also starred in some Ghanaian productions, in order for the film to capture wider audience. Van Vicker, a popular Ghanaian actor, has starred in many Nigerian movies. As a result of these collaborations, Western viewers often confuse Ghanaian movies with Nigerian films and count their sales as one; however, they are two independent industries that sometimes share the colloquial "Nollywood". Popularity and appeal In 2009, Unesco rated Nollywood as the second-biggest film industry in the world after Indian cinema in terms of output. Africa Since the 2000s, Nigerian movies started to dominate television screens across the African continent and by extension, the diaspora. The film actors have also become household names across the continent, and the movies significantly influence cultures in many African nations; from ways of dressing to speech and use of Nigerian slang. This has been attributed to the fact that Nigerian films told "relatable" stories, which made foreign films gather dust on the shelves of video stores, even though they cost much less. This overwhelming popularity has also led to backlash against Nigerian films in several countries; For instance, there have been reported cases of shops selling Nigerian films being raided by the police in Ghana; according to them, "they are struggling not to be colonized by Nigerian movies". Several other governments have also introduced protectionist measures, some of which include introducing spurious taxes for production houses who want to shoot films in their countries. In July 2010, Ghana started demanding US$1,000 from visiting Nigerian actors and US$5,000 from producers and directors. The Democratic Republic of Congo had also tried to ban Nigerian films. Jean Rouch, a champion of indigenous art in Niger, compared Nollywood to AIDS. He stated that there seems to be a "Nigerianization" of Africa, worrying that the whole continent has come to "snap its fingers the Nigerian way". Europe The Nigerian film industry has a strong following in the African diaspora community in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom. Organizations and events Organizations Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN): is a union, which regulates and represents the affairs of film actors in Nigeria and abroad. It is headed by an elected president. Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria (CDGN) Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) Edo Artistes Association of Nigeria (EAAN) Nigerian Film Corporation Screenwriters Guild of Nigeria Events Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA): is an