Black film is a classification of film that has a broad definition relating to the film involving participation and/or representation ofblack people. The definition may involve the film having a black cast, a black crew, a black director, a black story, or a focus on black audiences.[1] Academic Romi Crawford said, "I think a black film is a film work that takes into account in some way the relationship of African-Americans or blacks from the African Diaspora to filmmaking practice, means and industry. For me, it's in that relation between blacks and the film industry. How one engages in that relationship can be a mixture of black director and black acting talent; black director and black content in story; black content in story, no black director; black production money, nothing else that reads as black."[1]
Film industries were established in many areas during the colonial era. TheColonial Film Unit was established byGreat Britain. It included theJamaica Film Unit.Filmmaking in Colonial Nigeria was carried out.Orlando Martins became a Nigerian film star. TheGolden Age of Nigerian Cinema came later.[citation needed]
Chicago Tribune's Allan Johnson said in 2005 that the definition is blurred by black actors who star in films where their ethnicity is unrelated to their character, such asDenzel Washington,Jamie Foxx,Will Smith, andHalle Berry. Several black directors also have directed films unrelated to their ethnicity, includingAntoine Fuqua,Angela Robinson, andTim Story.[1]
TheAmerican Black Film Festival was made by marketing executive Jeff Friday, who created the criteria for a film to qualify as a best picture candidate. A film must have eight points to qualify. Four points are given for each executive producer, producer, writer, director, and lead actor and actress involved with the film. Two points are given for each supporting actor and actress. Friday acknowledged the varied possibilities of the scoring system and said part of the goal of the award ceremony was also to recognize people of color behind the camera.[1]
Nigeria's film Industry,Nollywood, is recognized as the second largest film industry in the world in terms of production quantity. SurpassingHollywood, and just behindBollywood, Nollywood produced 2,599 films in 2020 alone, which was reported by the National Bureau of Statistics.[2] Nollywood's high production rate is attributed to its rapid filming processes and low production costs. In an interview with the College of Communications, NigerianCinematographer Tunji Akinsehinwa mentions that Nollywood could probably produce half of the films in Nigeria on the budget of only one AmericanMarvel Cinematic Universe movie, which tend to cost roughly 200 million dollars.[3][4]
In 1926, Nigeria saw the production of its first ever feature film,Palaver, written and directed by a white British filmmaker. Even so, the film is considered to be a significant part of black film history due to its multiple Nigerian supporting actors. Today, "Palaver" is widely criticized for its imperialistic perspective, with Zikoko describing it as a "proudly racist movie".[5] The Black citizens of Nigeria were unable to see the film until the mid-20th century, when Nigeria gained Independence from Britain and movie theaters were able to began construction across the country.[5][6]
It wasn't until the 1990s when the Nigerian film industry truly developed. Due to a massive surge in television sales, producers began to help filmmakers complete and distribute their work. The main source of distribution was selling CDs, VHSs, and eventually DVDs through local markets. The drawback, according to Tunji Akinsehinwa, was that markets had only two or three weeks before piracy began, which would cause a significant drop in sales.[7][3]
By the 2020s, the Nigerian film industry had evolved once more, driven by the rise of streaming. The Nigerian Patriot signifies how Nollywood now has the ability to reach a worldwide audience through platforms likeYouTube,iROKOtv, andNetflix .[7] Most notably, in 2018,Lionheart became the first ever Netflix-produced Nigerian film, written, directed, and starringGenevieve Nnaji, one of Nollywood's most celebrated actors. Despite this milestone, Nigeria has yet to be nominated for anAcademy Award, which is one of the industry's most sought-after aspirations. In 2019, Lionheart was up for contention to be nominated in the "best foreign language film" category, but was disqualified for being spoken almost entirely in English, Nigeria's official language. The decision sparked global outcry, with many criticizing the Academy for its decision. Succeeding this controversy, the category was renamedBest International Feature Film".[8][6]
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