Subhash Ghai to set up film institute in Nigeria

Mumbai: Eminent film-maker Subhash Ghai`s Whistling Woods International (WWI), Mumbai, will set up Africa`s first world-class film and media training institute in Nigeria, a company official said here Friday. It will come up in collaboration with Trend Media City Ltd (TMC), a Nigerian development company, for setting up Whistling Woods International Nigeria (WWIN), said WWI President, Meghna Ghai Puri. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding announcing the partnership and setting up of WWIN. It also details how investments, capital, resources and knowledge would go to develop the new film and media institute in the thriving entertainment hub of Nigeria. In addition, WWI (Mumbai) will be supervising the operations of the proposed film institute and the studios at WWIN for a minimum period of 10 years. "WWI strongly encourages cross cultural exchange between film professionals across the globe. We have been aggressively exploring opportunities to expand globally over the past one year so, and in the proposed Trend Filmcity by TMC in Nigeria, we found a perfect partner," said Meghna Ghai Puri. Uzo Udemba, Chairman of TUG, which owns TrendTV and TMC, said there is lot of raw talent inherent in Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, and explained how it is a major source of film and television entertainment content to Africa and the world. "However, WWIN will become the training ground to train, harness and refine the professionals and technicians who will take the industry to its next level and unlock its enormous economic potential," Udemba said. Over the past six years or so, WWI, Mumbai, has sustained international relations with several countries including Australia, Argentina, Bermuda, Dubai, Spain and UK. In 2009, it was invited by Spain to set up a campus in Alicante within the Spanish Film Industry, followed by WWIN in Nigeria. WWI is based in the Film City, Goregaon in north-west Mumbai, the country`s entertainment and glamour capital. IANS