Home girl, Dami, takes Nollywood to AmericaBy Justin Akpovi-Esade
Published: December 30, 2005
Print With cowries forming a mini crown in her hair, tiny red beads adorning the neck and arm, Damilola Alore looks every inch a Nollywood actress, or perhaps a successful model.
But the Maryland, United States of America based Nigerian is neither of the above. She is what many may describe as a film merchant. "I'm the chief executive officer and founder of 24/7 Africa. It is a media entertainment company (with the sole objective of showing African, especially Nigerian films to the world in the US) and we are based in Maryland in the United States of America," Alore who is in the country at present explains.
Addressed simply as Dami by many Nollywood stars, the tall movie merchant was born in Lagos "and from the age of six, 1977 precisely, till after 22 years, my family moved down to Ibadan, so I did the latter part of my primary school and secondary in Ibadan. By 1988, I was admitted into Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti from 1988 to 1992, where I studied History and Art, but my intention then was to be a lawyer. Right after graduation, in December 1992, I travelled out to the United States still with the goal of becoming a lawyer. From then on, I just started the whole thing (entertainment) in United States. I got there, even with my university degree, I really could not do anything so I started working just to have money to take care of myself..."
Dami's love for the law profession soon waned because "I started seeing another side of being a lawyer that I didn't really like."
The urge to do something in the entertainment sector took over from the burning desire to become a lawyer. "I love entertaining people, and showcasing my country (Nigeria) and my culture, and I felt that really Nigeria are unique people, we have something to offer apart from our attitude, we have resources that if packaged well... After I've been there (America) for a long while, I realised that American people do not know us much as we think they do, they view us Nigerians as backward people. I need to solve this problem, I said. So, I started watching a lot more of Nigerian films and listening to our music and I realised that things have changed drastically, so I started putting things together to start my own media entertainment company. I quit my job and ... "
In two years, 24/7 Africa, she reiterated, had succeeded in building into the average American consciousness that Nigeria is not all about 419 (fraud) and other societal vices. "The focus is to expose Nigerian films, to make film audience in America watch our movies. What we have right now is a home video industry, so my goal in this company is to move the home movie industry to a movie industry. So the goal of the company is to do that for the African film and for the music, it is to promote Africa's music and our artistes, to promote them in America and Canada so that other people can sit and watch African art."
With her vision, Americans, African Americans and Africans, especially residents of Maryland and its environs, are having a wonderful time watching African movies. "It's irresistible on their part, from talking to them, we realise that everyone of them is having a good time. They are happy. Even Africans, they are happy watching their own films, it's like this is my own film, my own people, so this has afforded Africans to walk out there and watch their own films without disturbance.
"And when they are siting, they are sitting next to a white man, they are both happy, laughing, doing all this together without racial discrimination. So now there is a place where they can watch authentic Nigerian films, and it is the films from Nigeria that they (especially Whites) say they want to come back to watch."
Her contact with Nollywood: "After I set up the company, I contacted Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD) (prominent Nollywood actor), I told him about my plans and as young as I am, I had to approach somebody who has been in the industry. He encouraged me, and I spoke to other people too. These people from day one, when I spoke to them last year, they gave me the go ahead and they said "this is what Nollywood needs, more exposure." And the fact that most Nigerian films in America are pirated copies, so the fact is that I'm going to take an authorisation from the producer and original copy, and show it in a movie theatre... So with the support of these people I started."
Dami does not end with just showing the movies in theatres, early in the year, she was responsible for the travelling of a crop of Nollywood actors and producers such as Desmond Elliot, Kingsley Ogoro, Charles Novia among others, to America. "I want the people over there to know that I have the permission of the original owners of the works. So I invited those involved in the production of Osuofia in London and the London Boy."
She deserves a break after a year of hard work. So, fans of Nigerian films would have to wait till Dami returns from her vacation in the country before they can begin the sweet experience all over again. "Well after Christmas, I'm going back and since I started, it has been fun. I deserve a break because it has not been easy too."
She would not reveal how much she pays a producer to show his film in the States. "I would not be able to tell you how much I pay the producers, but I pay for the right to show the film, I get the right and sign documents to show the films. So it is a business transaction and we reach an agreement."
Nigerian producers are trying their best, "but they could do better and I believe that hopefully with what I'm doing, I pray that they will do better and get assistance from government."
Her future plans for Nollywood: "It is to expand what I've already started, to get more of Nollywood films in order to expose them and to help develop them. And I also intend to work with the producers so that they can produce more films that will compete with other films in other parts of the world. I hope that the Nollywood industry, its producers, its artistes, they would see what we are doing in Europe, Canada, US and other parts of the world and support us because if we are able to work together, we will be able to push it beyond our dreams."
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