Kunle Afolayan is having a good year.
After a recent acquisition and release of six of his movies on the Netflix platform, including his most recent flick, ‘Mokalik’ which had earlier represented Nigeria at the Durban International Film Festival in July, the renowned movie maker is set to take his genius a notch higher.
Deputised Golden Effects Pictures crew members and associates, have spent the last 8 days in Dakar, the Senegalese capital and the exotic Goree Island as well as in Praia, Cape Verde, scouting for suitable locations, for their next movie titled “Citation.”
Written by the company’s long-standing writer, Tunde Babalola; ‘Citation’ treats the volatile subject of lecturer-student sexual exploitation.
The highly-anticipated movie will be shot in Nigeria, Senegal and Cape Verde, similar to Afolayan’s 2016 multi-location flick, The CEO.
The crew has successfully locked down some of the best production hands in Senegal, with Alexander Rideau chosen as Line Producer, together with Dakar-based Keewu Productions.
Also in Cape Verde, Samira Vera-Cruz, the Cape Verdian Line producer; was able to assist the team in sealing a deal towards the production of Citation; with the Cape Verde’s Culture and Creative Industries Minister, Abrãao Vicente , who led the government team that included the Director General of Arts and Creative Industries, Adilson Lima Gomes and the Coordinator of Cultural Goods and Music, Luhena Correia de Sá .
While the details of the deal is yet to be announced, their aim, clearly, is to use the movie ‘Citation’ to market Cape Verde to Nigerians and the rest of the world while also establishing affinity between the two countries in the areas of film and cultural promotions.
Their intension for going to Cape Verde for part filming is coming at a time that Cape Verde is looking towards more traffic from Nigeria with a new direct flight set to launch in December.
It was a fruitful meeting that altogether with the Nigerian envoy to Senegal, Ambassador Salisu Umaru, who led other senior officials like the Minister at the embassy, Mr. A.K Zanng and Senior Counsellor, Mr. Adamu Akinola, in welcoming The Citation team to Senegal and introducing them to the creative and corporate communities.
The lead female role will be played by a prominent Nigerian who will be making her debut in acting. But for now we would still keep the cast list under wraps.
