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Tag: Nigerian Film Corporation

  • Nigerian Film Corporation partners with Agencie Francaise De Development

    THE Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has opened discussions with the French Agency for Development (Agence Francaise de Developpement) AFD to secure funds to develop the Nigerian film industry. The funding intervention, among others, will be for training and capacity building for the professional and amateur filmmakers across the country. The National Film Institute (NFI) in Jos will serve as the training fulcrum, while the Nigeria Film Corporation, proprietors of the NFI, will equally support the expected funding with the provision of physical infrastructure.

    At the same event, the NFC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lagos-Paris-Arts to partner, develop, promote, develop the Nigerian creative industry. The MoU provides the attraction of direct foreign investment, transfer of technology and employment opportunities for Nigerians, with the creation of institutional linkages between African and European creative industries. The NFC and Lagos-Paris-Arts will be expected to jointly undertake outreach capacity training in film production at the NFC zonal offices across the country. Lagos-Paris-Arts shall also provide state-of-the-art learning facilities suited for the development of digital contents at the training locations.

    Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, NFC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, at both events said that NFC has embarked on expanding its operations through collaboration and partnership platforms, intended to strengthening Nigeria’s position as the hub of film training and production in Africa. Dr. Maduekwe, while speaking on the envisaged funding from AFD, listed the upgrade of the Screening Auditorium at the township facility of the NFI to a standard cinema to serve Jos and contiguous states to Plateau State. Other areas are the remodelling of the facility of the newly created Northern Regional Office sited in Kaduna State, a buy in into the NFC/NFI Motorised Mobile Training Platform as well as the construction of a sound stage with knock down capabilities.

    Receiving the team from France and Lagos Paris Art, Dr. Chidia said that the visit was timely as the corporation is currently expanding her operations in several areas towards achieving the goal of making Nigeria the hub of film training in Africa through the NFI, which is now fully operational from the permanent site in Lamingo.

    The Country Director of AFD, Pascal Grangereau, said the discussion with NFC was to foster accelerated and enhanced capacity of the Nigerian Film Industry in terms of capacity building and infrastructural development. Grangereau assured that AFD will kick-start the collaboration/partnership as soon as all processes are concluded.  Also Mr. Sony O’ Jaga, Chief Executive Officer of Lagos- Paris Art expressed his committed to ensure that the content of the MoU  is executed to the fullest, and thanked the NFC for its support.

  • Nigerian Film Corporation trains 100 youths

    ONE hundred youths from the five area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have received special training on film and video production. Facilitated by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), the five-day training programme had youth empowerment and the creation of employment as its focus.

    The participants received training in Scripting and Acting, Digital Cinematography, Directing, Production Management, Digital Editing for Film & Television, and Digital Still Photography.

    In his remarks, Senator Philip Aduda Tanimu, initiator of the training of the youths and Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, charged participants to utilise the knowledge acquired to facilitate economic activities capable of reducing unemployment in the country. Tanimu assured the participants that government was desirous of reducing unemployment in Nigeria to the barest minimum.

    Also speaking at the closing ceremony, the NFC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, who was represented by NFC’s Director of Finance & Accounts, Alhaji Sanusi Sambo, said the training programme was aimed at assisting government in engaging youths of the country through empowerment programmes. He said  the prevalence of societal vices can be addressed frontally if, among others, the teaming youths of the country are positively engaged in economic activities. He further said that NFC has developed a robust partnership and collaboration template for training and capacity building of youths by public and private agencies.

    The 100 youths were issued certificates in recognition of their participation last Saturday.

  • Eddie Ugbomah’s death, a great loss to Nigeria, says Nigerian Film Corporation

    THE Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has reacted to the death of Chief Eddie Ugbomah, who died last weekend.

    Describing the death of the veteran film maker and one of the pioneers of the big screens in Nigeria, as shocking and painful; Alhaji Sanusi Sambo, the Acting Chief Executive of NFC, said that the creative industry has lost an irreparable rare gem, whose creative ingenuity has been a source of pride and inspiration to other filmmakers.

    According to Alhaji Sambo, NFC witnessed a monumental take off and stability as the pivot film agency in Nigeria when Chief Ugbomah was appointed the Chairman of its Board.

    “Most of the achievements of the NFC today are tied to the foundational direction the late Ugbomah and other members of his Board gave to management of the corporation.”

    Chief Ugbomah was appointed the Chairman of NFC board by General Ibrahim Babangida (GCFR) and served from February 1988 to February 1991. During his tenure, the NFC colour laboratory came on full stream for the processing of films shot on celluloid. The late Ugbomah was a trained journalist, television and film actor, producer and director.

    Chief Ugbomah who held the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), will surely continue to receive deserved recognitions, as a result of his contributions to the growth of film production in Nigeria, Alhaji Sambo assured.

  • Nigerian Film Corporation sets for SHOOT! 2019

    The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has announced its readiness to mount SHOOT! 2019; a professional and capacity building training workshop designed for film makers, television, radio, information and communication professionals.

    The training workshop also targets scholars, students of film, television, theatre arts, advertising, public relations and upcoming/intermediate media professionals.

    According to a statement by NFC’s spokesperson, Brian Etuk, SHOOT! 2019 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 16 to Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the National Film Institute, Jos, Plateau State.

    He said the Corporation has commenced activities to ensure that the professional and capacity building training workshop meets its objectives, which includes upping skills as well as production techniques of participants, which have arisen due to emerging technology upgrades, and the fast growing digitized communication spectrum.

    The statement listed the training workshop rubrics as Scripting and Acting, Digital Cinematography, Directing, Production Management, Digital Editing for Film & Television, Digital Still Photography, Animation, Set Design & Construction; Costume and Make-up, as well as Producing Skills for Film, Television & Commercials.

    According to Etuk, SHOOT! 2019 is the 9th edition in the series of the professional and capacity building training workshop instituted by the Corporation in 2005 to provide training opportunities for Nigerians across all spheres of the creative industry. Over 2,700 persons have so far participated in past editions of SHOOT! drawn from the private, public sectors; the military and para-military, the police, media professionals, students, scholars, film associations and guilds as well as private practicing individuals.

    Interested participants should address all enquiries to the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigerian Film Corporation, through the email – mdnigerianfilms@gmail.com or visit the Corporation’s official website: nfc.gov.ng for enquiries.

  • ZUMA ’18: Filmmaker Femi Odugbemi bags Lifetime Achievement Award

    The theme, Archiving for Creativity, resonated in all aspects of the just concluded Zuma Film Festival in Abuja, as organisers, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) etched the names of some film industry veterans, including Femi Odugbemi, in its Movie Rock of Fame Award.

    The award ceremony, which held at the International Conference Center, Abuja, was the highpoint of the week-long festival.

    According to the Managing Director of NFC who doubled as chairman of the Zuma Film Festival Planning Committee, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe,  the Lifetime Achievement award was “to recognize and reward excellence and immeasurable contributions towards the growth of the Film industry.”

    Other Rock of Fame honourees include the late first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa; TV veteran actor Chief Chika Okpala; former Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation Professor Hyginius Ekwuazi; Mallam Ali Nuhu and Mallam Yakub Ibn Mohammed.

    For Odugbemi, who, in June was announced a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (organisers of the annual OSCAR awards) in the United States, to being appointed MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Director for West Africa, and now the Movie Rock of Fame Award, 2018 has been a good year so far.

    Between 2002 and 2006, Odugbemi was President of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) where he championed professional training and workshops for the then nascent Nollywood industry. He also led the organisation of the Lagos Forum on Cinema and Video which focused on the business of content marketing and film distribution.

    Odugbemi’s career in the film industry boasts of many milestones. He was the pioneer and three-time Head Judge of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). He has also served as a Head of Jury of the Uganda Film Festival in Kampala for three consecutive years. He is a Co-founder and Executive Director of the popular iREP International Documentary Film Festival which has gathered filmmakers from across the globe to Lagos for the last eight years.

    iREP has provided training and workshop opportunities free of charge to many emerging filmmakers especially those focused on the less glamorous documentary film genre.

    Odugbemi, through iREP, has convened academics, intellectuals, historians and filmmakers under one umbrella to integrate their artistic vision, with thematic explorations of archiving, post-colonial narratives, cultural renaissance, impact of new media and technology on storytelling and many other salient inter-disciplinary approaches to film engagement. Odugbemi himself established his pedigree as a documentarist of international repute with documentary titles like the AMAA-Best Documentary film ‘Bariga Boy’ and many others.

    The general focus of his documentary work has been to preserve our culture as well as use film as an advocacy tool to bring to fore burning issues in the society, as a way of keeping the leaders in check. One of his most celebrated recent documentaries is the award-winning ‘Makoko’ a story on poor primary school education in Makoko, a slum nestled in the Yaba area of Lagos. Makoko brought to light the impoverished state of the community which attracted well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the residents.

    Perhaps where Odugbemi really displayed his ingenuity has been in the television space where he was a founding producer of one of the longest running TV series in Africa, Tinsel. His current production ‘Battleground’ is one of the most watched TV series on Africa Magic channel, attracting millions of viewers to its compelling narrative of love, betrayal and revenge.

  • NFC unveils ZUMA 2018 programmes, Lagos viewing center

    THE Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has unveiled a TVC for this year’s edition of ZUMA Film Festival, scheduled to hold from December 1 to 7, at the Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja.

    Managing Director of NFC, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe who addressed journalists and stakeholders at the Ikoyi, Lagos office of the Corporation, reiterated his commitment to make the NFC a home to all stakeholders, while also declaring open to filmmakers, a cozy mini theatre.

    In its 9th edition, this will be the second annual edition of the festival since Maduekwe assumed office, and changed the frequency of the biennial film event around.

    He said efforts have been doubled to ensure that ZUFF 2018, and those to come thereafter, continue to meet its objectives.

    “In doing this, we have deliberately sought and secured collaborations and partnerships from film stakeholders, companies, foreign film commissions and embassies in Nigeria. To be specific, we have secured the partnership of the Embassies of the United States of America, France, Germany, Spain as well as other film Associations including those of the Bahamas (Caribbean countries) and State of California in the United States of America. There are also several other government agencies who have confirmed their partnerships with us. NFC’s quest in ensuring sustainable film activities Nigeria and the promotion of excellence in the mounting of ZUMA film festival shall continue to be our focus. We are open to more partnerships and collaborations even as the 2018 edition of the film festival is weeks away.”

    The NFC boss announced that over 3,700 film entries from Nigeria and foreign countries were received, saying the selections are among the best of films produced within the specified periods of the guidelines for submission of entries, adding that, this year, the number of countries and registered delegates have increased.

    Maduekwe who named a former MD of the Corporation, Mr. Afolabi Adesanya as Head of Jury for ZUFF 2018, described the latter as a filmmaker with rich experience of the film industry both home and abroad.

    Former Vice President of Spain, Ms Maria Theresa Fernandez, who is currently Chairperson, Advisory Council to the Spanish Government, is expected to be the Special Guest at the Spanish.

    He said daily film screening which will be free to all, will take place from 10.00am to 10.00pm at the Genesis Cinema, Cedi Plaza, Central Business District of Abuja.

    Activities during the festival will include recognitions and rewards for excellence, Master Classes, Seminars, Roundtable discussions, Business meetings, and Emerging Talent Workshops.

    Erudite Scholar and Diplomat, Professor Ibrahim Gambari is also expected to deliver the NFC annual film lecture with the theme, Film archiving as a tool for diplomacy.

    The topic of the Annual Lecture, according to Maduekwe, is in sync with the overall theme of this edition of ZUFF.

    He announced that the classic Shehu Umar, a film adaptation of Sir Tafawa Balewa;s book has been transformed into digital format by the German government. The film screened at the last edition of Berlinale, in February.

    “The theme Archiving for Creativity shall reignite the consciousness in film makers and other stakeholders on the important role of film – audio visual archiving of creative works and its posterity values. It is a paradigm shift to protect and preserve several thousands of films that have been produced in Nigeria, the past decades. Several pieces collections of audio-visual and film materials are being lost due to non-preservation,” he said.

  • NFC trains 115 Lagos youths in film production

    Youths of Lagos State have asked both the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the Lagos State Government to sustain its partnership on the Film Training Workshop Series for the interest of their future. Speaking on Wednesday, March 28th, at the closing ceremony of the one-week film training workshop which held in Lagos, cross section of participants, mainly Youths, drawn from the 57 Local Government and Development Areas of Lagos State said that the film training workshop has armed them to be able to seek alternative sources of wealth and job creation, and not wait for government for employment.

    The excited participants praised the NFC for the level of resources deployed for the workshop and promised to effectively deploy the skills acquired during the training for a better Nigeria. The Government of Lagos State was equally commended for creating the opportunity for the training workshop, which the youths craved, should be sustained and expanded to accommodate more youths.

    NFC’s Managing Director, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe at the closing ceremony admonished the trainees to create the impact required of them as a result of the one week training. He assured that the Corporation has taken up the issues of training and capacity building for the film industry and is frontally addressing them. Dr. Maduekwe was represented by Mr. Simon Inegedu, Zonal Director of NFC Lagos Office.

    During the one-week training workshop, participants received one-on-one coaching in digital cinematography,  scripting and directing, production management, still photography, editing and sound design and production; as well as the development of post training networks that comes with valuable addition to the training.

    Participants undertook the production of a short film titled “Ashake” which was shown as part of the closing ceremony on the one-week film training workshop.

    Earlier at the opening ceremony on Monday, March 26th, Mr. Dele Balogun, Executive Secretary of Lagos State Film & Video Censors Board, charged participants to ensure that they adequately took the opportunity offered them by the State Government seriously. The Lagos State Government “remains strongly committed to capacity building, entrepreneurship empowerment and sustainable youth development” Balogun said, while presenting his address to participants.

    A total of 115 Youths participated in the one-week film training workshop.

  • German to fund Masters Programme at National Film Institute

    The German Government is set to fund a Master’s Degree Programme in Archival Studies as the course is introduced at the National Film Institute (NFI), the training arm of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC).

    Dr Chidia Maduekwe, Managing Director of the NFC, disclosed this in an interview with News men on Tuesday night, on the sideline of a reception dinner in Abuja.

    The reception ceremony was organised in honour of Maduekwe, as he was on March 20 inaugurated, along other members, into the board of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies ( NIPSS ) Kuru, Jos.

    Maduekwe said that in view of this, NFI will begin a post-graduate programme in its 2019 academic session in Archival Studies, the study and theory of building and curating archives, which are collections of recordings and data storage devices.

    He explained that the German Government, in line with its cordial relationship with Nigeria, has indicated interest and commitment to fund the programme within the first four years of its introduction in the film institute.

    ” In line with the existing bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Germany, and as part of technical collaboration between NFI and similar Germany institute, this programmed will be fully sponsored by the German Government.

    “This is part of our efforts at the NFC to attract international collaborations, especially in capacity building for Nigerian filmmakers,’’ he said.

    The NFC boss noted that the German Government had earlier sought to restore and digitised a Nigerian film ‘Shehu Umaru’, in line with modern technological advancement, using the expertise of the Arsenal Institute of Film and Video Archives Berlin.

    Read Also: German government invests 50m euros to train Nigerians in five years

    He explained that the film was successfully digitised and presented for screening at the 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival which held in Feb.

    “The German Embassy’s interest in the film stemmed from its story line, the rich Nigerian culture it portrays in addition to the dexterity and creativity of its production.

    “If there was no quality in that production, it would not be globally celebrated, as we are about to witness in Germany.”

    He added that plans were also in place between the Berlin Film Institute and NFI for capacity building programmes for young and established Nigerian filmmakers in line with the mandate of the Nigerian Film Corporation.

    Maduekwe noted that since Nollywood stakeholders, especially actors and filmmakers were spread across Nigeria, NFC was making arrangement to have functional offices across the six geo-political zones.

    “We have just established an office in the North East and South East, and plans are under way to establish south -south office, in addition to existing ones in Lagos and other parts.

    “This is part of efforts to bring capacity building to the people, because that is what we represent.

    “There are a lot of talented young people that can be developed to explore the creative sector.

    “When we capture and expose these young Nigerians, we are exposing them to the exponential deliverable of their capacities towards contributing to our GDP,’’ he added.

    NAN

  • Nigerian Film Corporation to roll out film production programme

    •Trains 80 youths in Jos

    The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has said it will soon roll out a film training programme schedule that will cover 2018 to the first quarter of 2019 in the first instance, intended to enhance the capacity and professional competence of filmmakers in the country.

    Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, NFC’s Managing Director revealed this at the certificate presentation and closing ceremony of the Special Film Training Workshop held at the National Film Institute, Jos, Plateau State for 80 youth entrepreneurs from the six geopolitical zones of the country on Saturday.

    Dr. Maduekwe, reminded participants that the training workshop was designed to help participants appraise existing and new developments within the context of broad range of traditional filmmaking techniques and applications in film and television production. The training workshop, he further said, equally sought to address skills gap in the creative industry, especially in film and television production. NFC, he further re-emphasised was desirous to sustain the momentum of training and retraining, as well as capacity building, of youths and filmmakers in the various opportunities within film and television.

    “We wish to assure all Nigerians, especially, practitioners, that NFC will expand the scope and spread of its training programmes,” the NFC boss said, and assured that the Corporation will pursue the development of domestic and foreign institutional linkages, collaborations and partnerships to deliver on its training and capacity building mandate.

    “We have designated our zonal offices as centres of training and capacity building for film and its allied sectors.”

    Dr. Maduekwe called on state governments, practitioners and other stakeholders, to embrace the Corporation’s training and capacity building programmes which are designed to incorporate a blended learning approach that combines personal experience, classroom tutorials and practical/hands on, and ultimately create jobs and wealth as a major objective.

    Participants produced and presented a short film “Mai Goro” to the admiration of guests which included heads of relevant government agencies, filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

  • ZUFF 2017: Organisers want more festivals to market Nigerian films

    ZUFF 2017: Organisers want more festivals to market Nigerian films

    Chidia Maduekwe, Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation ( NFC ) and Chairman of ZUMA Film Festival ( ZUFF ) has called for more film festivals to attract investors and create market for Nigeria films.

    He made the call during an interview on Sunday night on the side line of events at the 2017 edition of ZUMA Film Festival held in Abuja.

    The eight edition of the Nigerian prestigious film fiesta, with the theme, “Feast on Films”, holds from Dec. 1 to Dec. 3 at the Jabi Lake Mall in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    According to Maduekwe, as the Nigerian film industry grows, it needs to be promoted as a viable investment option to both local and the international business communities, and film festivals are veritable platforms to be used.

    “We are aware of the tremendous impact of the Nigerian film industry on the economy of the nation, Africa and indeed around the world.

    “The enormous impact of Nollywood, as the industry is popularly called, is to be further strengthened through Film Festivals,” he said.

    He further explained that in order to effectively showcase Nollywood as a viable investment opportunity and alternative means of employment and wealth creation, the once biennial ZUFF, will be held annually.

    “This is to position the festival and bring it to par with others in Africa and other parts of the world, and to sustainably stimulate film production activities in the country.

    “We are also optimistic that negotiation for co-production deals, sell of film rights as well as investment opportunities will be explored.”

    According to him, the 2017 edition of the film festival was packaged to showcase Nigeria’s film industry, art, culture and tourism as alternative means of employment and wealth creation.

    “This year, we mounted a re-branded ZUMA Film Festival designed to explore the economic and audiovisual potentials of Africa’s largest motion picture industry

    Also, a report states that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who was the chief host, commended the organisers of the ZUFF and pledged Government’s support to the growth of the film industry. ZUMA Film Festival ( ZUFF )

    “Since diversification of the economy is crucial to this Government, the movie industry is a viable option, and government will give all necessary support to ensure that it does well,” he said

    A reports indicates that the ZUMA Film Festival, now in its 8th edition, is platform for Nigerian film practitioners to network with their counterparts from other parts of the world and thus stimulates co-production and financing opportunities.

    It presents the Nigerian film industry as a vibrant and viable investment option to Nigeria and international business communities

    The 2017 edition of the festival featured ‘Emerging Talent Film Exposition’, where top filmmakers and actors, including Kunle Afolayan, held master classes for young and upcoming actors.

    It also presented, among others, exhibition days like Lagos Day, Kano Day, Abia Day and Morocco Day, as well as ‘Celebrities Hangout”, where fans met and familiarize with film celebrities of their choices.

    Film stakeholders and investors within and outside the shores of Nigeria attended the film festival.

    NAN