This year’s edition of the Africa International Film Festival delivered on its promise with a robust programming and colourful awards ceremony. Nigerian and international film buffs had the time of their lives from November 10 to 16 during the 2019 edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) themed ‘Sheroes’ held in Lagos.
It was a wonderful week for movie enthusiasts, film students and industry players right from the opening night where Waad Al-Kataeb’s ‘Sama’ was screened. It is an exciting but dark story of the killing of citizens by the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria supported by allies, including Russia. The movie documents about six months of the siege on Aleppo by Syrian and Russian forces and drew gasps of shock and tears from the audience because of the cruelty displayed by the government.
Its dark nature notwithstanding, the plights of families who remained upbeat in the face of destruction; survival of a pregnant mother in a building hit by mortar and the safe delivery of her child, cheered the audience. Apart from highlighting the positive spirit of the Syrians who revolted against dictator al-Assad, ‘For Sama’ is sound technically. The audience, including Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and ex-governor Donald Duke, loved every minute of it.
Speaking after the screening and before the commencement of the well-attended after-party, Mohammed commended women for playing a leading role in the creative industry.
He hailed AFRIFF founder, Chioma Ude, for celebrating women with this year’s edition while praising others including Bolanle Austen Peters and Mo Abudu.
“During our first tenure in office, I attended many movie premieres, stage performances and other creative industry events and, amazingly, a whole lot of them were produced by women. I, therefore, wish to implore the women of the creative industry not to relent in showing the way in this great industry,” he said.
The minister assured that government will continue to support Nigerian creatives. “The evidence of our support can be seen clearly, whether in granting the industry the pioneer status or improving access to long-term, low-cost financing for entrepreneurs and investors in the Creative Industry and the Information Technology sectors through the CBN’s Creative Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI).
“Beyond that, we plan to finalise work on the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) Bill in order to create a proper regulatory environment for the sub-sector that has put Nigeria’s name on the global map, thus attracting the much-needed investment to the industry, and also establish the Endowment Fund for the Arts to create a legal framework for the financing of the creative industry,” he said.
For film students, especially those interested in making documentary films, it was time well spent at the workshop facilitated by Associate Professor at the Department of Film and Media Studies, at University of Kansas, and a veteran filmmaker, Robert Hurst. Nigerians, including Kunle Afolayan, joined the chief instructor brought by the US Consulate. Film enthusiasts equally binge-watched the almost 150 features, shorts and documentaries available during the festival.
Organisers upped the ante for the closing ceremony where Akin Omotoso’s ‘The Ghost & The House of Truth’ was screened. This was followed by the annual AFRIFF Globe Awards in partnership with the US Consulate, Lagos and Access Bank at Twin Waters, Oniru, Victoria Island.
Ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi; Group Managing Director, Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe and US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo, among others were present as winners including Akin Omotosho, Kate Henshaw and South African, Bongile Mantsai, were given their awards.
While Henshaw took the Best Female Performance prize for her role in ‘The Ghost & House of Truth’, Omotosho won Best Director with the same movie. Mantsai won Best Male Performance with his role in ‘Knuckle City’, Best Screenplay was Rwanda’s ‘Our Lady of The Nile’ while Best Feature Film was ‘Rattlesnakes’ by Julius Amedume
Omotosho’s ‘The Ghost & The House of Truth’ also won the Oronto Douglas Award for Best Nigerian Film while ‘Rattlesnakes’ again took the Audience Choice Award:
Burkinabe, Lucie Viver’s ‘Sankara is Not Dead’ received the Special Jury Prize for outstanding film and Lizzy Ovoeme won the Peter Obi Legacy Award for Female Excellence.
Nigeria’s Roye Okupe won the Best Animation Prize with ‘Malika – Warrior Queen’; Claudio Casale’s ‘My Tyson’ won Best Short, and Best Documentary was ‘In Search’ by Beryl Magoko.