The hotly anticipated
movie. 76, the first Nollywood film to get an international sales and
distribution deal is out with a bang in cinemas and in its second week
since its release, it is still topping the charts and selling out
audiences.
People waiting till
weekends to watch the film have been left dissappointed as many arrived
cinemas to find the movie completely sold out.
Some say it
is the quality of the film that is generating the buzz as it has left
audiences wowed by the high production standards it has set. Others say
it is the acting, as Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nouah put up such stellar
performances that they have not only given their fans another reason to
celebrate them, they have won over a new legion of movie enthusiasts.
Many
who never watched Nigerian films before, have been converted after
watching 76. It is not the usual comedy or Nollywood film but it has all
the moments of laughter, action, pain, tears and downright edge of your
seat excitement all wrapped into one. No matter the theory on the
success of 76, what is clear though is that its impressive numbers can
not be removed from the commitment the cast and the crew are showing to
the film.
As of the last count, 13 cinemas had seen Rita,
Ramsey, DKD and Ib Fiberesima behind the counter selling tickets,
interacting with fans, taking selfies and conducting audience reactions.
This is from Ajah to Abuja, from Palms in Lekki to Palms in Ibadan and
from Cedi Plaza in Abuja to Filmhouse in Surulere. Turning up without
warning and making cinema goer’s day.
It’s Director, Izu
Ojukwu, famously described as the “Steven Spielberg” of Nigerian cinema
is notorious for being a lot more comfortable behind the camera. But
even he was on tour and had this to say for his film. “I have done my
part. Now it’s time for audiences to do theirs and assess if we did our
part well. Initial responses are encouraging I must say. Going on tour
has helped me see where next I should take my art of filmmaking.
When
quizzed on the next steps, the Executive Producer of the movie, Tonye
T.J.T Princewill said that “having been recognised by Hollywood, Toronto
and London, we thought that being recognised back home may be asking
too much. But what we are seeing here is simply mind blowing. Selling
out shows is one thing but selling them out when they are overlapping, I
have never seen done before. There is no place like home. None.
Put
on top of that, the fact that 76 just won four awards for best Script,
best Actor, best Director and best overall Film at the recent African
Film Festival and you could not have asked for more. Commercial and
artistic success is hard to achieve together. Usually you will do well
to achieve either. We will continue to tour the country to engage with
the fans and surprise Nigerians at their local cinemas through the
holidays and into the new year.
Next stop we head to Kano,
Owerri, Benin, Asaba, Warri and my beloved PH. We have already made our
money back with our Hollywood deal, but the best reward for us is a
chance to see Nigerian eyes light up when they feel the impact of 76.”
Many
fans emerged from the screenings with overwhelming excitement. One of
the fans flew in from Accra just to watch the film, another drove from
Ibadan to come and watch it only to find out it was also showing in all
the 3 cinemas there. 76 is showing now all over Nigeria. Click on the
video below to capture some of the audience reactions and see pictures
of the tour