Photo by Corey Takahashi

The Nollywood industry thrives on entrepreneurial zeal. Bethels Agomuoh is a film producer, director, occasional actor, and the owner of the online retailer http://africamovies.com. Hear him talk about the history and development of Nollywood:

which was released last year. Set in Africa and America, Agomuoh's movie is among a growing number of Nollywood works that are expanding the genre's themes.

Photo by Corey Takahashi

Awal "Kelly" Yaquob (center) and Joyce Marfo work at African Movies Mall in the South Bronx, New York. As the store's manager, Yaquob has watched the expansion of Nollywood's U.S. fanbase. Immigrant Africans, and a growing number of non-Africans, browse the shelves, leaving with bags full of $1-$5 DVDs. Yaquob says the store's prices are kept low in order to compete against bootleggers who sell knockoff DVDs on the street. The Ghanaian immigrant has high hopes for Nollywood's future: "Trust me," he says, "these days we guys are really, really coming up — and pretty soon we catch up with Hollywood." Hear his list of new Nollywood releases: