Tomoloju Leads The Stampede On Film Appreciation At BoBTV

(CULLED FROM ARTSVILLE, BY TOYIN AKINOSHO IN THE GUARDIAN SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2008)

Ben Tomoloju, the creator of the modern newspaper arts segment in Nigeria , will lead the discussion at the 74th quarterly art stampede, dedicated to the cinematic arts, on March 11, in Abuja . The stampede is essentially the colloquium at the Best of the Best TV and Films (BoBTV) Festival, taking place in the Federal capital from March 9-13. Tomoloju will deliver an address on: “Packaging African Cinema for a Global Market", with a particular focus on the rapidly increasing influence of Nollywood around the world. The doyen of Nigerian culture journalism will look at how African homegrown films have featured in the marketplace, and contrast this general reception with Nollywood’s influence on its audience. Critics have argued that whereas Nollywood has worked magic on audiences in Africa , and the African diaspora, the response by others have been limited to scholarly appreciation. There are scholars in America and Europe queueing to do rigorous research into how an informal production millieu has grabbed the imagination of an entire continent, but are Indians, Americans, Englishmen, Germans rooting for Nollywood as Kenyans, South Africans, Congolese and Ugandans do? Mr Tomoloju would be joined on a panel discussion by some of the leading lights of the Nigerian cinema scene, as well as keen observers of the industry. The discussion will take place at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Abuja from 11:00 am - 3.00pm prompt. It would be the first time the art stampede, an award winning discursive forum, will be taking place in Abuja . In all its 17 year history, the stampede has only happened twice outside Lagos ; once in Ibadan in March 1996 and in CapeTown in June 2006.