I stumbled upon Nollywood by accident.

This is my story.

One day I went to the market with a Ghanaian friend and we passed a Ghanaian shop that sold Nollywood DVD’s and other random African merchandise. My friend was visiting Ghana for the first time and got talking to the guy behind the counter. Whilst their conversation progressed I began meandering around the shop… well I say meandering but in reality the shop wasn’t quite big enough to meander as such… Nevertheless I am sure you catch my drift.

So I start looking at the Nollywood Movies on the shelves in the shop and my eye gets stuck on a guy on the cover of one of the films. I didn’t know who it was then but I know it now. That guy was Van Vicker and the Nollywood movie was a Ghanaian one called Mummy’s Daughter. So my first film was a Ghanaian one and it was bought on the account of Van Vicker looking hot on the cover. So Van Vicker was the first one I fell in love with before Desmond Elliot, Nonso Diobi, Jim Iyke (that infatuation was very brief), The two Mike’s (Ezuruonye and Okon, who says yellow boys aren’t in?) and RMD, Richard Mofe Damijo for those that don’t know.

I went home and watched the Nollywood Movie Mummy’s Daughter and I was hoooked! It was like WHAT? How come I’ve been missing this Nollywood stuff  all these years? I didn’t even know of Nollywood’s existence. That is how out of the loop I was. It was like being a kid again… You know when you got excited (or maybe still do!) at seeing some black people on the TV. It was like that…. Like The Cosby show all over again!

So Mummy’s Daughter I thought was great then as the end of the DVD rolls up what do I see?

“WATCH OUT FOR PART 2″

OMG! I was so pissed off! Pissed is not even the word! Right at the cliffhanger the film finished!!! What was gonna happen between Anita and Princess now? I paid £7 ($13) for that one part now I would have to go back and pay the same for the other part. As annoyed as I was about the money and my film finishing mid flow I went back to the shop to go get part 2.

“You sold me this film yesterday and when I got to the end it said there was a part two. You didn’t tell me there was a part 2?”

“Oh yeah there is but we don’t have it in stock.”

Of course now I know that practically all Nollywood movies are split up into parts, but back then I had no clue.  I didn’t watch Mummy’s Daughter until about 6 months afterwards. I went to the same shop on a number of occasions and the guy just never had it. I ended up getting it on VCD from a Nigerian vendor. That was my first foray into Nollywood and after spending £7 on just one part on DVD I quickly realised after perusing the Nigerian Movie stalls that I could get two parts for less than £7. That was how I learnt the lesson about always asking how many parts a Nollywood movie comes in? After all if you don’t ask you will never know. The vendor is quick to get rid of their merchandise. If they have incomplete Nollywood movies they WILL try and get rid of them no matter what.

From the one Ghanaian film experience I quickly threw myself into Nigerian movies. My first purchase was Girl’s Cot. I watched Parts 1,2 and 3 one evening after work… Whooooo! was I tired the next day after spending half the night watching it, unable to go to bed without finishing! Then next came Fishers of Men… Oh my in my first few months I got some really good Nollywood movies. The vendors were good to me recommending the ones that they knew would truly make me their life long customer, and it worked. I bought my Nollywood movies faithfully, every week without fail and sometimes up to ten at a time.

After they had got me well and truly hooked with the merchandise came the dodgy ones they lobbed at me. The ones that they knew a newby like me would watch under their recommendation because I knew no better. Oh my! Truly awful films like Mass Destruction, Night in the Phillipines, True Romance and Million Dollar Sisters. I learnt the hard way and it only made me stronger. I soon discovered www.naijarules.com and following threads like the “worst Nollywood Film” thread gave me the heads up on what to and what not to get. Of course I still make mistakes now and then, but that can only be expected! After I am only human!

I keep getting asked about where people can buy Nollywood movies. I AM NOT A SELLER neither can I send you any. If you do not have any shops selling Nollywood movies near you then check: www.ebay.com. There is always something on there and you get the film delivered right to your door via mr postman.

I have been a Nollywood Addict since March 2007. This page is dedicated to Nollywood and all the people that make Nollywood move and shake:

Stephanie Okereke

Rita Dominic

Shan George

Omotola Ekeinde

Zack Orji

Oge Okoye

Olu Jacobs

Ngozi Ezeonu

Nkem Owoh

Kanayo .O. Kanayo

Mike Ezuruonye

Georgina Onuoha

Kenneth Okonkwo

Benita Nzeribe

Genenvieve Nnaji

Enebeli Elebuwa

Richard Mofe Damijo

Ramsey Nouah

Clarion Chukwurah

Patience Ozokwor

Chioma Chukwuka

Jim Iyke

Chidi Mokeme

Ini Edo

Charles Okafor

Bimbo Akintola

Osita Iheme

Chinedu Ikediese

Joke Silva

Ibinabo Fiberesima

Saint Obi

Kalu  Ikeagwu

Desmond Elliot

Bob Manuel

Jennifer Eliogu

Ejike Asiegbu

Emeka Ike

Eucharia Anunobi-Ekwu

Keppy Bassey Ekpenyong

Pat Attah

John Okafor (Mr Ibu)

Chidi Ihezie-Okafor

Caroline Ekanem

Pete Edochie

Kate Henshaw Nuttall

Liz Benson

Oby Edozie

Onyeka Onwenu

Uche Jombo

Dakore Egbuson

Clem Ohameze

Chika Ike

Fred Aseroma

Sam Loco Efe

JT Tom West

Lilian Bach

Chiege Alisigwe

Emeka Enyiocha

Maureen Solomon

Nobert Young

Sola Sobowale

Jide Kosoko

Alex Usifo

StephNora Okere Falana

Bukky Wright

Segun Arinze

Zulu Adigwe

Nkiru Sylvanus

Ebube Nwagbo

Ekwi Onwuemene

Monalisa Chinda

Tony Umez

Grace Amah

Hilda Dokubo

Thelma Okoduwa

Ebele Okaro

Muna Obiekwe

Nonso Diobi

Collette Nkem Orji

Sharon Ezeamaka

Amaechi Muonagor

Mercy Johnson

Emeka Okoro John Dumelo

Emem Isong

Ernest Obi

Artus Frank Uche Ama Abriel

Alex Lopez

Justus Esiri

Yemi Blaq

Francis Duru

Jummai Joseph  Yvonne Okoro

Uche Iwuji

Fred Amata

Ada Ameh

Moses Armstrong

JohnPaul Nwadike

Ufoma Ejonobor

Sola Fosudo

Ofiafuluagu Mbaka

Empress Njamah

Gentle Jack

Susan Patrick

2Face Idibia

Rita Edochie

Uchenna Ogbodo

Adaora Ukoh

Hanks Anuku

Sam Dede

Racheal Oniga

Emma Ayalogu

Sam Uche Anyamele

Saidi Balogun

Olufunke Akindele

Ashley Nwosu

Anita Hogan

Jennifer Awazie (nee Olisa)

Paul Obazele

Sandra Achums

Okey Bakassi                                                    Uru Eke

Victor Osuagwo

Abby Plaatjes (of Big Brothers Africa)

Azizat Sadiq

Tuvi James

Kelvin Ikeduba

Charles Inojie

Jackie Appiah (Ghanaian Actress)

Franca Brown

Bukky Ajayi

Lanre Balogun

Yemi Solade

King Joe Okechukwu

Eric Nwadinobi

Jim Lawson Maduike

Regina Askia

Rich Oganiru

Chiwetalu Agu

Joan Agabi

Cynthia Agholor

Lancelot Imasuen

Charles Novia  Luckie Lawson

Padita Agu

Uche Elendu

Benedict Johnson

Femi Brainard

Kenneth Chukwu

Chigozie Atuanya

Nse Ikpi Etim

Funmi Holder

Nathaniel Ruskin Mark Georgewill

Emeka Ossai

Patrick Doyle

Christopher Bassey

Sunday Omobolanle (Papa Aluwe)

Rita Nzelu

Fabian Adibe

Thelma Nwosu

Robert Peters

Bruno Iwuoha                          Prince David Osei

Yvonne Jegede

Florence Onuma

Peter Bruno

Ini Ikpe

Michael Okon

Emeka Ani

Nana Ama McBrown (Ghanaian Actress)

Nadia Buari (Ghanaian Actress)

Chinelo Ndigwe

Sophia Tchidi Chikere

Ngozi Nwosu

Blessing Effiom

Rukky Sanda

Barbara Ukattah                                    Emeka Amakeze

Nuella Njubigbo

Afam Okereke

OC Ukeje

Joseph Benjamin Seun Akindele Frank Rajah Arase

Ilochi Olisaemeka

Akume Akume

Judith Mazagwu

Uche Micheal

Chinyere Wilfred

Oby Kechere (Ms Koi-koi)

Darlene Benson-Cobham

Camilla Mberekpe

Van Vicker (Ghanaian Actor)

Larry Koldsweat

Queen Nwokoye

Ijeoma Imo

Femi Branch

Mary Uranta

Tonto Dikeh

Majid Michel (Ghanaian Actor)

Omoni Oboli

Ecow Smith- Asante (Ghanaian Actor)

Juliet Ibrahim (Ghanaian Actress)

Yvonne Nelson (Ghanaian Actress)

This list was partly taken from www.nigeriamovies.net If you want to read more about any of these stars you can click HERE