Lagos to deliver on $100m African Film City in October – Sanwo-Olu

…As AFRIFF announces 2023 programme for 12th edition

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor, on Thursday disclosed that his administration would deliver on the proposed $100 million African Film City project in Epe before the end of October.

“We will be doing the groundbreaking for the African Film City before the end of this month. The film city would be on 100 hectares of land in Epe and it is massive. We just want to take the lead in Lagos State,” Sanwo-Olu said during a news conference on the forthcoming 12th African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) at the Government House, Marina, Lagos.

According to him, the project is intended to enhance originality in content creation in Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry. “We are hoping that the first set of studios will be ready from 24 to 30 months right after the groundbreaking.

“I have been to few studios in the United States of America, like Prime Studio, Sugarland and more; they are excited and promised to come down here,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state government would be doubling the capacity-building support for talented young industry players to enhance their skills in modern filmmaking.

The governor disclosed that grants for filmmakers would be increased to enhance seamless operation.

“We are also going to be doubling our monetary support and training for upcoming players in the industry as well as increasing grants for film producers,” he said.

The governor urged filmmakers to create ‘Africanised’ content that would change the continent’s socio-cultural narrative, adding that through this, the world would know Nigeria is ready.

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He said that the festival has offered a platform for young talents in the movie industry to flourish. “I am excited that the 12th AFRIFF is around the corner to further showcase the original local content to the world.”

Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that his administration is excited to be part of the 2023 African film festival. “We believe this is the right thing to do. It is only when we can hold ourselves together and tell our stories that the world will understand our history.”

Chioma Ude, founder, Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), said the 12th edition of the annual festival would hold from November 5 to 11.

Themed, ‘Indigenous to Global 2.0’, Ude disclosed that the docus this year would be on promoting and projecting indigenous contents to the global audience.

“This edition of the festival is important because creatives would be exposed to series of learning across filmmaking, makeup act, designers and more,” she said.

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According to her, filmmakers need to understand international policies and laws to be able to sell their indigenous contents to global audience. She also disclosed that over 1000 quality firms will be exhibited during the festival.

Ude said so far, AFRIFF has received over a thousand great film submissions since it opened entries.

She said: “If you don’t think global, you won’t go global. This edition of the festival stands out due to the heavy emphasis on our films leaving a mark on the global stage. In line with AFRIFF’s ethos of capacity building, creatives would be exposed to a series of trainings cutting across filmmaking, makeup, art designing and more.

“We need to understand international policies and laws to be able to sell our indigenous contents globally. Whether you’re a make-up artiste, filmmaker or designer, you’re going to be earning in dollars, and invariably such earnings will boost our economy too.”

A representative of one of the partners, Aisha Mumuni, general manager at MTN Nigeria, said her company has a “vested interest” in the festival.

“It’s time for our story to be heard,” Mumuni said.