The Nigerian film industry, known as "Nollywood," has exploded in the last ten years. Now the most popular cinema in all of West Africa-more popular even than imports of Hollywood or Bollywood films-the Nigerian film industry has distinguished itself by shooting all films (called "video-films") on digital video. Nollywood is now the third largest film industry in the world, generating 286 million dollars per year for the Nigerian economy. Welcome to Nollywood tells the stories of three directors and their latest productions, while also using interviews with scholars, actors, and journalists who celebrate (in insightful and often hilarious ways) the Nigerian video-film industry as a whole, its unique character and genres, as well as its impact on the culture of West Africa and Africans at home and abroad.

a documentary film by Jamie Meltzer
Produced by Cayce Lindner and Henry S. Rosenthal

Welcome to Nollywood boasts wall-to-wall bravado filtered through African-style entrepreneurship: Hook any of the producer-directors profiled here to a generator and the energy might just offset global reliance on oil. Nigeria's do-or-die approach is communicated via lively lensing, snappy editing and a peppy score. Docu is wildly funny...one can only admire the low-budget effectiveness crossed with lunacy that characterizes Nollywood gumption."

- Lisa Nesselson, Variety

Distributed by The Cinema Guild
Produced in Association with the National Black Programming Consortium


FESTIVALS / AWARDS / SCREENINGS / TELEVISIONS

2008 | ReelWorld Festival
* ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Documentary

2007 | Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
* Official Selection

2007 | Avignon Film Festival
* Official Selection

2007 | Melbourne International Film Festival
* Official Selection

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Em Lagos, capital da Nigéria, o diretor segue três dos mais conceituados realizadores de Nollywood, cada um com seu diferente estilo e personalidade, enquanto produzem seus filmes sobre amor, guerra, traição e o sobrenatural.

(Ficção, 56 min., Estados Unidos, 2007)
Direção: Jamie Meltzer

Selecionado para o Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (2007), Avignon Film Festival (2007) e Melbourne International Film Festival (2007).