VIDEOS IN MOTION - fasopo

As one can easily imagine, Nigerian film festivals represent the industry in a different way,which, however, is probably as partial as the one proposed by international retrospectives. In mostcases, Nigerian film festivals tend to focus on the celebration of the video industry’s achievements,while keeping some of the problems that affect it hidden behind the patina of movie stars’glamorous life. 104 In this perspective, the presumed similarities between Nollywood and Hollywoodare underlined and emphasized, while the differences are eventually marginalized. These festivalsaffirm the positivity of the Nollywood phenomenon, and often function as self-assertive ceremoniesin which the tale of the incredible trajectory of Nollywood’s success is rehearsed for the benefit oflocal media and press. These festivals also have a pivotal role in the life of the star system. In fact,in most cases their programs marginalize film screenings in order to give a central position to awardceremonies and stars’ parades.VII: Nollywood retrospective (Berlinale 2004) VIII: poster of the AMAA 2011104 The BOBTV festival, organized by Amaka Igwe, can be considered as an exception. Since its first edition, thisfestival gave itself as a focus the best of television production, underlining the distance still existing betweenNollywood and other instances of cinema. At the same time, the festival always organizes, parallel to the screenings,numerous workshops and round tables to identify the existing problems of the video industry and to try to offerprofessional solutions to them.126