It is no longer a secret that Nigerians attach great importance to quality and are willing to part with cash just to get it. This growing trend has also found its way into Nollywood, where filmmakers who have made films with such qualitative content boarded the national flight to fame and fortune. Currently, Nollywood has been ranked as the second largest film industry in the world (based on quantity), but not on quality. It’s worth noting that filmmakers in the mid-90s (during the Nollywood boom) simply produced movies just to make money and not because they had a passion for them.
Tunde kelani, however, stood out from the rest, and his regular quality production pushed him effortlessly into the limelight. His prowess with the camera and subsequent productions derive from the knowledge he acquired at the London film school. You can get most of his works in one of my articles “Tunde Kelani: A Legend in Nollywood”. Steve Gucas, who filmed “Keep in Faith,” is said to have also attended.
Despite the presence of the National Film Institute, Jos, Nigeria, the new generation of filmmakers and those in other spheres of cinema, thirsty for the skills necessary to produce world-class films have found their way to the prestigious New York Film Institute. Those who have made the Alumni list include Kunle Afolyan (Irapada, The Figurine, araromire), Stephanie Okereke (Through the Glass), Chineze Anyaene (Ije), Daniel Ademinokan (Omo Iya Kan). Due to its resounding success, others have started to look to the New York Film Institute (“NYFI”).
“NYFI” offers courses in filmmaking, digital filmmaking, acting, cinematography, television journalism, documentary filming, film and television production, digital film editing, photography, 3D animation, game design, screen writing, and more. others. Their hands (practices) from the first day to the last is a positive factor of weight for them, and people from different parts of the world converge there to learn. They are taught by the best and are located in New York, London, Italy, Abuja, China, Japan, Korea, Colombia and other areas.
Some of his former students have gone off to make good movies in Hollywood. Notable people and their family members who have attended the institute include Steven Spielberg, Kevin Kline, Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, Pierce Brosnan, among others. The use of the latest high-tech equipment is the hallmark of the institute. Flexible courses are also available for various fields. Although the fees are expensive, however, the knowledge accumulated at the end of the day and the ability to implement what you have been taught and infused in various on-board projects, resulting in outstanding work will make up for that.
It’s certainly a great place to study the art and intricacies of film-making. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that our filmmakers and those who aspire to be are there.