Genevieve stars in ‘Farming’

     Nigeria’s screen diva, Genevieve Nnaji is starring in a movie, “Farming” alongside Hollywood actors Kate Beckinsale, Damon Idris and Gugu Mmbatha-Raw. The film which is being shot in the U.K. and Nigeria started production in August and is being directed by Nigerian-British writer and director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

   The film is based on Adewale’s autobiographical story, “Farming.” Genevieve, who shared few pictures of herself on set on her instagram is popular for classic movies including, “Ije” and “Keeping Faith,”  The Nollywood veteran recently made her directorial debut with her upcoming movie, “Lion Heart’’.

  

     The script was developed at the Sundance Film Institute and chronicles his own coming-of-age story growing up fostered by a white working-class family in the U.K. In the film, the lead character is sent to the U.K. by his parents in hopes of achieving a better life. Instead, he becomes the feared leader of a white skinhead gang in 1980s England. When all seems lost and he spirals into self-destruction, a benevolent teacher (played by Mbatha-Raw) offers him one last chance at redemption.

  

   Genevieve won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actress to win the award.  She who has starred in over 80 movies is considered to be one of the best paid actresses in Nollywood. Due to her contributions to the Nigeria movie industry, she became the first actress to be awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City Peoples Awards, the award ceremony that previously had only recognized politicians and business conglomerates.

  

    She is also the first actress to be awarded as Best Actress by the Census Board of Nigeria in 2003.  In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey. In 2004 Nnaji signed a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album `One Logologo line’, a mix of R&B and Urban music. In November 2015 Nnaji produced her first movie called “Road to Yesterday’’ which won Best Movie Overall-West Africa at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. (NAN)