By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Cosmos Abasi, winner of Aforevo Nollywood screenwriting contest, has been rewarded with a cash gift of N1 million.
The 1st runner-up, Abundance Effiong, got N500,000 while the 2nd runner-up, Dolly Nwaduba got N300,000.
Speaking during the prize presentation in Lagos, Lawrence Onuzulike, CEO, Onitsha GRA Technologies Ltd, said screenwriters are the bedrock of film production but they are not usually reckoned with.
According to him, “I have been in this industry for over 24 years as an actor, screenwriter and movie producer and I know the plight of every Nigerian screenwriter. So, the essence of this is to ensure they are reckoned with. We have so many creative writers in the country; this contest got over 1,000 scripts out of which we picked 600. The contest has come to stay and we are looking at holding it twice a year to further encourage screenwriters.”
An excited Abasi urged movie producers to consider paying screenwriters handsomely, as they contribute hugely to the success of movies released in the country. “It’s such a great work to have come up with the script that won me N1 million. I can remember there were days I didn’t change my clothes, but here I am, I’m excited and I will be doing more,” he said. On his part, Effiong said he started writing right from secondary school, and wrote Lucifer Conspiracy, the script that fetched him the reward as first runner-up, 14 years ago. Nwaduba whose script, Moremi, won her N.3m as 2nd runner-up said it took her a week to write the play.