French Embassy in Nigeria, AFRIFF celebrate Franco-Nigerian collaboration in film

This year again, the French Embassy in Nigeria has proudly renewed its partnership with the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) by inviting twelve French industry professionals to Lagos for this year’s festival.

Together, they will organise a high-level event showcasing French expertise and excellence in the audiovisual sector within one of the most prominent platforms of Nollywood.

AFRIFF, a flagship event in the African cinema landscape, will once more welcome a delegation of French producers and distributors from across France.

The goal is to foster opportunities for development and cooperation with Nigeria, while promoting high-quality French content to Nigerian producers and distributors, and presenting the various tools available for co-productions with France.

This year marks an exciting milestone for the festival with the launch of the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM), a dedicated film and content marketplace designed to facilitate the buying and selling of films and encourage collaborations between filmmakers, distributors, and investors.

This new initiative represents a transformative step for African cinema.

The visiting French companies, recognised as leading players in their respective fields, will participate in multiple conferences and workshops.

They will also contribute to pitching sessions for films and TV series, helping identify and nurture emerging Nigerian talents. The new generation of Nollywood creators is increasingly eager to explore international co-productions, reach new audiences and one day be featured in the official selections of major international festivals such as Cannes.

Networking with French producers and distributors thus aims to serve as a key stepping stone in their professional development.

Laurent Favier, Consul Général of France in Lagos in Nigeria stated, “Strengthening collaborations between Nollywood and the French film industry is one of the Embassy’s key priorities. We already support Nigerian initiatives by inviting several Nigerian companies to major international festivals and markets such as MIPCOM in Cannes, Series Mania in Lille and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.”

“Through this event, we also want to highlight that French film production extends well beyond our borders, it reflects a vast network of international co-productions, particularly with African countries and creative talents,” he added.

He further noted that bringing French professionals to Lagos forms part of a broader strategic action plan by the French Embassy in Nigeria; as this will strengthen the Nigerian Cultural and Creative Industries ecosystem and enhance the capacities of its stakeholders.

Throughout the year, the Embassy carries out numerous initiatives, including workshops, networking sessions, professional delegations to France and hosting French representatives in Nigeria.