3rd edition of Kannywood Awards will make history again – Sarari

It could be inestimable how the stakeholders of the Hausa film industry, popularly known as Kannywood, have a special place in their hearts for Dr. Ahmad Sarari, the CEO of the prestigious Kannywood Awards. He is an active movie maker, award winning merchandise and a former director, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). In this interview with IBRAHIM RAMALAN, Sarari discusses about the forthcoming Kannywood awards in Abuja as well as how he intends to make it action-packed.

This year, you’re on the side of marking the industry’s silver jubilee at 25. How do you intend to combine both the awards and the silver jubilee celebration?
As a member of the filmmaking body, I feel it is absolutely right for me to render my own quota in celebrating this giant and prospering industry – Kannywood as its clicked 25. By principle, the Hausa movie industry is the first in Nigeria before Nollywood, therefore there are so many events coming up to celebrate this milestones.

In the schedules of our programmes this year, which is coming up end of January 2016, we have an exclusive segment to mark Kannywood at 25. Like I said earlier, this silver jubilee is not only peculiar with my event (the Kannywood awards), I am hopeful and optimistic that a lot of other programmes will follow suit to celebrate the industry and we shall keep hyping the event until we are all satisfied that we have celebrated the industry.
It was because of this fact that we considered staging our slogan for this year as ‘Patriotism through entertainment,’ so as to go down memory lane to equally support government’s efforts in fostering peace, unity and progress in Nigeria.

Therefore, our own Dr. Abdallah Uba Adamu of Bayero University Kano will present a key note address on both the subject matter as well as the thorough study of Kannywood industry. Afterwards, some special awards will be given to few select pioneers of the industry. This is how we are going to mark this silver jubilee as well roll the awards proper.
Besides, I think it’s great that one of the members of the industry, Malam Sanusi Shehu Daneji, the person who staged the ‘wood’ tag to the Kano film industry as Kannywood will be given a special merit certificate, while the late famous director, Tijjani Ibraheem will be awarded with a posthumous Life Time Achievement award.

Does your view as a northern film practitioner bring anything particular to this event?
My culture is north, but filmmaking has no language. Of course I am a proud indigenous movie maker, promoter and exhibitor but I feel there is a particular thing here. Like I pointed our earlier, Kannywood came in two years before the advent of Nollywood and it will interest you to know that if Nigeria is the second largest producer in the world, quantity wise, Kannywood alone contribute about 47% of the total number of movies produce in the country. So, if you subtract the Igbo, Yoruba, other minor languages contributions, you will definitely be left with a less than 47% of the English movies produced.

What are we saying here? The Hausa home videos are likely on the lead in Nigeria and highly consumed by audience in all the Hausa speaking communities in Nigeria and Diaspora. Therefore, I am happy to tell you that the most important thing here is that while we celebrate the winners and celebrities of the Hausa movie industry for 2015, we equally intend to give the event a national look, because Hausa community is everywhere in Nigeria.

What are your best memories of the Kannywood Awards?
Well this event is here, and I am happy to announce that the Kannywood Awards is three now, we are organising the third edition. We staged the maiden edition of event, which was sponsored by MTN Nigeria in Kano 2013, while the second edition was held in Abuja last year January and here we are today warming up for the third episode.
Memories remain same – fulfillment! I can actually announce to you that filmmaking is my passion. Although I am microbiologist, I cannot deny the fact that filmmaking is now my life. There are best memories in these awards we are organising, I cherish every bit of the event.

Could you tell us more about the event, who are the special dignitaries expected?
We are expecting the presence of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, who will be the Special Guest of Honour. The event will be chaired by the Speaker, House of Representative, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Others include the Nigerian governors’ forum, ministers, captains of industries, royal fathers and all the crème de la crème of the motion picture industry in Nigeria.

Any gist about the modalities put together by the jury? Who are likely going emerge?
I am not to tell for the jury, but all I know is that they are very busy putting their house together so as to forward to us the best of the best. The only tips I can give is that the best will emerge.