Encomium
Fast-rising filmmaker and MultiChoice Talent Factory alumni, Gilbert Bassey has just released his film titled, ‘Ananze and the Zipman’. The twenty-three-minute flick premiered at a private screening event held at the MultiChoice Event Center, Victoria Island with guests like Nonso Bassey, Tomiwa Tegbe, Tolu Ajayi, Chimezie Imo, and Mike-Steve Adeleye (Africa Magic head of production) in attendance.
‘Ananze and the Zipman’ features MTV Shuga stars Uzoamaka Aniunoh and Chimezie Imoh. Uzoamaka plays The Zipman, a journalist on a mission to seek justice and revenge for the death of her loved ones. Chimezie, on the other hand, plays Ananze, an unusual dibia who offers frightful gifts to his god.
According to the producers, ALC Media, this paranormal thriller was a result of an idea about spinning the walls of a room which the Executive Producers, Minwon Metong, Tochukwu Nwaiwu and Gilbert Bassey came upon during a meeting. This resulted in the writer and director, Gilbert adapting one of his old short scripts to meet the challenge.
‘Ananze and the Zipman’ takes viewers on a twenty-three-minute journey through what it will feel like to have a superhero in Nigeria.
Speaking on the filmmaking journey and the rave reviews it received from first-time watchers at the private screening, Gilbert Bassey said, “Whether it’s with Ananze and the Zipman, or with my debut, Wole’s Revenge, I always aspire to tell stories that are not just entertaining but also meaningful in a way that helps people navigate life easier. The journey to Ananze and the Zipman wasn’t exactly an easy one; for example, we had to reshoot the fight sequence because the first one didn’t sit very well with early watchers. But I’m really proud of the final product and how well it’s been received.”
He went on to thank the cast and crew, as well as MultiChoice Nigeria and DStv, for their support in bringing the film to life.
Gilbert Bassey was one of the 20 filmmakers chosen to partake in the Multichoice Talent Factory, a 1-year filmmaking scholarship where he got the New York Film Academy for best graduating student.
‘Ananze and the Zipman’ is available to the public for free from December 24, 2020.
