Young filmmakers celebrated at EU-NFI festival

THE future of Nigerian cinema was celebrated in Jos on Tuesday as student filmmakers gathered for the finale of the second European Union-National Film Institute (EU-NFI) Students Film Festival, where emerging directors, cinematographers, animators and documentary makers were recognised for their work.

The two-day festival, which ended on September 29 in Plateau State, was themed ‘Filmmaking in the Digital Age: A Techno-Creative Approach to Cultural Advocacy’.

Organised by the National Film Institute (NFI), Jos, in partnership with the European Union, it brought together screenings, masterclasses and competitions intended to develop the skills of a new generation of Nigerian filmmakers.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the EU ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, praised the students for what he described as their storytelling prowess, saying their work pointed to a promising future for African cinema.

Mignot said the European Union remained committed to supporting youth creativity and skills development within Nigeria’s creative industries.

He also highlighted the National Film Institute’s role in training young Nigerians to turn their experiences and questions about their communities into stories for the screen.

“I am pleased with this history-making institution, where young Nigerians are being equipped with the skills to become filmmakers and to transform their experiences, communities and questions into compelling stories,” Mignot said.

He added that the festival reflected areas of EU engagement in Nigeria, including youth empowerment, education, culture, the creative industries, people-to-people exchanges and efforts to strengthen relations between the EU and Nigeria.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Ali Nuhu, described the festival as more than a showcase, arguing that the partnership demonstrated a shared commitment to creating opportunities for young Nigerians to develop their storytelling abilities.

“A common vision drove the EU-NFI partnership; a shared mission; headed towards one destination; building strong, cross-border, and enduring cultural bridges,” Nuhu said.

He also called for continued investment in skills development and learning opportunities for emerging filmmakers, pointing to the growing number of cultural advocates using film to tell stories about their communities and society.

Nuhu congratulated the winners and participants, saying their performances reflected the NFI’s training standards. He encouraged students to maintain professional standards and use film for personal and national development.

The awards covered a range of filmmaking disciplines. ‘Rev Kola’, by Osakpolo Authur, won Best Sound, while ‘Carrying a Legacy’, by Badung Chuhwak, took Best Documentary. ‘Coming Home’, by Habubu Risku, won Best Animation, and ‘Dusk Till Dawn’, by Longtong Tang’an, was named Best Cinematography.

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Esther Onyinyechi Nnamani took two of the festival’s major prizes, winning Best Director and Best Short Film for ‘They Call Me Mother.’

Each of the six category winners received N100,000.

Rector of the National Film Institute, Prof Pomak Frank Tengya, said the institution was ready to host the festival again in 2027, signalling the organisers’ intention to establish the event as a continuing platform for student filmmakers.