93 Days 'Ebola' movie premieres at The Toronto International Film Festival

The hugely anticipated 93 Days ‘Ebola’ movie will be screened at the 2016 edition of The Toronto International Film Festival; an event which has an outstanding reputation for showing the best films from around the world. The movie premiere will take place at the TIFF on Friday, September 9th, 2016 at 9.30pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
93 Days has been labelled as one of the most important movies to come out of Nigeria. The true-life movie details the Ebola epidemic in Nigeria, which had the entire nation at a standstill.
The movie gives a true account of how Nigeria was faced with the first case of the Ebola Virus and the victory the country achieved when the disease was eradicated after 93 Days.
Ebola found its way to Nigeria when American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer (Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey) collapsed at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and was rushed to First Consultant Hospital for exhibiting symptoms of fever. After careful observation, the team at First Consultant Hospital led by Dr Ameyo Adadevoh (Bimbo Akintola) believed Mr Sawyer’s illness was more severe than fever and not long enough; he was diagnosed with the Ebola Virus Disease. Then, the journey began on how to control the spread of the life-threatening virus that could result into a national outbreak.

“93 Days is a masterfully crafted incredible story of bravery and sacrifice and is definitely a must see. It showcases the best of Nigeria, it’s powerful, gripping and an emotive piece. I am proud. “ – Bolanle Austen Peters, Producer, 93 Days 
The suspense filled thriller directed by award-winning movie director, Steve Gukas features the best of international and African movie acts such as TIFF rising star, Somkele Iyamah Idhalama, Danny Glover, Tim Reid, Alastair Mackenzie, Bimbo Akintola, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Bimbo Manuel, Charles Okafor, Tina Mba, Gideon Okeke, Paul Adams, Francis Onwochei amongst others.
93 Days is a powerful movie that details defeat, triumph, heroism and a country’s determination to protect its people. For the first time in Television history in Nigeria, and with the expertise of talented producers, cast and crew, Nigeria tells its own story through film.
The film produced by Steve Gukas, Pemon Rami, Bolanle Austen-Peters and Dotun Olakunri would be showing in cinemas nationwide from the 16th of September 2016.

Why can't Nigerians see Half of a Yellow Sun? | By: Biyi Bandele.

When I heard last month that the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, headquartered in Abuja, had indicated that it would be unable to issue certification for “Half of a Yellow Sun” in time for the film’s release date, I naturally assumed, at first, that what we were faced with was nothing more sinister than another instance of the typical, if frustrating, culture of wilful incompetence that we’d grappled with during the making of the film. While shooting the film in Nigeria two years ago, there were times when we felt ensnared in impenetrable jungles of red tape, when we would be given the go-head by one arm of the government only to find our path blocked by the other arm. I had no reason to assume that there might be anything more to it than that. I had no reason to assume, for instance, that the inability of the board to issue the film with a certificate might actually be a clumsy, heavy-handed ban in all but name.
After all, when the movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last autumn, amongst the entourage of Nigerians who flew in to Toronto for the occasion was Patricia Bala, director-general of the Nigerian censorship board. Bala had arrived in Toronto — I was told — with several of her colleagues from the censor’s office. I know for a fact that they watched the movie. I do not know for a fact that they all liked it. I cannot say if any one of them stood up when, as the end credits rolled, the audience rose and gave the film three standing ovations. But I do know that Bala was gracious enough to tell us after the screening how much she loved the movie. At no point did she express any reservations about the contents of the film.
It is now nearly eight months since Bala and her board first saw the movie in Toronto and a few weeks since she and her board have failed to issue “Half of a Yellow Sun” the certification that it needs that the law requires it obtains before it can be shown in cinemas in Nigeria. In those several days I’ve been assailed on Twitter, Facebook, and by email with rumors, innuendos, half-truths, and downright lies, disseminated sometimes directly from the censorship board (they have issued at least one press statement), about why “Half of a Yellow Sun” still hasn’t been issued with a ratings certificate.
The board claims that he has not banned the film but certain aspects of it “have some unresolved issues which have to be sorted out in accordance with the law and laid down regulations.” It has been rumored that FilmOne, the Nigerian distributors of “Half of a Yellow Sun,” might have been late in submitting the film for certification. Not true. Most films that are screened in Nigerian cinemas are shown to the censor only a day or two before the films open to the paying public. In documentations that have been shown to me, there are instances even of movies being shown to the censor days after the movies had officially opened to the public. “Half of a Yellow Sun” was scheduled to open on April 25. It was submitted to the censorship board at least two weeks earlier.
I’ve also heard tell that the censorship board’s inability to make a decision about a ratings certificate for my film has been brought upon it because of a sudden concern that a movie that depicts scenes from the Biafra war might provoke “tribal violence” in a country that has in recent months been besieged with terrorist bombings and profoundly shaken by the abduction of over 200 school girls by Boko Haram.
Credit: www.cnn.com
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