Are you a filmmaker working in Nigeria? Have you been looking for the ideal place to shoot your movies without any fear of harassment alongside an ambience of comfort and convenience? There is good news in the air. Prolific moviemaker, Ani Amatosero is poised to raise the bar as she has unveiled what she describes as a ‘mini film village’ in Nollywood’s busiest hub, Asaba, the Delta State capital.
In a chat, Ani who has shot over 10 movies to date said: “I am coming into 2020 with a bold step. My dream is to take Nollywood to the height it truly deserves. Recently, I set up a fully equipped studio with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to enable me contribute my quota to the development of this enviable industry which has in no small measure placed Nigeria among the giants in world cinema. I named it Effixzzy Villa.
“Henceforth, moviemakers don’t have to visit and disturb people in their homes to shoot movies anymore or go to the hospital to disturb the sick all in the name of shooting a movie because I have made it easy for producers in Asaba. I have two sitting rooms, a hospital ward, three standard bed rooms, two standard offices and a doctor’s office.
“We also have a fast food restaurant inside the Villa. And by the grace of God, people have been coming here to shoot all the time. However, all this is too heavy to carry. I need investors to throw their weight behind me by investing in this business. I am using this opportunity to call on Governor Okowa for sponsorship and support by investing in this project. Delta State could be transformed into a tourism hub if government throws its weight behind projects like this but everybody is looking at oil. We have few celebrities from Delta State and that is not fair. We need more than we have now.”
How will her initiative aid the growth of Nollywood? “My studio is located in a serene environment devoid of noise and other distractions. It is fully equipped and has a calm ambience suitable for film production. It will help filmmakers in terms of aesthetics and good decor. Secondly, it saves time and time for me is money. A movie that was budgeted for two weeks can be shot in 10 days or less here because a lot of time has been saved. The time you use in moving from a police station set to a hospital set will be well spent at the same place. And also, if you want to shoot in a private home that has kids and the kids are on holidays, you will surely be distracted hence Effixzzy Villa is the ideal place to shoot,” Ani concluded.