TAVA raises the bar in Nollywood

After successfully hosting the maiden edition of the awards, organizers of the African Audio_Visual Awards (TAVA) said that this year’s award, which holds on the 23rd of July, 2010,

is being packaged to raise the bar in Nollywood.

Organisers made this disclosure last week during a media parley held at O’Jez Restaurant, Surulere, Lagos.
Initiator of the award, Mr. Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, said his initiative is unique because while other awards celebrate actors and actresses who are in front of the camera, TAVA gives prominence to the people behind the pictures and sounds.

It also draws professionals in the music, film, television and advertising industry under one platform to celebrate and honour outstanding personalities in the presence of an ‘A List’ audience; which includes diplomats, heads of government, actors, music icons, television idols, social celebrities and captains of industries.

According to him, TAVA seeks to reward team work in creating perfect pictures and perfect sounds. “We seek to create a benchmark for professionalism towards an African audio_visual renaissance where global pictures with universal sounds will make Nollywood pictures enjoyed and celebrated, worldwide rather than just being tolerated,” he said.

Ogunjiofor, whose Living in Bondage laid the foundation for the movie industry, Nollywood used the occasion to announce the invitation of entries and nominations for the 2010 edition of TAVA .

Organisers began to take in entries from all over Africa on Thursday, April 22. Receipt of applications will end on June 30.

“We have expanded the award categories due to the need to accommodate more entries as we all know that the African entertainment industry is expanding on a daily basis,” he informed.

Entries should be works done from June 2009 to June 2010.

Ogunjiofor also disclosed that July 1 through July 17 is for jury nominations, while a shortlist of finalists will be made public seven days to the event scheduled for MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos on July 23.

The film maker added that what makes TAVA different from other awards held in the country is because “it is a platform created to harmonise all aspects of story_telling that employ pictures and sounds, music videos, film, television and advertising commercials. While other awards talk mainly of people in front of the camera.”

He noted that many things happen behind the scene in such creative endeavours as film making, music, advertising and television production. According to him, a successful art project in any of these genres is a product of harmonious team work.

“If the work of a DOP (director of pictures) is not optimal, the work of a director who is controlling the picture will not be good, and if the producer did not hire the right director, the right lighting person and others, the work that they seek to do will not be optimal. We have never celebrated these people in Nigeria and Africa and TAVA seeks to reward such people,” he said.