Dr Ali Nuhu, Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), has reiterated the corporation’s commitment to engaging stakeholders on the Zuma International Film Festival.
Nuhu, who reiterated this in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja, said this was to ensure the right connection with government, private sector and their counterparts across the globe.
Zuma International Film Festival, facilitated by the NFC, is Nigeria’s foremost film festival held annually in Abuja in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The festival serves as a convergence point for film professionals and enthusiasts from around the world to network, interact, and explore co-production opportunities.
The NFC boss revealed that the corporation had created a very comfortable platform for the stakeholders, to enable them to interact and get integrated into the industry as well.
“The 15th edition of the festival is going to be bigger and better, because from what we did last year, it was the best so far.
“We will seek for mentorship from some of the veterans, and I can see that from the 3,160 entries that we have, the film festival will be awesome.
“I think there were about 222 entries from India, 160 from China, and 150 from the U.S among others. So, this tells you that the Zuma film festival is becoming big and strong; it is becoming a force to reckon with and that is what we anticipate,” he said.
According to him, NFC is actually setting the responsibility of giving the films that reach across the globe.
“Zuma film festival is a platform where stakeholders will be able to connect with their counterparts. The filmmakers will be there to see some of the vibrant films that are going to be in the competitive category.
“I strongly believe that when they meet with their counterparts across the globe, their interaction will produce agreements; and exchanges are all we need for such a platform,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Nuhu urged the young filmmakers to be more creative and original, especially now that technology was advancing with the AI.
He added that they should be good ambassadors of their country, know their culture, way of life, as well as the politics in the society.
”We will also be talking to them about when to produce films and the types that will have lasting positive impacts on their audience.
“The film festival recognises cinematic excellence, promotes sustained productivity and enhances the availability of high-quality audio-visual services, as well as entrenches professionalism and profitability in cultural products and exchanges,” he added.
