Editor

Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University's Award Winning Film "This is Nollywood", which captures the spirit of the Nigerian film industry and how it enables Africans with few resources to tell their own stories to their own audience, continues its international tour at the Raindance Film Festival in London on October 6, 2007.

"This is Nollywood," captures the spirit of the Nigerian film industry and how it enables Africans with few resources to tell their own stories to their own audience. The film, created by Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA) at Boston University faculty and staff, Franco Sacchi, Robert Caputo and Aimee Corrigan, continues its international tour at the http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/index.php?id=65,447,0,0,1,0 [Raindance Film Festival London on October 6, 2007. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and panel discussion with the filmmakers. The event will also include a screening of the "The Amazing Grace" by Nigerian director Jeta Amata.


When acclaimed filmmaker Franco Sacchi approached CDIA with the idea of producing a documentary film about Nollywood, the reaction of the digital filmmaking school was immediate. "Nollywood is a perfect example of CDIA's philosophy: embrace technology and don't be afraid to tell stories that matter to you." claims Sacchi.

The CDIA-produced film recently won the Audience Award at the Abuja International Film Festival in Nigeria. The Audience Award goes to the favorite movie of the festival. Attending the Abuja International Film festival was a great experience, associate producer Corrigan exclaimed. "Winning the Audience Award is the highest and most exciting honor possible! We take it as a vote of confidence that we have done justice to the Nollywood story - it's an African stamp of approval for the film."

About the documentary film:
The documentary explores an audition site in Nigeria's teeming capital of Lagos, where hundreds of hopeful actors vie for their chance in the limelight and introduces some of the industry's founding fathers who tell of their responsibility to educate their massive audiences: many of the films deal with AIDS, corruption, women's rights, and other topics of concern to ordinary Africans. With just nine days, armed only with a digital camera, two lights, and about $20,000, acclaimed director Bond Emeruwa faces challenges unimaginable in Hollywood and Bollywood, from failing electricity to street thugs demanding extortion money.

About the documentary crew:
"This is Nollywood" is the concept of accredited Director/Co-Producer Franco Sacchi, who teaches digital filmmaking Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts. The film was developed with the collaboration of other CDIA staff and instructors, Robert Caputo, a Freelance Photographer/Writer/Producer and Still Photographer/Associate Producer Aimee Corrigan. The team agreed immediately that African actors, directors, and producers should tell their own story in the film without commentary from outsiders. Though filmed and edited by westerners, the documentary team's greatest hope is that the authentic voices of the Nigerian filmmakers will be heard.

About Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University:
The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University allows students to express their creative vision and turn it into a practical reality. Whether students are looking for a film school, photography school, 3D Animation school and game design school, graphic and web design school or recording arts school, CDIA at Boston University offers practical, hands-on, career-oriented training to both novices and seasoned professionals in today's advanced digital imaging arts. CDIA's Certificate Programs are led by world-class instructors who are practicing experts in their fields, and backed by the resources and reputation of Boston University's internationally renowned College of Communication.

CDIA offers full-time, nine month Certificate Programs in Digital Photography, Digital Filmmaking, 3D Animation, Graphic and Interactive Design, and Recording Arts. Certificate Programs are also offered on a part-time basis during evening hours.