Nigeria Hosts the African International Film Festival

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) debuts in Nigeria, Sunday, and though it is still in its early stage, the organizers are optimistic about it becoming Africa’s equivalent of Cannes. Seventy films from all over Africa will be filmed in various selected venues for seven days in Calabar.

“For an African film to come out in Cannes or at (the) Toronto (International Film Festival) it has got to be pretty exceptional,” Julian Nwagboniwe, spokesman for the festival said. He also added that struggling artists looking for recognition in Europe or North America can get increased exposure through the AFRIFF platform.

Nigeria is the rational host for a continental film festival, given its contribution to the cinema industry through its popular Nollywood. Nigeria churns out about 1,000 titles yearly, and is believed to generate a yearly $500 million in annual revenue.

In 2007, UNESCO rated Nigeria the world’s number one film producer with 1,559 titles, with India coming second (1,146) and Hollywood of USA coming third with 789 titles that year.

Nollywood films, which are usually produced and sold straight through DVDs are often hawked by roadside sellers for less than $2 and are quite popular all over Africa. However, the success of Nollywood movies is somewhat stunted by the absurd plots the usually have and the poor acting of the actors.

Julian says he believes Africa has a lot of talent, and that engaging Africans in the Diaspora is the key to boosting exposure.

The AFRIFF suffered a blow last month when the producers of “Half of a Yellow Sun”, based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s bestselling novel, pulled out of the festival.

Arab Times, African International Film Festival, AFRIFF