This season, the annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF)
returns for its sixth year of cinematic celebration with an impressive
line-up of movie premieres, film screenings, industry sessions, master
classes and other festival programmes holding in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 13th to 20th, 2016.
Announcing the festival programmes at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, AFRIFF Founder/Executive Director Chioma Ude
said Lagos will, once again, wear the tourism ambiance, playing host to
filmmakers and actors from around the world, with over 100 films
showing at the newly opened Filmhouse-IMAX and Genesis Cinema, both in
Lekki, Lagos.
Ude appeared to have struck the right cord when she announced Nate Parker’s Oscar hopeful, The Birth of a Nation and Izu Ojukwu’s
celebrated film on the first Nigerian military coup, ’76 as the opening
and closing films respectively, a disclosure which was received with
loud ovation.
Canon Europe Ltd, leading provider of
digital cameras, and Diageo Nigeria, world’s premium beverage company
join the list of resourceful partners and developmental agencies like
Ford Foundation, British Institute, Lagos State, Africa Magic,
MultiChoice Nigeria, Access Bank, Bank of Industry, Peugeot Automobile
Nigeria (PAN), Afrinolly, African Film Consortium (AFC), Filmhouse-IMAX,
Genesis Cinemas and Silverbird Group, at the press parley and cocktail
launch.
According to the AFRIFF boss, festival
guests are up for the best of times during the festival, as all the
films in official line-up are products of the new narratives for African
cinema and Black films world over.
The selection includes, 93 Days (Nigeria) by Steve Gukas, The CEO (Nigeria) by Kunle Afolayan, Vaya (South Africa) by Akin Omotoso, The Cursed Ones (U.K) by Nana Obiri, The Wedding Ring ( Niger) by Rahmatou Keita, Kati Kati (Kenya) by Mbithi Masya, If Tomorrow Never Comes (Ghana) by Pascal Amanfo, Remember Me (Nigeria) by Izu Ojukwu, Breathe (South Africa) by Mark Dornford-May, The Missing God (Nigeria) by Ubaka Joseph, Unspoken (Nigeria) by Remi Vaughan-Richards, Green White Green (Nigeria) by Abba Makama, The Unseen (Namibia) by Perivi Natjavivi, N.G.O (Uganda) by Arnold Aganze, Gidi Blues (Nigeria) by Femi Odugbemi, Daggers of Life (Ghana) by Paapa Otoo, Shadow of the Passion (Burkina Faso) by Ado Bambara, Ojukokoro (Nigeria) by Dare Olaitan, Bala Bala Sese (Uganda) by Lukyamuzi Bashir and The Arbitration (Nigeria) by Niyi Akinmolayan.
In addition to the wide range of films,
the festival, according to Ude, will also offer industry platforms for
skill acquisition, financing, pitching, symposia on alternative revenue
streams and
piracy.
piracy.
Ude noted that one of the core
objectives of the festival is talent development where AFRIFF has been
engaging with its partners in creating opportunities for young people to
explore filmmaking. “Amongst our Shorts programme are films made
by young people, selected from last year’s training and talent
development programmes,” she said.
Executive Producer of ‘76, Prince Tonye Princewill who responded from London where the film is being screened at the London International Film Festival said “the
honour of our film being chosen to close the Africa International Film
Festival cannot be described with words. The film has been honoured
around the world, but recognition at home means everything to us. The
field for Nigerian films is very strong this year, so it is especially
rewarding for ‘76 to receive this nod. We are proud of the AFRIFF
organizers and hope we can do them justice.”
Kene Mkparu who spoke on behalf of Filmone-IMAX, FilmOne Distribution and The Birth of a Nation, noted that “FilmOne
Distribution & Filmhouse Cinemas are truly honoured to be a part of
bringing this amazing re-telling of a remarkable piece of African
history to the continent of Africa. And like Nate Parker (writer,
director, producer and star of the movie) himself said, what better
platform to present The Birth Of A Nation to the continent than the
biggest African film festival, AFRIFF, here in Lagos Nigeria. We are
also delighted that this movie is so important to our partners 20th
Century Fox that senior executives of Fox (including Paul Higginson,
Executive Vice President, EMEA) as well as stars of the movie will be
here, live, in Lagos to launch the Birth of A Nation. This is a movie
all Africans must get to the cinema to see. It is our story we never
knew, action packed, resilient spirit of man, godliness, hard-hitting,
tear-jerking, emotional, thought-provoking and very, very well made.”
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