The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF,) began its
7th Season with a prospect of more support for film business, as government
representatives, business leaders and developmental agencies made exciting
speeches, at a glamorous ceremony held Sunday night, at the Genesis Deluxe
Cinemas, The Palms, Lekki, Lagos.
The Opening Night films; ‘Waiting for Hassana’, a Short on
the abducted Chibok girls, directed by Ifunanya Maduka, and ‘I am not a Witch’, a Zambian film by
Rungano Nyoni, were a befitting food for thought, as they highlight topical
social issues relating to African children.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
who welcomed all delegates to the festival, expressed his administration’s
willingness to support the creative industry through grants, tax breaks and
funding opportunities.
He said: “I will re-iterate a few of the initiatives we are
pursuing:
“We are pushing for a single-digit interest on loans for
infrastructural developments for the Industry. We are supporting the building
of 100 community cinemas to be evenly spread across the country. We are close
to having world-class pre- and post-production facility using the current NTA
infrastructure with a few additions. We want to ensure that in the focus on
studio facilities, we ensure that one is located in every geo-political zone of
the country. And on the back of the DIGITAL SWITCH-OVER of our television, we
are ensuring that the set top boxes are enabled to allow our 24 million TV
households to buy our movies with and without the need of data. This way, the
home goes digital!”
It was a night of great promises for AFRIFF and the Nigerian
film industry, as Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, whose
bank returns as lead sponsor of the festival, pledged more support for
filmmakers, especially through the AFRIFF/Accelerate Filmmakers Project, an
initiative set up to help burgeoning filmmakers to nurture their ideas. Wigwe,
who is also the patron of AFRIFF, stressed the importance of film as a powerful
tool for Africans to tell their stories, different from the usual story of
poverty, often projected by the Western media.
Representing the Governor of Lagos state, Commissioner for
Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, welcomed delegates to the centre
of excellence and positioned AFRIFF as ‘’one of the leading creative platforms
in Africa that has been consistent, truly awe inspiring and which has found the
Lagos arty landscape compatible with its own vision.’’
Introducing the opening night films, former governor of Akwa
Ibom state and current Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio gave a
lengthy account of his efforts to bring the exaggerated problem of witchcraft,
associated to children in the state to an end. According to Akpabio, his
administration had succeeded through education, convictions and rehabilitation
in halting the dangerous trend.
Also speaking at the event, French Consul General, Lagos,
Mr. Laurent Polonceaux said; “This is a great opportunity for us because this
is the first time that the French government is involved with Africa. We will
be having two days at the festival for French films, with possibility of
co-production with Nigeria and Africa.” He noted that it was good that the
festival will be closing with the French film, ‘Felicite’, and disclosed that
arrangement has been made to have about 70 film students for further training
in France as an exchange programme with AFRIFF.
The opening ceremony started with a red carpet show that had
celebrities like Wale Ojo, Hilda Dokubo, Uche Jombo, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Judith
Audu, Linda Ejiofor, Hilda Dokubo and Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi.
Others dignitaries include star filmmakers and film
entrepreneurs such as Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Biola Alabi, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe,
Fred Amata, Zick Zulu Okafor, Kunle Afolayan, CJ Obasi, Belinda Yanga, Kenneth
Uphopho, as well as media personalities like Fidelis Anosike, CEO of Daily
Times, Shaibu Husseini of The Guardian, and Ameyaw Debrah from Ghana.
AFRIFF is an annual week-long, all-encompassing world class
showcase running from October 29 to November 4, 2017.
About 200 carefully curated feature length, short,
documentary and student films will be screened this year.
The festival also encompasses talent development classes,
industry workshops and inspiring creative discussions.
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