AMBO script writing competition winner emerges today

By David Ajiboye

The winner of the recently launched AMBO script writing competition is expected to emerge today. This was disclosed by Mrs Ngozi Nkwoji, Brand Manager, Amstel on Tuesday. According to her, over 400 hundred quality scripts have been received and would be put through the eagles eyes of seasoned professionals to arrive at one.

The best script writer will smile home with a brand new Laptop and N200, 000 cash while the first and second runner up would also go home with exciting consolation prizes. For wannabe Nollywood script writers who want to play in the big league, this may be the opportunity they have been waiting for as Amstel Malta; the low sugar malt drink takes its avowed support for Nollywood a step further. The competition tagged Amstel Malta Box Office Write 4 Fame Scriptwriting Competition is targeted at talents between the ages of 16 and 35 to produce a synopsis for the Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) movie expected to be launched later in the year starring the current winner Bhaira McWizu.

Script writers are expected to send in one page Synopsis of an original movie script. The stories must be written in Times New Roman, font size 12 and single line spacing for easy reading and understanding. A panel of judges made up of seasoned Nollywood professionals will join the Amstel Malta team to select three final scripts. Entry for the competition which opened Monday February 15th closed on March 10.

It is the first time Amstel Malta will be throwing open the script for the AMBO movie. It would be recalled that AMBO, the reality television show is on its fourth season this year and has produced two successful movies so far.

AMBO 1 which was won by Azizat Sadiq, produced Sitanda while Whitewaters, the second AMBO movie features Okechukwu Ukeje winner of AMBO2. Amstel Malta began this partnership with the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood in 2005 with an objective to produce talents that will drive growth of the Nigerian movie industry.

Amstel Malta Box Office is a reality television show, which is shown across Nigeria. A total of ten actors for the reality show are selected from a pool of contestants. The reality show runs for three weeks is audience participatory as viewers are usually involved in the eviction voting process.

Speaking on this unique partnership between Amstel Malta and Nollywood, Mrs Ngozi Nkwoji, Brand Manager, Amstel Malta, explained that Amstel Malta, a premium malt drink with distinctive attributes for healthy lifestyles is partnering with Nollywood to ensure that the Nigerian movie industry remains healthy and vibrant by helping to search and select talents that will drive the growth of the Nigerian film industry.

According to her Amstel Malta Box Office Script writing competition will no doubt enable faithful consumers’ better experience the Amstel Malta brand through creative arts with Nollywood as the driving force.We are sure this script competition will be even bigger as the years go by.

My experience directing Bakan Dabo by Barewa

By David Ajiboye

Abubakar Audu ZarewaThe name, Zarewa is not new to Hausa movie buffs, popularly known as Kannywood and beyond. He has paid his dues in the industry over the years in script writing/script playing, directing and editing. Besides, he has starred in a couple of films, the number of which he cannot exactly remember. In fact, he is profoundly renowned in the make-belief world, north of the Niger .

Abubakar Abdu Zarewa has played different roles too in his acting career, but he is particularly remembered for his bad boy roles as Yandaba (social miscreant) or boss in most of the flicks. A list of some of the very latest works that have the Zarewa signature are Takaddama which he wrote and screen played, Ibro da boda, another of his initiative which he also directed and edited.

Others are Mujaddadi which he edited, Dansanda Abokin Kowa in which he starred and edited as well as soon to be released flicks like Kudi Gasar Kowa and Bakan Dabo. Of all of these efforts, the young film guru who has carved a niche for himself confessed that Kudi Gasar Kowa and Bakan Dabo were most challenging with the latter bringing out the best in him.

He has this to say about the huge budget epic on the Kano Emirate and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero. “Bakan Dabo is an eye opener. It is quite different from what we used to have. I appreciate the tight storyline and its reality, because it is true life story. But there are many things I have never seen in my life like Durbar and Sallah celebration which is a rich culture here”.

According to him, even though he has been around for sometime, he has never witnessed the Durbar physically during Sallah festivities as he only read or hears about them. “I have never seen Durbar face to face, but working with Bakan Dabo has provided me the opportunity. Also, it is through the film I now know of the activities in the palace. The film is very educative, informative and entertaining”.

“For instance, before now, I did not know the process involved in sighting the new moon that heralds Sallah celebration. The Bakan Dabo project has afforded me all of that. I witnessed it courtesy of working with the Bakan Dabo crew. All I know of it before now is what I read in the newspapers or the impression people people give about them.

“I make bold to say, if all the directors in Kannywood are like Muhammed Auwal George, no one will come and dictate and insult the industry practitioners. There is no one like him here in the industry”, he quipped. He went on to commend some of the cast like Dauda Galadanci (Emir of Kano) in Bakan Dabo and Salihu ‘Hotman’ Isah who played Ooni of Ife , a bossom friend of the Kano royal father as well as its producer, Mahmud Sarki Fada for their efforts in the flick.