The Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, on Friday finally approved the movie, Half of a Yellow Sun, for wide release.
The board had delayed the release of the movie since April, citing current security situation in Nigeria and claiming the movie, which is based on a novel of same name on the Nigerian civil war, could incite violence.
The movie, whose novel was written by Chimamanda Adichie, was classified 18 and above by the censor’s board..
The classification was announced Friday evening alongside over 70 other Nollywood movies. It came at a time the producers of Half Of A Yellow Sun already enlisted it for online viewing in the United States of America.
According to the censor’s board Corporate Affairs representative, Caesar Kagho, “all approved movies fulfilled the regulatory conditions stipulated by the NFVCB”.
The NFVCB, in the statement also approved movies in exhibition, non exhibition categories.
The movies approved and their classifications are:
Edge of Tomorrow (18), Tokarev(18), Maleficent(15), Vampire Academy(18), Blended(15), Dead Drop(18), 22 Jump Street(18), Holiday A Soldier is never off Duty(18), Finding Fela (18), How to Train your Dragon(18), Under the Skin(18), The Fault in our Stars(18), Half of a Yellow Sun(18), Million Dollar Arm(12) and Transformers: Age of Extinction(18) all approved in the exhibition category which will be shown in cinemas across Nigeria.
In the non-exhibition category meant for home audience, 62 movies were approved of which 16 were in English, 25 Yoruba, 19 Hausa and 2 in Ibibio language.
Twenty-five movies were classified “15” including “Abi Doka” (Hausa), “Aja Saba Ekun” (Yoruba), “Family Conflicts” (English), “Amada” (Hausa), “Beeky Benson” (Yoruba), “Man over Board” (English) “Babban Lasan” (Hausa), “Ejomiko” (Yoruba), “Mask of sorrow” (English).
Another 35 movies were classified “18” including “uko Iden” (Ibibio), “Afopina” (Yoruba), “Biloniya” (Hausa), “Chameleons”(English), “Ajogunba” (Yoruba), “Dalilina” (Hausa), “Cry of a Mother Inlaw” (English), “Eto” (Yoruba) “Mu Mama” (Hausa), and “Wet Blanket” (English).
For the movies classified “G” and “12”, there was no consumer advice while “15” rated movies had consumer advice on imitable technique, strong language, violence, and rituals.
For those classified “18” NFVCB issued the consumer advice on ritual, strong language, horrific visuals, and imitable technique.
Other movies approved in the home category with varying classification ranging from “G” – “18” include:
“Fatima Bin tu” (Hausa), “Make a Movie” (English), “Mama inna” (Hausa), “Eyi mi” (Yoruba), “Where Talent lies” (English), “Eshin Okoku” (Yoruba), “Coming to Lagos” (English), “Duniyar Nan” (Hausa), “Man Overboard” (English) etc.