Bollywood Meets Nollywood at Ioniff

Bollywood, the largest producer of movies in the world will for the first time in Nigeria meet with Nollywood the second largest producer of movies in terms of titles.
The meeting of these great institutions of filmmaking is made possible by the producer of Ioniff Port Harcourt 09, Omcomm, who have appointed Parminder Vir OBE as programme consultant to produce the section of the programme on Connecting Bollywood to Nollywood.
Parminder is an award-winning film and television producer of drama, documentary, current affairs and entertainment with over 20 years experience, and has worked with BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Carlton Television. Her credits include Babymother, a reggae musical, with such acclaimed documentaries as Algeria Women at War, The Sex Warriors and The Samurai. She is also the managing director of PVL Media Consultants, which specializes in accessing multi cultural markets and raising private equity finance for film and media businesses, a non executive director of Goldcrest Films; and a former manager in charge of Ingenious World Cinema, an equity fund set up by Ingenious Media Investment, investing in feature films from emerging markets.
In a chat with Box office, Parminder said she was pleasantly surprised at the positive reception Bollywood movies had enjoyed in Nigeria for over fifty years, with Nigerian audiences watching Bollywood movies, embracing the songs, fashion and stories of the film culture. “I am always amazed at the ease with which Nigerians will recall the names of the Bollywood stars, the dialogue and even sing the songs, given that this is not their language or culture. Over the years, I have become a great admirer of the Nollywood film industry which is very similar to the Bollywood film industry with their “can do” attitude. In the absences of government support, both have created an industry which contributes substantially to the wealth of the nation.”
A regular speaker and panelist at international film festivals and media conferences on international  film finance, co-productions and emerging media opportunities in India, China and other emerging markets, Parminder is also on the board of several organizations working in various capacities as director or non executive director, among which are Screen Writers Festival, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Patron of Skillset, Young Vic Theatre, UK India Business Council and TiE Charter.
As part of the programme for Ioniff Port-Harcourt 09, leading Bollywood producers will be invited to share their experiences in the industry, its cultural and economical value, and explore collaborative opportunities for Nollywood producers to work with the Indian film industry.
There will also be a panel discussion on new models of financing media in terms of developing creative and financial partnerships and accessing new markets.
The synergy between both movie industries will also be buttressed by celebrating the stars of both industries who will be invited to attend the festival as guests of honor.