerian video film, neither was it the first "successful" video film,WEB, Ekeanyanwu, Nnamdi Tobechukwu, Nollywood, New Communication Technologies and Indigenous Cultures in a Globalized World: The NigerianDilemma,weblink 20 February 2015, Covenant University, Department of Mass Communication, College of Human Development, {{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} much less the first Nigerian film.WEB, Angelo, Mike, 30 November 2013, Nollywood At 20: Organisers' Flaws… Top Names Erased From Award List,weblink 20 February 2015, This controversial celebration also gave rise to reports that another segment of the industry, the "Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP)" are planning to rename the industry into another term which would encompass the entire history of Nigerian film industry, since the term Nollywood has allegedly become ethnically dichotomized.WEB,weblink Why 'Nollywood' Has to be Renamed to 'Naiwood', Information Nigeria, 1 January 2014, 11 March 2015, Tolu, While it was argued by supporters of the event that it was the "Nollywood brand" that was being celebrated and not the industry, counter-arguments were made that the term "Nollywood" came into existence only in the 2000s, so explanations were needed on how the "Nollywood Brand" could be extended to the year 1992 which isn't specifically significant in any way, and why not just to the very first Nigerian film that was made.WEB, Bada, Gbenga, Hon. Rotimi Makinde sparks off controversy over Nollywood @ 20 celebrations,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140101081220weblink">weblink 1 January 2014, 17 February 2015, MOMO, Movie Moments, WEB, McCain, Carmen, 30 July 2011, NOLLYWOOD AND ITS TERMINOLOGY MIGRAINES,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150906035110weblink">weblink 6 September 2015, 20 February 2015, NigeriaFilms.com, WEB,weblink Nollywood New releases in 2021, Alex Eyengho had noted in a 2012 article that the term "Nollywood" was absent during the formative years of both the video film era and the Golden Age. Seun Apara, in his article on 360Nobs.com stated: "It's either the promoters of the event didn't do their research well or intentionally do not want to reckon with history". Adegboyega Oyeniya comments: "I don't know what they are talking about by celebrating 'Nollywood @ 20'; are they celebrating Ramsey Tokunbo Nouah or Genevieve Nnaji? Probably, they are celebrating fortune. These people should stop deceiving Nigerians".WEB, Oyeniya, Adegboyega, 8 November 2013, Nollywood at 20?,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131108042346weblink">weblink 8 November 2013, 20 February 2015, The Punch Newspaper, The Punch NG, Some media outlets also reported that the event was a result of greed and selfish interests, as the organizers visited political figures to solicit funds in the name of the Industry, but allegedly shared the funds raised amongst themselves. Another issue raised to fault the event is that the real "achievers" in Nollywood were not honoured, but rather the practitioners at almost the same level with the organizers of the supposed flawed event were honoured.Several filmmakers and stakeholders expressed their displeasure with the supposed false celebration; Kunle Afolayan commented: "The whole idea of Nollywood at 20 does not make sense to me because the Nollywood that I know is more than 20 years. I remember my father shot a film about 37 years ago and I also grew up in the industry. As far as (I) am concerned, it's absolute crap". In another interview, he stated: "If Nollywood is the name that people decide to call the movie industry in Nigeria, then I am part of it. If Nollywood is what they say is 20 years, then I am not part of that Nollywood because I have been doing film business for more than 30 years now".WEB,weblink Nigeria: October 1 Will Open New Chapter in My Life - Kunle Afolayan, allAfrica.com, 9 August 2014, 15 October 2014, Jide Kosoko also commented: "The Nigerian movie industry as far as I'm concerned is not 20 years. If we all truly belong to the same industry, then the industry I belong to is not 20 years. There is a need to tell the world the sincere story of our industry and don't rubbish the pioneers. As far as I am concerned, what they are celebrating is Living in Bondage and not Nollywood". Tunde Kelani stated: "how will Nollywood be celebrating 20 years and I am over 40 years in the industry?".President of Actors Guild of Nigeria at the time, Ibinabo Fiberesima, admitted that Nollywood is more than 20, but gave what was considered an unconvincing statement on the reason behind the event, stating: "It's about celebrating our own even though Nollywood is more than 20 years. It's been long that people have been celebrating us but right now, we are celebrating ourselves and giving lots back to the society. It's a good step we have taken especially now that the qualities of our movies have improved". See also Media in Nigeria Cinema of Africa Cinema of Egypt References {{Reflist|2}} External links {{Wiktionary|Nollywood}}{{commons category|Nollywood}} Nollywood : Nigeria's Prolific Film Industry : The Hollywood of Africa The Tragic Rise of Nollywood Documentary {{Scholia|topic}}{{Nigeria topics}}