Silicon Valley Geeks, Nollywood stakeholders meet over future of digital entertainment content [Photos]

March 22, 2017 2:24 PM

This exclusive VIP event brought together Silicon Valley's leading Media and Technology investors currently transforming the global film industry.

A star studded, exclusive red carpet even brought together Nollywood's finest and Silicon Valley Geeks on Tuesday 21st March at the Filmhouse IMAX cinemas in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.

The event dubbed Geeks Meet Nollywood was one of the highlights of a 3-day tour of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs on Geeks On A Plane (GOAP). The Lagos tour was facilitated by the African Technology Foundation and 500Startups, to showcase Lagos, as a vibrant technology and creative hub for Africa, with latent investment potential. The event was organized by Stephen Ozoigbo, CEO of the African Technology Foundation in partnership with Chioma Ude the founder of Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF and hosted by Kene Mkparu, the Chairman and CEO of Filmhouse Cinemas.

Oluseye Soyode-Johnson

Kene Mkparu, kicked this knowledge-sharing segment off, by sharing the successes and numbers behind IMAX and 2016’s best Nollywood blockbusters, such as the Wedding Party. He also announced their new Television Viewing On Demand (TVOD) platform launching soon that will allow Nigerians to enjoy the cinema-experience on mobile. Chioma Ude asserted the important role that industry enablers such AFRIFF, play in driving content, and creating greater opportunities for creatives to collaborate and share work.

The night was also about the exclusive African premiere of VENTURE: An Entrepreneur’s Journey. After the symposiums, the industry stakeholders and press filled the Premiere One movie theatre, to watch the documentary, directed by Ejiro Onabrakpor, and co-produced by the African Technology Foundation and LIONS@FRICA initiative. The documentary follows the unique entrepreneurial journeys of four top African technology start-up founders - from winning the DEMO Africa Launchpad in 2015, to attending President Obama’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2016. After beating a pool of over 600-startups across the continent, to reach the final list of 30, these four startups emerged winners and were awarded the opportunity of a lifetime - a week-long trip to the Silicon Valley for the LIONS Innovation Tour.