5th February, 2016
Funsho Arogundade
Tade Ogidan, a Nigerian frontline screenwriter, cinematographer and producer, has praised the ingenuity of Kunle Afolayan on his new movie, The CEO, describing the filmmaker as a pride to his family and the industry they both belong.
OGD, as Ogidan is fondly called, showered the praise and expressed his excitement after seeing a rough cut of the soon-to-be-released Pan-African film at Afolayan’s studio in Ikeja, Lagos.
“I woke up quite excited about the story telling strength and the creative and technical qualities in The CEO movie. You have done your dad proud with each new project. You have done your family proud. You have done your industry proud. You have done your forebears in the film industry proud. You will do your nation and the rest of Africa proud, especially with this new project, CEO. I am sincerely proud of you,” Ogidan told Afolayan.
While projecting that another blockbuster movie is about to come out of Nigeria, OGD praised the courage of the filmmaker in the face of the challenges confronting the Nigerian film industry.
“You are now like a bull that has charged into a chinaware shop of film obstacles. You demolished all the myths, fears and film making challenges with insane dare, grit and unstoppable determination. Now, that is good. God will always make all good things doable for you,” he added.
Ogidan has always expressed similar appreciation to Afolayan. The veteran filmmaker praised Afolayan when the latter inked a deal with Air France as the airline’s Brand Ambassador.
OGD was so excited for Kunle that he didn’t just call to congratulate the young filmmaker, but staged a surprise soiree in his Surulere home, inviting other celebrities to a cake cutting, as they toasted to the feat recorded by this younger colleague of his.
The CEO is Afolayan’s biggest movie yet, with part funding of N50 million as loan from the Bank of Industry’s NollyFund.
The new movie tells the story of TransWire Communications, a global phone network with major operation in Nigeria. The CEO, an expatriate, has retired hence the Global Chairman has decided to send five nominees amongst his most senior level staff across Africa on a Leadership course in order to determine which one to appoint as the new CEO of Nigeria.
All five arrive from their respective destinations and check into the beach resort where the course is holding. Although they all appear cordial and chummy with one another, they all know what is at stake – they each desperately want the CEO’s chair. And for that reason, they attempt to covertly outdo one another throughout the duration of the course.
One by one, each candidate begins to drop dead, until there are only two left. It is obvious someone is stabbing everyone else in the back so as to assert himself for the prime position. Who could be that candidate who will go to the extent of killing in order to emerge as the new CEO?
The impressive cast include Republic of Benin-born Grammy Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo; Haitan actor and model Jimmy Jean-Louis; French-Ivorian actress and model, Aurelie Eliam; South African actor and presenter, Nicolaos Panagiotopoulos; Moroccan star, Fatim Layachi; Kenyan actor Peter King, and Nigerian stars, Hilda Dokubo, Wale Ojo and Kemi Lala Akindoju among others.
The CEO is coming on the heels of October 1, Afolayan’s psychological thriller and his fourth shot at filmmaking after Irapada, Figurine and Phone Swap.
Penultimate Sunday, Afolayan released the trailer of The CEO, kicking off promotions for the pan African movie.
Afolayan revealed that the film which will be ready before the end of February will be distributed in Nigeria by Silverbird Cinemas, just as it is also targeting South Africa’s over 50 cinemas and other African countries.
He added that preparations are on for massive festival outing beginning from the first quarter of this year.
Afolayan grew up on a steady diet of the performing arts and audio-visual creativity. He is the son of the late Nigerian movie and travelling theatre icon, Adeyemi Afolayan, famously known as Ade-love.