Mr Daniel Okoduwa Film Producer/Director, Singer/Song Writer, #AfricanAustralian of Nigerian heritage, Daniel is a Sydney based filmmaker, musician and cartoonist. While still in High school in Nigeria, Daniel won the trophy for 2nd and 3rd best cartoonist in a state sponsored cartoon competition for mass mobilization, a feat that earned him two certificates from the office of the president. By the end of 1999 Daniel moved to Sydney, Australia and quickly settled in the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown, a place he has called home ever since. In 2002 Daniel teamed up with Australian film producer Matthew Scott to produce his first film “DEATH IS A DIAMOND”. The film was widely accepted initially but sales quickly dropped due to criticisms because of the amount of violence depicted in the film an argument Daniel claimed was necessary in order to pull the attention of the public towards the evil of conflict or blood diamonds in Africa. In 2004 Daniel wrote, produced and directed Loves Lost & Tempation, a drama that tells of the loss of influence& culture and the difficulties new African migrants go through upon arrival in a new country like Australia. Love Lost & Temptation became the most watched Afro Australian film upon its release and was screened to a predominantly white audience at the North Sydney town Hall to a big applause. The film earned Daniel Okoduwa an invitation to the Australian Institute for photography during the Sydney film festival (Nollywood Babylon) where he was asked to speak on Nollywood films and the context in which they are produceuced Gossip Nation, a film that became the first Afro –Australian film to premiere in one of Australia’s cinema chains- HOYTS CINEMA. The film got a theatrical release in Nigeria’s Silverbird Cinemas for six weeks. By the end of 2012 Daniel won the prestigious SPAA AWARDS for best upcoming film producer in Australia and New Zealand (SCREEN PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA), and a special edition of Gossip Nation (KEMI) won best feature earning Daniel a trip to the AFM 2013(American Film Market) in Santa Monica, California. Gossip Nation is distributed Australia wide, including New Zealand by Titan View Film Distribution , a very first feat for an Afro Australian film. Just only after 3 days of returning from the American Film Market in California, Daniel started to receive offers of distribution deals from American/ Hollywood film distributors for Gossip Nation. In January 2014 Daniel signed a universal distribution deal with Arsenal pictures, a Hollywood based Film Company. Daniel has featured on ABC Television WORLD NEWS, where he was invited to speak on films and African affairs in Australia. Channel 7 , SBS Radio, ABC Radio, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, IF Magazine, MX Magazine, The Daily Telegraph , Blacktown sun, The Advocate and BBC have all played to Daniel Okoduwa. So impressed where the Jamaican duo of CHAKA DEMUS & PLIERS of Daniels ability to deliver complex melodies that they invited him for a musical collaboration during their Australia tour resulting in the song “Daughter of the Night”, the song also featured on the opening scene of the movie “GOSSIP NATION”. Daniel is the C.E.O OF Scrim Entertainment located in the CBD of Blacktown, New South Wales. Daniel is the president of Afro –Australia Music & Movie Awards , an organisation he founded in 2007.AAMMA AWARDS as it is known celebrates African Australians in the entertainment industry .AAMMA AWARDS is held yearly, the event gives Awards to deserving individuals, community groups, Artists, politicians and organisations in Australia, New Zealand , Africa and The Diaspora Africa.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 04:00:01 +0000
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