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Walking sensation Ambam click photo to watch 

Little more than a month ago gorilla Ambam was an undiscovered talent living a quiet life in his enclosure at Port Lympe Animal Park.

But like the many You Tube sensations before him, all it took was a moment of magic captured on camera to send him to the dizzying heights of stardom.

Since the 20-year-old silverback western lowland gorilla was filmed walking on his hind legs like a human, he has become a global star with the footage viewed across the world almost five million times.

The first 18-second piece of film reached a massive three million views, but after claims the clip was fake, staff at Port Lympe uploaded a second film which has received almost two million hits.

Visitors now flock to the gorilla enclosure at feeding time in the hope of catching the 34-stone beast having a two-legged stroll.

Phil Ridges, head gorilla keeper at the park, which is located near Folkestone, said staff were totally unprepared for the response.

"Ambam has been exhibiting this behaviour his whole life," he said.

"Just days after uploading the clip the phones were ringing off the hook with people wanting to know about Ambam and we were inundated with requests from around the world for interviews and information.

"We have had a lot of speculation that it is a man in a gorilla suit or that he has been trained to do this but Ambam has not been trained in any way, it is just something he chooses and is able to do."

Mr Ridges said there has been more visitors to the gorillas at feeding time.

"Ambam doesn’t seem to know what all the fuss is about," he said.

"While his bipedal tendencies have captured the imagination of people worldwide we are hoping that his fame will have the more serious affect of highlighting the plight of the critically endangered Western lowland gorilla.

"The charity that runs our parks, The Aspinall Foundation, is well known for its work with gorillas both at Howletts and Port Lympne and overseas where we protect over one million acres and reintroduce captive gorillas back to protected areas of the wild."

Footage of Ambam was filmed by animal researcher Johanna Watson while she was working with the University of Manchester on a project about apes.

Mr Ridges said the behaviour was not unusual for the species.

"All gorillas can do it to some extent but we haven’t got any who do it like Ambam and he is quite a celebrity at the park," he said.

"We think he might use it to get a height advantage to look over the wall when keepers come to feed him.

"Standing up can also help him in looking for food generally in his enclosure as it gives him a better vantage point.

"Ambam can also carry a lot more food if he stands and uses both hands, and walking on two feet also means he doesn’t get his hands wet when it is raining."

Visitors to Port Lympne can see Ambam and the rest of his group being scatter fed daily at noon and 3pm.

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Brazil seeks Nollywood expertise in film making

Governor Baba-tunde Fashola of Lagos State has said that in the next couple of months the state government, in collaboration with Nollywood, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Brazilian Government to teach Brazilian artistes movie production.

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His said: "There is an offer on the table from the Brazilian government which the state government is yet to harness. The last time I visited Brazil, the Brazilian Minister for Tourism asked that they will like to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Nigerians to teach Brazilians on how to produce home videos.

"That offer is still on the table and we are yet to harness it because we are yet to have this type of forum where we can work out the necessary modalities. As soon as the artistes are ready, I will re-establish the contact and open up the network."

so that whatever benefits comes from the contract, the credit goes to the country and the movie industry."

Fashola, however, commended the artistes for their support during the 2007 electoral campaign and urged them to promote the ideals that would better the lots of the people in the society.

The Governor said: "By sheer deed of commitment, you have found a way where there seems to be no way. You have helped to address youth restiveness and unemployment."

adding that lots of youths had not been harnessed in the area of cinematography.

"How many Nigerian universities offer courses in cinematography? I champion this course that Nigerian universities should offer courses in such area. Many of you were probably forced into acting out of necessities."

He appealed to the actors and actresses to use their movies to shape and fight the ills in the society rather than negative exposure, citing several cases were Police were portrayed in bad light in movie scenes.

He said: "Maybe you may not pay attention to the values you portray, but I do. Your work is influential and you can use it to promote the image of this country. For instance, our Police are doing well.

"Any time you produce movies and you get to a police scene, they are always portrayed as badly dressed, that is the image you are sending out."

Speaking earlier, Arinze also commend Fashola. He said: "Governor Fashola had done tremendously well and is an actualiser. And that is the reason why I have gathered my colleagues who have made impact in the movie industry in the state to come together to support your Second term bid.

"We have come together for the actualization of your second term. I don't care whose ox is gored. We will stick with you throughout the campaign period until the victory is won," he said.

Arinze added that the artistes would release album, jingles and the rest to sensitise the people and ensured that they voted for the governor next year, stressing that "there is now a brand called 'BRF.'

"We will go to the grassroots to mobilize the people, we will support you; you will get our backing and support," Arinze said

HONG KONG (AFP) – A group of Hong Kong filmmakers have started shooting what they claim will be the world's first 3D pornographic film,a report said Sunday.

The 3.2 million-US-dollar '3-D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy', set forrelease in May, has already generated interest in a host of Asian filmmarkets, as well as Europe and the US, the Sunday Morning Post reported.

Loosely based on a piece of classical Chinese erotic literature, TheCarnal Prayer Mat, the movie will star Japanese adult actresses YukikoSuo and Saori Hara, the Post said.

The film chronicles the story of a young man who, after being introducedto the erotic world of a duke, realises his ex-wife is the love of hislife and features "orgies, swinging and some very graphic sex scenes",the paper said.

Producer Stephen Shiu acknowledged that censors would likely block themovie's screening in mainland China, a key market for Hong Kongfilmmakers..

"(But) we are almost closing deals with some markets including Japan,Korea, Southeast Asia and some pay TV channels in Hong Kong," Shiu toldthe paper.Photo:Italian director Tinto Brass (pictured) has announced his plans to produce a 3D remake of his 1979 erotic …

Italian director Tinto Brass has announced he would produce a 3D remakeof his 1979 erotic film Caligula, while Hustler plans to release apornographic spoof of 3D science fiction film Avatar, the top-grossingmovie of all time which has earned some 2.7 billion US dollars worldwidesince its release.

WINNIE Madikizela-Mandela has threatened legal action against acclaimed South African director Darrell Roodt, who plans to make a film about her life.

A letter from her attorneys says Madikizela-Mandela is "extremely concerned" to hear of the planned film about her life "in circumstances in which she has never been approached for consent or at all".

"It is difficult to understand how a production bearing the name of an individual who has not been consulted at all could ever be appropriate or tell the full story of that individual life, as media reports suggest this production is intended to," the letter says.

"This is certainly the case here where our client has not responded to allegations and comment which have been made about her, precisely because she has sought to protect her sphere of personal privacy as best she can in extremely difficult and turbulent times," the attorneys' letter to Andre Pieterse's Ironwood Films reads.

Attorneys met with Roodt and Pieterse on Friday, but failed to reach an agreement with the film-makers.

News of the film, Winnie, hit South Africa late last year when it was revealed that American singer turned actor Jennifer Hudson had been offered the starring role.

The movie, which is set to start filming in May, has taken Roodt more than six years to bring to production and is based on a biography of Madi- kizela-Mandela by Anna-Marie du Preez Bezdrob.

South Africa's most acclaimed actor, John Kani, has voiced discontent at the casting of Hudson.

"From which angle has the movie been written?" Kani asked. "Will she be seen as a villain? If you did a movie of Nelson Mandela in 1967 it would have been that of Osama bin Laden."

He did not see a problem with an American portraying Madikizela-Mandela.

Kani said he fully supported freedom of expression and the right to interpretation, but warned that there were certain "sensitivities that must be considered" when telling the story of the person people consider to be the Mother of the Nation.

He did not see a problem with an American portraying Madikizela-Mandela, but felt producers should first explore the pool of local talent and consult local actors' unions before casting their eyes elsewhere.

"Now it's a free-for-all. Artists come here like they're tourists and end up telling you: 'I'm watching you'," said Kani in reference to the beer ads featuring Louis Gossett Jr.

"Jennifer Hudson is welcome to play Winnie, but what frustrates me is the South African producers' fascination with Hollywood. Yet they are the first persons to talk about 'local is lekker'," said the veteran actor and playwright.

Neither Roodt nor Pieterse was available for comment. Bezdrob, the author of Winnie Mandela, A Life, has said she hoped it would be a balanced movie and has described Madikizela-Mandela as "an incredible person".

In the letter to Ironwood Films, Madikizela-Mandela's attorneys warn the film-makers that she reserves her legal rights in the matter.

"Our client would have expected that the principal concern of the producer of such a film publication would be the need to respect the fundamental rights of those to be depicted particularly where the struggle for fundamental rights is the backdrop to the story itself," the attorneys write.

But a copyright expert believes that, although Madikizela-Mandela may object, she would struggle to win a court battle. "Normally, that would be a breach of a person's right to privacy. But she's a very public figure who's very well-known.

"Generally, there's nothing she can do to stop them from making a movie like that unless it's defamatory," said Spoor and Fisher.