Film Village: We’ll rather make Lagos a media hub – Commissioner, LSMTAC

The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Folorunso Folarin-Coker has rebuffed the call to situate a film village in Lagos State, but he said the state government would prefer the state becomes a media hub.

Speaking during the One Lagos fiesta, a three-day celebration of entertainment, arts and culture held recently at the Bar Beach, Victoria Island, the commissioner said that the state of the nation economy has warranted the need to explore other options of generating more revenue besides the allocation from the centre.

Enunciating the huge market potentialities of entertainment and tourism in the state, Folarin-Coker said that the Ambode-led government will be looking to turn Lagos into a media hub instead of siting a film village in a corner of the state.

The commissioner’s specifications for a Lagos media hub were not dissimilar to the components of the proposed world class Film Village in Kano State, however, he did insinuate a holistic approach to the project.

He said, “Instead of film village, I am in support of a media hub for Lagos. We would want a place where film schools, music schools, sound studios, an institute of hospitality will be sited and internet and power constantly available. That is what I am in support of. And I think the government is trying to define Lagos this way.

“Lagos has become one of the cities of the world recognised as a film capital. I think we are coming of age.

“We don’t have to wait on the Federal Government. We have to have an alternative source of income. And what do we have in Lagos? We have entertainment. Our film industry is number two in the world. The music industry is thriving. Lagos is a city of 22 million people. We will have to get our people to consume more of Lagos in order to grow our internal revenue rather than wait for oil price to rise?”

Speaking about the forthcoming Toronto Film Festival, Folarin-Coker also said that eight films, which are set in Lagos, have been selected for viewing in September, when the festival will kick off in the United States. He attributed the success of the movie industry to the hard work and determination of thespians and other movie stakeholders.

“Finally” he affirmed, “the hard work and determination of our actors, actresses and directors are paying off.”

Meanwhile, the One Lagos fiesta witnessed a mammoth gathering as Lagosians in their thousands stormed the Bar Beach venue for a three-night of entertainment, culture and tourism.