9jaNollywoodstars

Kenyan filmmakers(10) who were recently in Nigeria acknowledged the effort of the participants in the Nollywood and gave them a kudo on their returned to their country,they said they learned secrets behind the runaway success of Nollywood.

The group, drawn from an Mnet-Kenya Film Commission project, even made a joint short movie with their hosts, titled Lost In Lagos, which tries to debunk the myth that nobody is to be trusted in Nigeria.We were bashed about it but as the returnees now confirm, it was an invaluable learning experience" says Nyatichi Nyasani, acting chief executive of the Kenya Film Commission.

Last week, Mnet hosted the group, who narrated their experiences in Nigeria.Their most important discovery was that the Nigerians have developed a dependable marketing and distribution network for their productions.

They started by using spare part dealers all over Lagos to retail their works. They have grown into full-fledged outlets that wholesale and retail Nollywood productions, said one of the members of the Kenyan group.

They claimed that Nigerians emphasise that the script must be viewed from a commercial point even as you focus on family-oriented stories - these stand the best chance of making good sales. The story must have a strong local content and appeal to the viewers' cultural tastes.But probably even more compelling for the Kenyans, was the sheer energy that drives Nollywood - film makers work round the clock, and shoot 20 hours a day, meaning a shoot that would ordinarily take a week is done in three days. Furthermore, they do not wait till they can afford sophisticated filming equipment to make a film.

Sheila Mulinya said"I saw people make movies using mobile phones. As long as the story is good, they know that they will sell,".

"We are continuously told that our quality is substandard. I wonder - substandard to whose production?" the film maker Robert Bresson, whose new movie Help: Africa's dilemma is about to be released, asked.

Many see television as a closed shop but hope to tap from the Riverwood concept of making films straight for sale."We can certainly build up to the Nigeria level. It is all a matter of being conscious about doing movies that tell our own stories," said Mr Bresson.

According to Mrs Patricia Mbatia-Macharia of Mnet, this is an aspect that needs to be developed."Although Kenya has had a vibrant production scene in the past five years, our cinema needs to tell more local stories," she said.

"We can certainly build up to the Nigeria level. It is all a matter of being conscious about doing movies that tell our own stories," said Mr Bresson.

ALL THESE ARE EXPERIENCES the film makers hope to apply despite the obstacles of lack of funding and poor market attitudes from broadcasting stations