Twentieth Century Fox’s Partnership With FilmOne Is A Huge Landmark for Nollywood

By BBB Media
Kene Mkparu, Group MDCEO FilmHouse Cinema and FilmOne Distribution, Paul Hanneman, President Worldwide Theatrical Marketing and Distribution, Group Executive Director, COO FilmHouse Cinemas and FilmOn
Kene Mkparu, Group MDCEO FilmHouse Cinema and FilmOne Distribution, Paul Hanneman, President Worldwide Theatrical Marketing and Distribution, Group Executive Director, COO FilmHouse Cinemas and FilmOn

The partnership between one of the world's largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and West Africa's fastest growing theatrical film distribution company, FilmOne Distribution, has got quite a number of positive reactions from the Nigerian film industry, with the strong belief that it would be a huge reference point for Nollywood.

As part of the agreement, FilmOne will distribute all Fox titles directly to cinemas in Nigeria and Ghana, which is the first deal of its kind in West Africa for Twentieth Century Fox. FilmOne Distribution will release in 2016 such titles as 'Independence Day: Resurgence', 'Ice Age: Collision Course', as well as'The Birth of a Nation' from the Studio's Fox Searchlight Pictures division and Dreamworks Animation's 'Trolls'.

Group Chief Executive Officer and President of Filmhouse Cinemas and FilmOne Distribution Kene Mkparu, said the move is a bold statement from Twentieth Century Fox “Twentieth Century Fox have today made a bold statement in showcasing their interest in the growing African Film Market, of which the West African region, particularly Nigeria has become a major player. We have no doubt in our mind that this partnership will not only surpass previous box office results but with Fox's diverse film slate, it will deepen and popularise the cinema-going culture in naturally receptive and entertainment-loving countries like Nigeria and Ghana.'

Reacting to the historical development while speaking in a recent interview, Nigerian foremost film maker, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, opines that the partnership is a plus for Nollywood; adding that it has further reinforced the fact that the industry is making an immense progress through its unrelenting hardwork.

In her opinion, foremost film producer and director, Blessing Egbe applauds Filmone, saying they have handled their theatrical distributions well; exhibiting a high level of integrity and transparency, which is the reason why an international body would want to partner with them. She feels that the new development would create more opportunities for the industry.

Speaking of integrity, Paul Higginson, Fox's Executive Vice President International Distribution (EMEA) also remarked,'We are delighted to be working with Kene, Moses and the entire FilmOne team on expanding our reach in Africa particularly in the increasingly important market of Nigeria. Twentieth Century Fox has always sought out new opportunities and the best distribution partners in each territory with in-depth local knowledge, and we feel that we've found the perfect partner in FilmOne. We look forward to working with FilmOne closely to get the best results from all our titles.'

In his statement by BBB Media, Moses Babatope, Chief Operations Officer and EVP of FilmOne Distribution said, 'We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with such a dynamic and successful Hollywood Studio who have already started 2016 on a remarkable note with box office hits like the academy award-winning 'The Revenant', animation franchise 'Kung Fu Panda 3' and recent comic book phenomenon 'Deadpool'. We look forward to releasing franchise titles like 'Independence Day: Resurgence', 'Ice Age: Collision Course', potential franchise productions such as'Assassin's Creed'alongside films from Fox Searchlight and DreamWorks Animation. We will market these films with innovative and engaging campaigns.”

FilmOne will commence this deal with the release of 'Independence Day: Resurgence'in West Africa on July 1st, 2016.

This is the caption of the picture: Kene Mparu, Group MD/CEO, Filmhouse Cinema and Filmone Distribution,Paul Hanneman, President Worldwide Theatrical Marketing and Distribtution, Moses Babatope, Group Executive Director/COO Filmhouse Cinemas and Filmone.