Ace Nollywood filmmaker Reginald Ebere is dead

Renowned Nollywood director and screenwriter Reginald Ebere is dead.

The award-winning filmmaker died on Sunday.

The National Secretary of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Perekeme Odon, confirmed his death.

The industry is deeply mourning this loss. “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of our dear brother and colleague, Mr Reginald Ebere,” Mr Odon said in his announcement.

The publicity-shy filmmaker, famous for writing the screenplay for the 1999 Nollywood blockbuster Issakaba, was bedridden and off the radar for six years due to health challenges.

In 2018, he slumped on a movie set in Enugu and suffered a stroke twice.

Not much was heard about him until January when actor Sam Dede solicited financial support to assist with the filmmaker’s medical bills and upkeep.

The actor said, “Reginald Ebere wrote the very first script of Issakaba, and incidentally, I changed the name of the lead character to Ebube. Today, Reginald Ebere is bedridden. He suffered a stroke two times but was a very strong-willed person. He is still moving on but in bad shape; if you live in that concept of truth and justice, please let us find a way to support Reginald Ebere.” If there is anything you can do to support him, please look him up to help him.”

His colleague, Lancelot Imasuen, made a similar appeal on the set of the return of the remake of Issakaba.

Lancelot immediately organised a fundraiser on set, and many of his colleagues donated money to the actor.

Profile

The late Reginald was a theatre arts graduate from the University of Jos, founder of The Script Factory, and Channel Manager and Head of Production on the Infinity TV platform.

He was married to Maureen Ebere, and they have three sons.

His filmmaking journey began when he resigned from the famous Hints Magazine, which Emmanuel Kachikwu, the former group managing director of the NNPC, published.

He was commissioned to write ‘When The Sun Sets’ and was the project’s assistant director. This experience helped him break into the industry.

He is credited for launching Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s acting career with the movie Venom Of Justice, released in 1990. He was also credited for launching the careers of Kate Henshaw, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Bob Manuel-Udokwu.

The Nollywood veteran was also a Pastor at the Christ Embassy.

His production credits include ‘Last Burial’, ‘One God, One Nation’, ‘The God to Serve’, ‘Message’, ‘Unwanted’, ‘Last Affair’, ‘Tom and Jerry’, and ‘Venom of Justice’.

The late filmmaker was also a published poet and author of Boundaries of Heaven, a collection of poems that served as a metaphor for Nigeria.