FIAPF endorses Zuma Film Festival as veterans get honours

LEADER of the Federation International Des Producers De Film (FIAPF) delegation attending the ongoing Zuma Film Festival (ZUFF) in Abuja, Bertrand Moullier, has said that the festival has the capabilities to be enlisted into the international register of film festivals.

Speaking to journalists at the Face of ZUMA Beauty Pageant Competition at the Jabi Lake Mall on November 29, Moullier, Senior International Advisor of FIAPF said that Nigeria’s robust film industry had all the trappings to be included in the international film festival circuit to attract sustainable foreign investments, partnerships and collaborations.

Moullier, who was accompanied by Florence Girot, FIAPF’s Festival Director, said the Federation was interested in the international acceptability and appearances of Nollywood at international film festivals.

He commended the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) for sustaining the festival and rebranding it. FIAPF, he assured, would assist ZUFF in its quest to become the springboard for Nigeria’s film industry to feature at international film festivals.

Meanwhile, the NFC has released the list veterans that would be honoured at the awards ceremony happening this evening.

NFC’s Managing Director and chair, organising committee, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, explained that two categories of veteran artistes – living and deceased – would be given awards at the event.

Those that will get post humus awards include: Adeyemi Afolayan (Ade Love), Oba Funso Adeolu, James Iroha (Giringory), Sam Loco Efe, Kasimu Yero, Adamu Halilu and Hajiya Amina Garba (Mama Dumba).

The living veterans to be honoured are Logaji Ugorji, Abdulkareem Mohammed, Brendan Shehe, Ola Balogun, Edward Fom, Femi Shaka, and Sadiq Daba.

Maduekwe, who explained that the list of recipients was not exhaustive, disclosed that more veterans would be honoured at subsequent editions of the festival.