Small Screen Cinema

Abstract

Analyzing the Nigerian video industry through the lens of new media theory, this article proposes a genealogy of the Nollywood media format to identify and define its specificities. The films that the industry produces are often referred to as cinema but, compared to the output of other film industries around the world, Nollywood produces something that can be located in between cinema and television. The informality of Nigerian videos’ production and distribution has in fact allowed for the articulation of complex processes of remediation, which have participated in creating an original product, something that I would like to call “small screen cinema.” This media format has had a determinant role in Nollywood’s popular success and its definition is thus important for a general understanding of the industry’s social, economic, and cultural relevance.