2018 Los Angeles Nollywood Film Festival
On Sunday, August 5th, the Los Angeles Nollywood Film Association (LANFA) had their black tie film awards ceremony at the historic Miracle Theater on Market Street in Inglewood, CA.
Multi-talented and acclaimed filmmaker, King Bassey, is the founder of this wonderful film festival.
The celebrities and VIPs showed up at this event are Founder of the Nollywood Awards and Movie Producer King Bassey, Event hosts Motown Maurice (Liongate’s Snake Outta Compton) and Scholastica Oge ILoghalu,
Honorees Actress Alice Amter (The Big Bang Theory), SAG/AFTRA actress and radio personality Amber Lynn (Lionsgate’s Who’s Jenna?), the first African-American Bond girl Gloria Hendry (Live and Let Die), Producer Anoush Sadegh (First Born), nominated filmmakers Dustin Ferguson (Nemesis 5: The New Model), former five-time World Kickboxing Champion Grandmaster and filmmaker Robert Parham (Jackson Bolt), Mike Olafson (Hot Lead Hard Fury), Steve Oakley (Stan’s 420 Adventure), Elham Madani (16/03), media personalities Orlando Jose and Nicole Dunlap, actor nominees Mel Novak (Black Belt Jones), Dawna Lee Heising (Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance), Vida Ghaffari (The Mindy Project), David Lockhart (Lockhart: Unleashing the Talisman), Iyad Hajjaj (Dreams I Never Had), JJ Stomp (John Kinkaid Unleashed), actress Reatha Grey (Betty White’s Off Their Rockers), William Romeo (American Gladiators), producer Jenna Urban (Sins of the Father) best single nominee Marneen Lynne Fields (Royal Flush) and entertainment attorney Nadia Davari. Other nominees are actor and filmmaker Harley Wallen (Bennett’s Song) and actress Kaiti Wallen (Into A Dark Mind).
This year’s awardees and Honorees are:
Alice Amter- Trailblazer Award
Amber Lynn – Humanitarian Achievement Award
Gloria Hendry- Living Legend Award
Harley Wallen – Best Director, Thriller for Into A Dark Mind
Kaiti Wallen – Best Actress, Thriller for Into A Dark Mind
Dustin Ferguson – Best Director, Science Fiction for Nemesis 5: The New Model
Dawna Lee Heising – Best Actress, Science Fiction for Nemesis 5: The New Model
Mel Novak – Best Actor, Science Fiction for Nemesis 5: The New Model
Nemesis 5: The New Model – Best Science Fiction Film
JJ Stomp – Best Martial Arts Star, John Kincaid Unleashed
Stan’s 420 Adventure/The Big Noir 2 – Best Sitcom
Vida Ghaffari-Best Voiceover Artist, The Suspense Show
Mike Olafson-Best Director, Action Comedy, Hot Lead Hard Fury
Joseph Kelbie Williamson- Best Manager and Publicist of the Year
Tyrone Tann – Most Inspirational Radio/Online Talk Show Host of the Year
David Lockhart – Best Action Star, Lockhart: Unleashing the Talisman
Maureen Lynne Fields – Best Single “I’ll Never Kiss His Lips Again”
Anoush Sadegh – Icon Award
Jackson Bolt – Best Action Film
Iyad Hajjaj – Best Actor, Drama for Dreams I Never Had
Sponsors for this esteemed event are Jojokid Music, Nollywood Film Academy, FAN TV LA, Esdiac Global, the Universe Multicultural Film Festival, Mesmerized Minds, The Williamson Management and So Very Vida is proud to be a media partner.
LANFA was created by King Bassey, who hails from Akwa lbom, Nigeria. He has an associates degrees in Electronic tech and micro computers from National Technical School and a Bachelors degree in Media Production at Intercontinental University, Los Angeles, His concentration was in the area of directing producing, editing, screenwriting and cinematography. After looking at the negative images and portrayal of Africans on TV, King become one of the first to start Afrikan Network Television on a UHF channel in the early 90’s, bringing programs from Africa to educate people about Africa and it was even featured in the LA Times.
Every year, the festival screens Afrikan and other international films. He won several awards, best African singer and writer from the City of Los Angeles, Award for best Video Programming, Educational & Documentary, Media award for best photographer. He directed and produced his first films called Johno the Fake Producer, in 2007, his second film Undisciplined, about the way negligent parents raise their children, and in 2010, he directed Queen In LA movie, which is about human trafficking. His latest film in the making now is called A Woman In A Man’s World, and is a multicultural film creating awareness on the global fight for violence against women in work, home and church. He also started a campaign called “Let’s Get Our Women Back.”
Black Belt Jones reunion of Gloria Hendry and Mel Novak (Right)
Lynn Tang, founder of the Universe Multicultural Film Festival
David Lockhart, Margie Canlobo, Lisa Pacheco Chow, Celebrity Fashion Designer, Designs by Vida, model Aiyana Garcera and Vida Ghaffari
Dawna Lee Heising(Left) and
King Bassey, founder of Nollywood Film Festival
Vida Ghaffari, Hollywood actress
Former five-time World Kickboxing Champion Grandmaster and filmmaker Robert Parham (Left 2)
The first African-American Bond girl Gloria Hendry (Right 2) (Live and Let Die)