Nigerian Filmmaker Tunde Kelani Combats Nollywood's Piracy Problems With His Own Streaming Network
Nigerian filmmaker Tunde Kelani launches his own streaming network as a way of combating Nollywood's piracy problems.
<p>Longtime Nigerian filmmaker <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/tkelani?lang=en" target="_blank">Tunde Kelani</a></strong>– otherwise known as <strong>TK</strong>– has consolidated his extensive library of films and TV shows into an online streaming network. <strong><a href="http://www.tundekelani.tv/" target="_blank">Tunde Kelani TV</a></strong>, which launched last Friday, will serve as a “home of premium indigenous entertaining content and cultural themes from Africa and the diaspora, optimized for web and mobile devices.”</p><p>Among the movies and series currently available for streaming are Kelani's 2011 drama <a href="http://www.okayafrica.com/news/film-review-maami-nigeria/" target="_blank"><em>MAAMi</em></a>, the 2011/2013 2-part love story <a href="http://www.mainframemovies.tv/movies-oleku-i/" target="_blank"><em>Oleku</em></a>, and the "filmed play" <a href="https://youtu.be/8DBW-NGPqvI" target="_blank"><em>Yeepa</em></a>. As of now there's no fee associated with the website.</p><p>According to <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/veteran-nigerian-filmmaker-launches-online-streaming-channel-to-protect-his-work-and-others-20150810" target="_blank"><strong>Shadow & Act</strong></a>, TK has long been a vocal opponent of <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/active-film-distribution-companies-in-nigeria-and-the-vicious-circle-of-movie-piracy-20150731" target="_blank">piracy</a>, specifically in Nollywood.</p><p><div class="preroll-video"></div><ora-player></ora-player></p><p>"It is an attempt to respond to the yearnings of our teeming fans of rich African themed contents on the go," Kelani <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201508070304.html" target="_blank">says</a>. "Distributing films or other contents physically are becoming increasingly difficult, revenues are lost on a daily basis and content owners are at the mercy of the menacing activities of pirates. I think it is just natural, expedient and sensible to take contents closer to the consumers on demand and in terms that suit all the parties involved."</p><p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8aee3c9b4da5019f1b88ce0a11c56fe9"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/olNht9bNRz0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span></p><p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4c795bca79a576d3bd3c04685998f191"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8DBW-NGPqvI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span></p>
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