Movie Viewing Assignments

Movie assignments to watch. I think I will do this every week. Everyone must watch the films within a the alloted week and write thoughts on the movies as well as what you think we could do to make our own films. Right now I am posting Nollywood, Ghollywood, I'm also going to be assigning other African films from industries like Nwood as well as movies like Sia the Myth of the Python. I also will be assigning films from Haiti etc. I will also be assigning movies from other continents/countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India etc.

Nollywood (Amstel Malta Boxoffice, basically it's a program where contestants compete to become the next Nollywood Star (there was actually a show by that name as well) Anyway every season there is a winner and they get a lead role in a movie produced by Amstel









http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSy5C-dCzYs

Ghana
Beyonce President's Daughter



The Return of Beyonce



Princess Tyra if you can find it.

A pretty cool vid on Nollywood.

Third Largest Movie Industry in the World

Yes I know a lot of videos, but it's very interesting and inspiring. Nollywood may have it's issues in production quality right now. The industry is new, but Nigerians got out and created an industry out of nothing. Most of the funding was out of pocket or from others. That's the reason the industry was so low key to many outside of Africa (which Nollywood is watched all over Africa). The reason Nollywood grew is because it catered to African audiences. Yes there are African films like Sia Myth of the Python, Guimba The Tyrant, Little Senegal, and many others that are made more for the festival market, but most Africans really don't ever see. The big problem they have is pirating, but the point is they have an industry they control.

We Can Create The Industry we Want

Okay I know you will be thinking what's up with all of this Nollywood, Ghollywood, Riverwood, Kanywood, Bollywood, Lollywood,Kollywood (Nepal), Kollywood (Tamil), Tollywood, Sollywood, Pastho Films, etc. I know lol? I am going to have a few posts on these industries to show what we can be doing now if we put our minds to it.


Really there is no excuse now for not having a film industry. Hell it really wasn't an excuse in the past with the advent of the VCR. The problem was that many filmmakers from white to black looked at straight to video movies as subpar. You were looked down upon if you took this route. Not only that but making a film on video was even worse even in the early part of the new millenium. With all the DV craze that was going on you'd be surprised at how many people got much disrespect for going the digital route. I have nothing against film I love the look of film and my goal is to learn film, because I started on video. I would love for my films to be in the theater, but I think started in the straight to video market is a better starting point. What I am saying is that these filmmakers closed their doors to the options of making movies for the straight to video market and producing them on video.


Nollywood has proven that you can make a successful industry making movies not only using video, but have it as a straight to video market. Now Nollywood has it's flaws with poor quality productions and scriptwriting, but that comes with building something especially when it's being built from scratch.


You also have Kanywood (which right now the style in which these movies are made is banned because of Sharia Law in Kano) they make movies like Bollywood well that's been banned. I'm not sure if this is still the case in Somalywood, but that would suck. Which that brings me to


Somalian films which are somewat a mesh of Hollywood and Bollywood.


Kenya has started Riverwood. Ghollywood there movies are a bit more like Nollywood, but to me and this is just me seem more glossy. You will notice a few movies like Beyonce the President's daughter, Princess Tyra, Rihanna


Cameroon is working on starting an industry. Haiti has similar style films as well.


Now for film you have of course Hollywood (but they are on the high side lol) Bollywood (same but cheaper than hwood) Tollywood (man call this Bollywoods cheap cousin, but whatever I dig them) Nepali most I've seen are made on 16mm or at least the last time I checked. They make low bud movies in the style of Bollywood althought that seems to be changing, but that could just be some films. Some of those movies are crazy, but they are so much fun. http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2006/10/death-of-sri-lankan-film-industry.html Tells how much movies in Sri Lanka can cost and how hard it is just to make one.


The point of this post is to show that we could make a film industry if we really wanted to. It might not be screened on a big screen in a theater, but it would still have an audience. We can't make excuses anymore.

It's Time to Take Conrol Of our Image

Hello my name is Amanda and I started this blog for black women interested in filmmaking. I also started this blog for the betterment of black women's image in the media. I think it's high time we take control of our images. We have to stop waiting on other people to do stories about us and for us. We have to stop expecting others to show us in a positive light. We have to do our own thing. Nigeria, Ghana and many other African countries have film industries where black people greenlight the films. This is a wonderful thing and I wish black Americans would do the same. Own our own images. Yet in many industries it is often the men who run the show. Meaning that bw end up depending on the men to show them in a positive light, give them good roles etc. The problem is then we are letting others tell our stories or shape us in the way they want to instead of how we want to be seen.

I would like people to send pics as well as topics of interest, but also appropriate for the blog. I cannot guarantee the pics will be used or the topics discussed, but I will look at and consider them for the blog. Please do so at blackwomenmakingmovies@mail.com