Behind the Scene

FIRST-CLASS  CREW

The film’s Writer/Director, Niji Akanni, is an established screenwriter and director in the Nigerian film and television practice. He holds a B.A. (Dramatic Arts) of the University of Ife, an M.A. (Film Studies) of the University of Ibadan, and an M.F.A (Screenplay Writing & Film Directing) of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He is currently pursuing a PhD degree in Film Narrative and Aesthetics at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

He has written many award-winning films for first-rate Nigerian producers, including Dangerous Twins and Playing Games (for Tade Ogidan), Saving Alero (for Francis Onwochei) and Narrow Path (for Tunde Kelani).

He has directed three 35mm short films (Just Do It, Hollywood Goodbyes and Vini Vidi) as well as home-videos (including Jogun O Mi, Bojuboju, and Ewe Oju Omi), and several TV Drama Series/Sitcoms as well as documentaries. He is currently the Director of Nowhere to be Found, a weekly TV soap-opera from the stable of AK Media Concepts, now in its fourth season and showing on TV channels across Nigeria, UK, US and Italy.

He has also featured as Director in all the top Reality TV shows in Nigeria, including Amstel Malta Box Office (Season One, 2005), Big Brother Nigeria (2006) and The Apprentice Africa (2008). In 2009, he co-directed the second season of the Oceanic Bank Football Talent Hunt TV Show featuring Jay Jay Okocha. 

He directed Abobaku, a Super16mm celluloid film, produced by Femi Odugbemi’s DVWORX, as Nigeria’s entry for the 2008 MNET New Directions project. This work was adjudged the Best Short Film at the 2010 ZUMA Film Festival in Abuja, Nigeria. It was also chosen as the Best Short Film at the TERRACOTA Film & Television Awards which held on July 17, 2010 in Lagos.

The film’s DOP (Director of Photography) is Ramesh Babu Raparthy, an Indian national of proven technical mastery and competence, having worked on several international film projects, including The Matrix, before establishing himself in Nigeria. Starting as a Lecturer in Film & TV Production at the American ABTI University, Yola, he co-directed the second season of the Oceanic Bank Football Talent Hunt TV Show featuring Jay Jay Okocha in 2009. He’s written a fascinating account of his experience on the shooting of Aramotu (Please see www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-425621.0.html - Nigeria) Currently, he’s building a fast-rising profile in the cinematography sector of the Nigerian film industry, having been involved in a couple of projects since his debut in Aramotu.

The film’s Producer is Femi Ogunrombi, who was for about a decade the Music Director of the National Troupe of Nigeria. Until recently, he played the famous comic character, Papa Ajasco, on television and was the Director of Studies at the Pencil Film and Television Institute, Lagos. He also brings his over three-decade experience as a musicologist into full bearing in his masterful handling of the music tracks of this film.

 Aramotu’s Production Manager is Bakare Adeoye. Fondly called ‘Bakky’ in the industry, he has established a legendary reputation as the Production Manager Par Excellence  in a 25-year career that spanned the ‘sparkle age’  of stage productions in late 80’s through the emergence of Nollywood in the 90’s. Also a Producer/Director with several hits to his credit especially in the Yoruba sector of Nollywood, Bakky was once described as the ‘Must-Have Production Manager of the Nigerian film industry’, having been involved in virtually all the big-budget, landmark film projects of the last 15 years.

QUICK  CHECKS

FILM TITLE:                                                Aramotu

RUNNING TIME:                                        119 minutes

DATE OF SHOOTING:                                December 2009

POST-PRODUCTION:                                 February, 2010 – November, 2010

DATE OF RELEASE:                                   February 2011

PRINCIPAL LOCATION:                            Erinjiyan and Ikogosi Towns, Ekiti State

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:                        Yinka Kolapo

PRODUCER:                                                Femi Ogunrombi

DIRECTOR :                                                  Niji Akanni

SCREENPLAY BY:                                      Niji Akanni

SCREENPLAY TRASLATED BY:              Demola Aremu

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY:            Ramesh Babu Raparthy

HEAD, CAMERA OPERATIONS:             Sola Olayiwola

PRODUCTION MANAGER:                       Bakare Adeoye

MUSIC COMPOSER:                                  Femi Ogunrombi

EDITING/GRAPHICS/SFX:                        Abimbola Taiwo

SOUND RECORDIST:                                 Fatai Izebe

SOUND FINAL MIX:                                   Mohammed Musulumi

                                    .

PRINCIPAL CAST:                           LEAD:

Idiat Sobande        -        Aramotu Kayode Odumosu              -          Akanmu Ireti Osayemi                -        Iyalode

Ayo Olabiyi           -        Olookande

SUPPORTING:   

Adebayo Faleti      -        Old Man

Gabriel Afolayan   -        Gbegiro

Tunbosun Odunsi  -        Baale

Peter  Fatomilola    -        Oluawo

                                                          Bisi Komolafe        -        Arike