PRESIDENT FRED AMATA CHARGES MEMBERS TO ALWAYS MAINTAIN STANDARDS

By Perekeme Odon

The President of the Directors' Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Mr. Fred Amata arrived Edo State via the Benin airport to his hotel in the early hours on Sunday evening, and without much ado, he went into the business of the day.

(L-R) Mr. Fred Amata, DGN President & Mr. Davidson Izegaegbe, DGN Edo State Coordinator

While welcoming the President to Edo State, the coordinator Mr. Davidson Izegaegbe stated that the arrival of the President was timely and most important in view of the progressive agenda put at the floor for discussion.

Billy King set the ball rolling by reviewing what steps could be taken to make other states DGN members be actively involved in the mainstream of NOLLYWOOD activities.

The President, Mr. Fred Amata said that Nollywood is bigger than we think or visualize because the business of filmmaking is beyond a locale hence the need  to constantly ennoble the DGN whenever the tools of filmmaking is at our reach. He assured that with the work on the various locations in Edo State, mainstream Nollywood seem to be in Benin now. He stressed that the structure on the ground in Benin will take everyone by storm.

He said further that our prestigious guild is very far from where it started and almost getting near where we are heading, sighting teething problems as springboard for writing the page of success in the book of history.

In addition, the Benin Zonal Coordinator, Davidson Izegaegbe said that part of the teething problems before now was information disseminations which somehow made "hoarding of information" key to making progress slow but for the internet which has made the world a global village, with preproduction, production and post production dynamics now at our finger tips.

Mr. Peddie Okao a producer/director of repute also buttresses his point by referring the DGN President to an industry blueprint/template developed by Edo State to stir the ship of our filmmaking business to glory.  He talked on aspects that have taken care of distribution, marketing, film village for practitioners, guilds/associations structures, and the need for our indigenes in diasporas who are into filmmaking to take advantage of the vast opportunity for investment in the film industry.

He furthermore advised on the need for DGN members to put in their best in every production irrespective of the language or locale it is shot since filmmaking cuts across language barriers. He concludes that Edo will soon be the much desired Nollywood destination. 

In conclusion, the President expressed his joy in seeing that the Benin Zone is well organised and focused in articulating the policies of the DGN executives and the industry in general. He enjoined all to always maintain the standard of DGN and remain good ambassadors of this guild of honour.

The President was later ushered into a film premier room at the ISNO Hotel , and taken to a location where a film shoot by Billy Kings was holding, and was later hosted by the management of Hexagon Entertainment Center in the heart of Benin.

The 4-day visit to Benin Zone by the President, which commenced on Sunday August 5 to Wednesday August 8 2018, is one of very many to happen within the year as already scheduled by the Zonal Chapter of the DGN in Edo State.

In his address to the new appointees, the President, Fred Amata, congratulated the Coordinator, Davidson Izegaegbe and the Secretary Johnbull Negbenebor, and thereafter tasked them to uphold the tenets of the guild.

The President also seized the opportunity to congratulate all the newly appointed committee members, Zonal coordinators and Secretaries. He enjoined all to see the task of building the guild as a duty that must be done. He reminded the guild that as custodian of the film art of Nigeria the prestige and integrity of the guild should be made manifest through their dedication and commitment.

The President said he was happy with the role played by Benin Zone members in creating the Movie Industry template for filmmakers in Edo State, and said that his visit to the Zone is one of many to come help sustain a viable movie industry in the State.