TheGuardian
44 | Saturday, June 7, 2014
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CELEBR ITY
Support For Enterprising Ivie Okujaiye As She Makes A Move try today but the thing is that education is never a waste. So my economics and statistics certificate is not a waste. Eventually, I will find a way to mesh my passion with what I studied,” she said. Quite an adventurous young woman, who tries to do a bit of everything, Ivie revealed that her parents who never wanted her to study theatre arts are now her biggest fans. “Oh, they are very proud of me. They are happy. When my dad’s friends see me on television, they pick up their phones and call him up to say ‘hey your daughter is a star oo’. They are so excited and it makes him very proud and my mum as well. So they are happy but they are insistent on me going for Masters and all that”, she said
By Shaibu Husseini RAIL-blazing actress, Ivie Okujaiye was surT prised at the level of support she received from colleagues, fans and friends who turned up in their numbers last week Thursday for the premiere of her movie ‘Make a Move’ (MAM). “I am overwhelmed”, she kept saying as she received President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberisima, filmmaker Obi Emelonye, her friends and other colleagues in the industry who filled the belly of the ground floor of Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos where the pre-premiere event held. The premiere over and guest were impressed with what they saw. Asked his impression of the movie that featured the pop singer 2face Idibia, Omawunmi Magbele, Denrele Edun, Majid Michel, Beverly Naya, Tina Mba, Wale Adebayo and Ivie herself, filmmaker Obi Emelonye simply remarked that with ‘Make a Move’, the Delta State born actress, scriptwriter and producer “has truly made a move that will take her to places”. Ibinabo Fiberisima said she was impressed and adds that for her, the movie had an appealing factor to just about every class. “It’s a movie for everyone: market women who like to watch drama and action, sophisticated crowd who would like to see something more classic and then those who are driven by sensitive issues too. Ivie has done well for herself. I am very proud of her and her talent and will do anything to support her. In fact, young people like Ivie who are trying to be productive and not lazy around should be encouraged”, Fiberisima said. Winner of Season 5 of the long rested Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) reality show programme, Ivie explained shortly after the premiere that the topic of women, children and abuse inspired the movie, which focused on two sisters who decided to build a new life for themselves through dance. She further explained that MAM “is not a dance movie” but a movie “about two sisters that found dance as a route from escaping from abuse”. Winner of the 2013 most enterprising artiste award of the African Magic Viewers Choice Award (AMVCA), Ivie, an Economics and Statistics graduate of the University of Abuja who confessed to having an unquenchable passion for dancing and acting, came into limelight after she won the AMBO. A car, cash and a film project, Alero’s Symphony directed by Izu Ojukwu was what the young, beautiful, re-
Ivie sourceful and slim built Ivie got for emerging winner of the AMBO project. But it was actually after Ivie won the best promising actress award at the 2012 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) that her career light shone brightly. Her delightful interpretation of the role of Alero was what earned her the continental acting pip. That AMAA winning was to later open the floodgates for Ivie who has worked on a number of projects including few projects that she did under the guidance of the actor turned director, Desmond
Elliot. Incidentally, full time acting was not on Ivie’s career wish list. Although she revealed that she enjoyed acting and imitating people, she had her mind on ending up in ‘the corporate world’. But with time she found out that ‘it was acting, showbiz’ or nothing else. But when it was time to enter the university, her parents would not allow her fill theatre arts as her preferred course of study. Her parents chose medicine and were insistent on it until they eventually settled for economics and statistics. “Yes I am in the creative indus-
So is she considering furthering her education? “Yes I definitely will” she said adding: “There is still time to do that. My concern now is how to improve my art and how to contribute my quota to the effort at giving a voice to the child and to the average woman. I am very partial towards the affairs of women and children. I don’t fail to help a child or a woman whenever I have an opportunity to do so and of course, that doesn’t make me a feminist. If I also come across a man who needs help, I will definitely help him. Nothing really against the opposite sex, it is just that I am more passionate about the affairs of women and children because they need help more. So ‘Make a Move’ is something I think will inspire a lot of them. It is my own way of helping those who have been badly hit by the storms of life. I have seen and heard people pass through such difficult situations and I just felt I had to use this medium to lend my voice and so far, the reception for the movie is good. A lot of people love it and that is the idea”. Asked about her career ambition, Ivie replied that it is first to “conquer the movie industry” and then “venture into a few other things”. She added: “My ambition for now is to just master my art completely and be recognized as one who knows the art of movie making and not just acting alone. I plan to perfect my art because there is room for growth. However, I want to remain me-Ivie. I want to remember every single principle my parents tried to instill in me. I don’t want to forget where I am coming from. It is easy to become vain because it gets to a stage that people start idolizing you. So, I am being careful not to lose it in the process of achieving my dreams.
CelebrityExtra And More…
Filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun In Paris For Nollywoodweek OREMOST filmmaker FrivedMahmood Ali Balogun arParis, France on Thursday morning on time for the opening of the second edition of Nollywoodweek Paris, a festival that showcases the best of Nollywood films and its practitioners. Ali-Balogun, who was introduced as the festival ambassador, arrived Paris with over 10 prominent Nollywood practitioners including popular actress and AMAA 2012 leading actress, Rita Dominic, Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh and the award-winning Nigerian actor, OC Ukeje. Others in the delegation include notable actress Omoni Oboli, Chika Chukwu, Ashionye
Raccah, Mildred Okwo, and Tope Oshin-Ogun. Omoni Oboli’s first feature film as a director ‘Being Mrs. Elliot’ opened the festival on Thursday night while Mildred Okwo’s ‘The Meeting’, Kenneth Gyang’s ‘Confusion Na Wa’, Tope Oshin-Ogun’s ‘Journey to Life’, Mitchel Bello’s ‘Flower Girl’ and Daniel Emeke Oriahi’s ’Misfit’ have so far screened to wide acclaim at the festival. Ali-Balogun, best known for directing the big budget feature on celluloid ‘Tango With Me’, chaired the professional encounter session between the visiting Nigerian media professionals and their French counterparts which held yesterday. He
will today at L’Arlequin Theatre, venue of the festival, chair the roundtable discussion where the guest female directors (Mildred Okwo, Tope Oshin Ogun, Mitchel Bello and Omoni Oboli) will share their experiences and discuss with other female media professionals working in different countries. The festival ends tomorrow with the screening of Andrew Dosunmu’s ‘Mother of George’. Festival Director Serge Noukoue disclosed that the closing ceremony would also feature the presentation of the People’s Choice Award (PCA) to the film that would be voted ‘best film’ by festivalgoer’s.