Canon Hosts Private Press Screening of Kunle Afolayan’s ‘MOKALIK’

A palpable cinematic delight rent the air, as guests react between giggle, laughter and outright applause, during the private press screening of Kunle Afolayan’s anticipated movie, ‘Mokalik’ (Mechanic), which held on Tuesday, March 19, at the Filmhouse theatre, Twin-Waters, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Shot on Canon EOS C300 Mark II, with a range of Canon Cine lenses, it was obvious that guests were enthralled by, how crispy picture quality meets a director’s interpretation of an intriguing story of love and ambition situates life’s happenstances in a typical Nigerian mechanic workshop.

Supported by Canon Central and North Africa, leader in imaging solutions, ‘Mokalik’, the latest effort from Afolayan’s Golden Effects Pictures stars awards-winning singer, Simi, alongside other prominent actors like Femi Adebayo, Charles Okocha, Faithia Williams, Lateef Oladimeji, and comic actors like Wale Akorede (Okunu), Ayo Ogunshina (Papa Lolo) and Dayo Akinpelu (Alabi Yellow).

The celebrated director’s ensemble of this sterling cast gives strength to the movie which, in the words of some guests at the screening foretells commercial and artistic success.

‘Mokalik’ follows the career of an 11-year-old boy, Ponmile, from the middle-class suburbs who spends the day as a lowly apprentice at a mechanic workshop in order to view life from the other side of the tracks.

When his father arrives to take him home, Ponmile has to make up his mind if he wants to return to school or take on his apprenticeship full time.

The private press screening which had Canon showcasing the full range of Professional Canon cameras and lenses such as the CN-E14mm, CN-E24mm, CN-E35mm, CN-E50mm, CN-E85mm and CN-E135mm among others was graced by exclusive guests from the media, the Nigerian film industry, and cast and crew of the movie.

Speaking at the screening, Afolayan said, “Mokalik is an ambitious film project that tells a story which is unique and relevant to our society. It beautifully highlights diversity while distinctively addressing the issues around choice. Creating this movie has been an amazing experience and Canon made the experience even better with their support.

“The Canon EOS C300 Mark II – Stunning 4K quality and versatility allowed me as a producer to experience creative vision in stunning cinematic details and provides footage suitable for extensive post-production work. The EOS C300 Mark II with canon cine lenses range also helped the team to technically get one step ahead and create a world-class movie which promises to break boundaries.

According to Amine Djouahra, Senior Sales & Marketing Manager – B2C, Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA), the technical brilliance witnessed in ‘Mokalik’ is a testament to Canon’s pioneering vision in the realm of serious cinema production.

He said: “At Canon, we are constantly seeking to connect with the filmmaking community, especially Nollywood as it allows us to become a part of one of the largest film industries globally. The technical brilliance witnessed in this movie, is testament to Canon’s pioneering vision in the realm of serious cinema production, we are glad to be a part of this bold new technology that helps to make amazing projects like the MOKALIK possible,” adding that “at Canon we continue to listen to our customers when developing the product range to ensure our innovations meet their needs, and enabling story tellers for creative filmmaking.

The EOS C300 Mark II Digital Cinema Camera is an evolutionary 2nd generation Cinema EOS 4K camera system with a wide range of new and improved features including 4K/2K/Full HD internal and external recording and a new 10-bit Canon Log 2 Gamma – Focused to help deliver more creative flexibility for professional studio, motion picture production applications, as well as independent productions, TV dramas, commercials, news features, sports and more.

Guests at the event also witnessed the launch of the first ever video competition for cinematographers in Nigeria under the Campaign #MYNAIJAMYCANON.

The competition is part of Canon’s efforts in enabling and inspiring cinematography talent in Africa.