SHARON OGUNLEYE'S SHOWREEL

NIGERIAN SCIENCE FICTION WRITER NNEDI OKORAFOR INSPIRES NEW GENERATION OF WRITERS

I was so excited, I could not wait. I had seen chatter on social media about this amazing lady blazing a trail for Africa in the world of science fiction books and it was one of those stories you just knew would make a story. You don't need to overthink it. What is needed at that point is how to cook it and I was so looking forward to it. I love writing. Always have. I loved writing poems especially. I even wrote poems for my best friend back in the day. And I keep them. Poems, letters..... They are my most prized treasures. So when I come across certain authors, I am instantly drawn to them especially one that involves talk of aliens coming to Nigeria. I reached out to Nnedi Okorafor, award winning Nigerian-American writer and she mentioned she would be at this year's Ake Arts and Books Festival in Abeokuta. That did it for me... distance was no barrier. Abeokuta is one of my favourite places. I was counting down to the day until I found out my sister was getting married same day and to top that, my daughter fell ill same week of the shoot. Bummer! My colleagues made it to the rocky city. Though I was not there, I felt like I was there. From dozens of kilometres away, I could feel the energy. And I was not disappointed.
Nnedi Okorafor desperate to see more diversity in the world of superheroes and considering that comics have always been interesting to her is taking her stories to a new audience this time with Marvel Comics, making it a new chapter for them as it is the first Marvel story to be set in a real-life African country. The character, Ngozi stems from the high-profile abduction of about 220 schoolgirls in Chibok in northeast Nigeria in 2014 by the militant group Boko Haram, and the comic's author hopes the teenage superhero will resonate with girls across the country. The author is set to write a three-issue storyline for Marvel’s Black Panther. One of Nnedi's books "Who fears Death" is also being adapted for a TV series by HBO. It took three years for it to culminate. She wrote the book cos of her father's passing so it is close to her heart.
At the festival, Nnedi Okorafor hosted writing and mentorship sessions on Afrofuturism and science fiction. Seeing the video edit two days after, I noticed her hair. Wow! I found it quite fascinating. She was an enigma to me. I did not meet her but I did meet her. She responded to mails, messages on Twitter and even called me when she got to Abeokuta. She expressed how much she was looking forward to the interview and I'm so grateful she made it easy for us.
Nnedi Okorafor, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants was raised in Illinois. She went to school in the states but spent vacations with family back in Nigeria. Her trips to Nigeria over the years inspired her to start writing science fiction books.
Her science fiction and fantasy novels reflect experiences of both Nigeria and the United States and often center around characters who are trying to figure how to make different aspects of their identities fit together. Nnedi has written over 12 novels that have the trends and themes she is obsessed with. She is interested in portraying strong female characters, showing their stories. For her, it is also important to show male characters as well. We cannot wait for the new and exciting opportunities that lies ahead for science fiction stories from Nigeria and Africa.

Pictures courtesy Angela Ukomadu

Nnedi Okorafor with Angela Ukomadu

Seun Sanni with Angela Ukomadu

Nnedi Okorafor with Angela Ukomadu

NOLLYWOOD PREMIERES ITS FIRST SILENT FILM

With the producer Ego Boyo

I sat silent as I viewed the trailer. It seemed normal but what occurred to me was that it did not have so much action.... I was expecting more. I was unaware I was watching a trailer for Nigeria's first silent film. The trailer had no dialogue. The blog post gave no hint regarding the fact that it was a silent film and since there was soundtrack I thought it was deliberate for suspense purposes. Few weeks after, I spotted a tweet while searching for story ideas. Twitter is my favourite place to dig for ideas and here I was engrossed. I could spend hours cos eventually it pays off. Nigeria's first silent film...."A Hotel Called Memory".... I was curious. I clicked on the link and it directed me to the trailer. Wow! Then it hit me. I did more research and it got the thumbs up from my editors in Nairobi. I teamed up with my filming partner a week after and like they say the rest is now history. The producer of the film Ego Boyo and director Akin Omotosho who also featured made history. Shot within six months in Lagos, Zanzibar and Cape Town.... the result was a dramatic and experimental film that follows a lady, one of my favorites, Nse Ikpe Etim who recently separated from her husband and decides to go on a self rediscovery in Zanzibar and Cape Town hoping to forget the past and move on with her life. With gestures, facial expressions and movements, the actors brought the film to life. The movie won the favourite experimental film at the Blackstar Festival in Philadelphia in August. This is a different genre Nollywood is exploring away from the norm we are used to. The 49 minute film was well.....hmmmmm I had to end it my own way as the end had different interpretations. "A Hotel Called Memory", I would not be forgetting that in a hurry. You would have to watch it to understand. What's next for this team? A thriller in the works. We can't wait!!

Unfortunately, I lost some of the pics so I only have few to share... it was also an opportunity for WINGS, the venue where the premiere was held to let guests have a feel of the place.

With Latasha Nwugbe

Africa's art scene gains steam with Art X Lagos

Artwork by Ghanian artist, Jeremiah Quarshie - Photo credit: Chioma Udeh

For this year's edition of Art X Lagos, thousands of people from all over the world turned up for the three-day event, an unusual and impressive sight to behold.
This year's art fair had a broader representation featuring over 60 artists from 15 countries.
Artists that exhibited their works include Ghanian artist, Jeremiah Quarshie whose portraits are popular all over the world, British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, Ben Enwonwu, one of the pioneers of modern African art and other renowned and emerging artists.
31 year old founder of Art X Lagos,Tokoni Peterside says this year's aim was to have more artists introduced to new and experienced art collectors.
The organizer hopes to widen West Africa's connection to the international art scene, showcasing the best and innovative contemporary art from Africa and western countries.
The fair featured curated projects, talks, live art and music performances.
Different perspectives were at play with some artists choosing themes that resonate with issues facing Africa like Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria's northeastern region, epileptic power that has plagued the West African country for years, water issues in Ghana among other societal ills.
Some of the art works were a reflection of iconic afrobeat musician Fela Kuti's life and music.
Art X Lagos launched in 2016 and is seeking to reinforce the visual arts as an important aspect of Africa's creative industry while positioning Lagos as an emerging cultural capital on the continent.

Photo credit: Chioma Udeh

Tokoni Peterside and Chioma Udeh