Nollywood kicks against film commission bill, slams NFC

PLAYERS in the film industry have stated their opposition to a bill in the House of Representatives seeking to transform the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) into the Nigerian Film Commission.

A public hearing on the bill titled ‘An Act to repeal the Nigerian Film Corporation Act, CAP. N109, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Re-Enact the Nigerian Film Commission Act, 2016, to regulate the Film Industry in Nigeria, and for other Related Matters, 2015 (HB.150’ was held at the National Assembly Complex on December 6.

Speaking at a news briefing on Thursday at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, heads of guilds in the film industry, otherwise called Nollywood, decried the surreptitious manner the NFC went about the matter and called for a total review of clauses in the draft bill.

According to the guilds, no industry player knew about the existence of the bill which had already been read twice because the NFC did not inform them. They contended that the bill would have been passed into law if some of their colleagues had not stumbled on a notice of the public hearing and mobilised to attend it.

President, Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) Fred Amata, explained that aside not being informed about the bill, its clauses “are inimical to the growth and development of the practice [filmmaking] in Nigeria. The clauses of the bill are duplicating existing rules and regulations of the film industry domiciled in agencies like the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and the National Film and Video Censors Board.”

Amata added that some of the clauses have been adequately addressed in the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) draft bill which a committee constituted by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has comprehensively reviewed.

Chair of the MOPICON draft review committee which submitted the report to the Information Minister  three weeks ago, Ms. Peace Anyiam Osigwe, said  that industry players are not against the establishment of a film commission but wondered how it would be established and function without input from practitioners who know where the shoe pinches.

The founder of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), who expressed disappointment with the manner the NFC, led by Dr. Danjuma Dadu, a marine engineer, went about the bill, said it was disrespectful to the film industry.

“He [Dadu] should have come to us with his agenda; he would have ensured that it was in unison with the direction the industry wanted to go. We spent seven months reviewing the MOPICON document, he hasn’t asked for a copy of the review yet he’s regulating our industry. It’s disrespectful to all associations and guilds not to be informed about the bill. If you have not been able to handle the NFC, how will you handle the film commission,” she said.

President, Association of Movie Producer (AMP), Ralph Nwadike said they were not against the commission but feel insulted that Dadu didn’t carry them along. “We made Nollywood, not the Federal Government. I think it’s an insult; an affront to the entire industry. You can’t come to reap where you did not sow. I feel very insulted and to think it has passed second reading.”

For Norbert Ajaegbu of the Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association, allowing the NFC to have its way will be allowing government take control of the film industry through the back door. “There is no need for the National Assembly to pass the bill; attention should be given to the MOPICON Bill.”

A representative of the Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria, Chidi Nwokabia; Emeka Samuel Aduah of the Marketers Association of Nigeria; Fidelis Awata of the Association of Motion Pictures and Entertainment Editors of Nigeria; President, Association of Nollywood Core Producers, Daisy Madu Chikwendu; founding president of the DGN and the immediate past president, Mathias Obahiagbon and Andy Amenechi all disclosed that they were not carried along by the NFC.

Filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun, who was present at the public hearing reiterated that Nollywood is not against the film commission but have issues with the clauses in the draft bill.

He, on behalf of the others, thanked the House Committee on Information and its chair, Segun Odebunmi, for returning the bill to the industry players to review and come up with an acceptable draft the committee can present to the full house. Ali-Balogun consequently asked for cooperation from all stakeholders while rejecting subterfuge from the NFC.