LAGOS — Nollywood has recorded another major international milestone after Black Market attracted 51,000 qualifying viewers at a single film screening in Lagos.
The screening was held at Tafawa Balewa Square on Saturday, September 26, as filmmakers attempted to break the Guinness World Records mark for the largest audience at a film screening in one location.
Guinness World Records confirmed 51,000 viewers as the official qualifying attendance. The figure surpassed the previous record of 43,624 people, set in 2015 during a screening of Felix Manalo in the Philippines.
Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced that about 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness used the number of viewers who remained from the beginning to the end of the film for its official record count.
The event attracted thousands of movie lovers, with the gates opening from 2pm before the main screening later in the evening. Music, games and other entertainment activities were also part of the programme.
Black Market was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed. The film features Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Susan Pwajok, Teniola Aladese, Ibrahim Yekini and Uzor Arukwe, among others.
The film was produced by Rixel Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios and Signet Ring Studios, with Switch Visuals Production involved in the event.
MONAFRIKA TAKE
This is more than a film premiere. It shows the growing ability of Nigeria’s creative industry to turn entertainment into a large-scale public event.
The 51,000 officially recognised viewers also give Nollywood a fresh global record and put Lagos at the centre of an unusual cinema achievement.
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