Danny Glover charts pa for Africa cinema, joins AFA Board

Danny Glover, an award-winning Hollywood actor has that collaborating with other professionals in other big markets in the US, North America and South America is the only way motion picture professionals in Africa can maximize their talents for social and economic relevance.

The Hollywood actor of international repute said this in Lagos last weekend at an event for the public presentation of a 10th anniversary commemorative book which captures the first decade of the pan-African award titled From Dream to Reality: The AMAA Legacy which took place at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

At the event attended by billionaire businessman Chief Sunny Odogwu, the Ide Ahaba of Asaba and other business leaders and Nollywood practitioners, Glover said after 10 years of AMAA it is now time for film makers and professionals in the industry to collaborate with their counterparts in America, North America and South America to create a huge creative economy that will bring good monetary returns for them.

He said he is working with Africa Film Academy on a number of initiatives that will bring global focus and right partnership to the business of film making in Africa.

'To start with I am leading a global effort to raise funding for film projects with AFA. We want to start with two major films that will tell the real story of Africans and those of us in Diaspora. The films will have actors and actress and other professionals from Nigeria and other parts of Africa with our colleagues in Hollywood, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobaggo.

'What this project will do for us is that we will be tapping into the huge market in these regions of the world where we have large black population. Our actors, actresses and other people who will work on these projects will have cross-continental and global exposures working with their counterparts from these countries. We will have access to a global distribution network that will guarantee revenue and good returns. That is the type of collaboration where are talking about. This fusion of talents will give us the creative economy AMAA and Peace have been talking about,'' he said.

The Hollywood star noted that AMAA might have started as a dream of Peace Anyiam-0sigwe but 10 years after it has grown bigger than the dreamer adding that it is now a worthy continental and global project that all professionals in the motion picture industry should embrace.

'I was part of this dream 10 years ago. I have stayed with it since inception. Going into the next 10 years I will hold Peace's hand and work with her to realize the objectives of making black film makers and professionals anywhere in the world relevant.''

Announcing Glover's new status as the Chairman of AFA governing Board, the AMAA Chief Executive, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe said the board is pleased to have the global film icon as its Chairman adding that Glover is expected to bring to the organization his extensive experience in the business of film making, talent development and international reach.

'Mr. Glover helped the Kenyan Lupita Nyong'o who won the Best Supporting Actress at this year's Oscars for her role in 12 Years As a Slave. This is the kind of value he is bringing to African cinema as the Chairman of Africa Film Academy. He will provide the necessary linkages between our industry and the rest of the world. 'Like he said we will soon start with him two major international film projects. Two scripts that tell the story of Black Africans and those in the Diaspora will be selected.

Our film makers and writers will be able to submit their synopsis and profiles whether as Actors, Actresses, Directors and any other professional in the industry to a website that will soon be unveiled for the projects. The deadline for submission of scripts and profiles will be October 31st, 2014. Members of the cast and crew for the film projects will be selected from the entries we get.''

www.ama-awards.com

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