Viewers Comments | 17 August 2010 23:00 CET

Chinasa Joy Onyechere

By SHAIBU HUSSEINI

Congratulations on the premiere of your film, Dry Waters, and recent launch of AMP/EKO International Film Festival logo.

It was such a busy period for you producing a film and functioning as National Treasurer of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP)?

Thank you very much. Yes, indeed it has been a very busy period for me. Work started on Dry Waters as soon as the script was out and I had to source funds to produce it. We then went into production and then post-production and finally got the movie out. We then thought of a way of announcing the release of the movie first to cinema's and we felt that the best way is to present it to the public in form of a premiere and I am happy at the turnout. The evet, which held at the National Theatre, was very successful by any measuring yardstick. All those we invited show up such as Governor of Central Bank Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and other important personalities like the Executive Director (South) of the First Bank, Dr. Alex Oddi and Managing Director of Emzor, Mrs. Stella Okoli. With the premiere over, we are ready for the cinemas. We are working right now on the logistics of the theatrical release. We are not in a rush to release it as home video yet. We want to exploit that distribution outlet.

So, when are you hitting the cinema?

We are looking at end of the month. We are working on it. The movie will show at Silverbird Galleria, National Theatre, Genexis Deluxe Cinema and City Mall. We will keep it running as long as the audience wants because we want the film to be seen by all because of the inherent message in it.

Who directed?

The movie was produced by Kech Production and directed by Kelvin Ibanichuka and he puts in everything to make it a true blockbuster that it is. The movie has top Nollywood actors such as Kenneth Okonkwo, Monalisa Chinda, Remy Ohajianya and Chidi Ihesie-Okafor in lead and supporting roles, Dry Waters is generally a movie about the menace of house helps. We want to enlighten people about the menace.

Is Dry Waters your first as a producer?

No… I have over 14 movies to my credit as a producer. I have produced Internal Fraud, Destiny Challenge, Silent Wish and many others. Reason you may not know is that I have been so involved in association politics so many people know me more in AMP than as a field person. But I have been around and I have done some jobs.

So what are the plans for the AMP/EKO International Film Festival?

Well, it holds from November 22 to 25. We just had a successful unveiling ceremony of the festival logo. We re-launched the logo because now we are not just hosting the festival alone, but partnering with the Lagos State government on it. We are working on making it the biggest cinematic event in the continent. That is the dream of the present executives of AMP led by Paul Obazele and with the support of all stakeholders we shall get there.

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