CRACK IN THE INDUSTRY AS AGN PULLS OUT OF FEDERATION OF NOLLYWOOD GUILDS

   NIGERIAN FILM CORPORATION

         … Powering Possibilities

The attention of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has been drawn to media publications of the purported crack in Nigeria’s film industry with the pulling out from the Federation of the Nollywood Guilds and Association (FREGAN) by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).

The NFC appeals for calm and maintains that there is the need for the various film industry guilds and associations to come together and work for the common interest of the sector. It is only a unified and cohesive body that can be effective enough to positively benefit from government policies that are favourable to the growth of Nigeria’s film industry.

Indeed, the present Federal Government Administration has shown its determination to reposition the creative sector (film inclusive) as a fulcrum for national development by creating the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture & Creative Economy.

Furthermore, it has established a national committee to streamline tax issues in Nigeria, which the film industry will be a beneficiary as well. Hence, the ongoing crack in the industry or any other form of distraction will not augur well for Nollywood.

Consequently, on the issue at stake, all parties to the dispute are kindly requested to allow for its resolution under the auspices of NFC brokered meeting at the Department of Entertainment & Creative Services of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture & Creative Economy.

Brian Etuk

     Director, Public Affairs

CALL FOR ENTRY

Zuma Film Festival (ZUFF) 2023, Nigeria’s foremost film festival will take place December 1st - 10th in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and official host city. The festival, has continued to witness massive domestic, continental and global participation as well as attendance over the years especially since it got being held annually from year 2017 till date.

Themed “CULTURAL CONVERGENCE”, ZUFF 2023 will among others provide opportunity for the sustenance of the positives of cultural plurality and the promotion of inter or cross country people-to-people relations for the promotion of peace and development, through the audio-visual medium. Like past editions of the film festival, there shall be high level hybrid (physical and virtual) attendance/participation, with all events streamed online, real-time live on social media handles.

Consequently, under applicable terms and conditions, submission of Entry, for ZUMA Film Festival 2023 opens on June 15th, and closes at midnight (WAT) of November 15th, 2023. All entries, addressed to The Festival Director, ZUMA FILM FESTIVAL should be submitted through the film freeway platform https://filmfreeway.com/zumafilmfestival; or to ZUMA FILM FESTIVAL Secretariat, Nigerian Film Corporation Headquarters, Jos Plateau State, as well as NFC Zonal Offices in Lagos, Asaba, Umuahia, Yola, Kano and Abuja; alongside information on Genre, Producer(s), Director(s), Country, Language, Year of Production/Release and a 30 seconds trailer. ALL FILMS MUST HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BETWEEN September 2021 and September 2023: For enquiries, please call: Jeremiah - +2348035046119; Ene - +2348037813376 or email: jeremiah.nyam@gmail.com.

AWARDS categories of ZUMA FILM FESTIVAL 2023 includes Best Cinematography, Best Script, Best Animation, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Documentary, Best Foreign Film, Best Student Film, Best Picture, Best Indigenous Film.

Brian Etuk

Director, Public Affairs

ZUMA FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATE ANNOUNCED: KICKS OF DECEMBER 1ST – 10TH, 2023

Dates for the 2023 edition of Nigeria’s foremost film festival; Zuma Film Festival (ZUFF) has been announced. The festival, which has continued to witness massive domestic, continental and global participation as well as attendance over the years especially since it got being held annually from year 2017 till date, will take place December 1st - 10th in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and the official host city. This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja, and signed by Brian Etuk, spokesperson for Zuma Film Festival; and Public Affairs Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation.

The statement which outlined some of the key programmes of the 10-day gathering of captains of the film and television industry as well as other stakeholders from across Nigeria, and beyond the continent, will once more present the best of Nigeria’s creative, film and entertainment industry to the world, Etuk said. ZUMA Film Festival 2023, will be the second in the series of a 10-year collaborative partnership for the joint hosting of the annual film event by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC).

Themed “Cultural Convergence”, the festival will focus on harnessing potentials and opportunities inherent in the convergence of diverse cultures of the world through the audio-visual medium. Programme bouquet of the festival include daily film screening, film master classes, symposia, film and television market, content creation and exhibition fora, film project pitching sessions, co-production engagements, annual film lecture, states and foreign nations (Embassy/High Commission) special days; special lifetime tributes, zuma awards; and the second leg of the Nigeria – South Africa Film Festival. The first leg, known as the South Africa-Nigeria Film Festival will take place during the 44th edition of Durban Film Festival/Film Mart Institute – July 20th – 30th, 2023.

Expected during the December film fiesta will be a robust continental and global film stakeholder and film commission participation and attendance, who will join Nigeria’s stakeholders in bringing their wealth and experiences to bear at the various festival programmes. Their engagements will form part of the unifying efforts by participants in the promotion of global peace, progress and development using the audio-visual medium.

Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, NFC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, on behalf of the Corporation and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says that efforts in mounting a successful Zuma film festival 2023, are in top gear, given the successful outing of 2022, and the global importance of such an activity. Dr. Maduekwe assured that both the FCTA and the NFC are committed to mounting an impactful ZUFF 2023, whose preparations, including invitations to potential sponsors and partners are being sustained. He equally assured that various sub-committees have been constituted to effectively drive the film festival. The International Conference Centre, Abuja, he maintained will be a beehive of film festival activities and engagements, with opportunities to promote Nigeria’s dominance of the continental creative economy.

According to Dr. Maduekwe, ZUFF 2023, the 13th in the series will among others, provide a platform for the recognition of Nigerian film makers who have or are adding the needed value to the development of the art and business of filmmaking. Equally, Dr. Maduekwe explained that the vast growth and great potentials within the film sector of Nigeria makes it imperative for a continuous robust domestic, continental and global engagement where those who develop and produce content for film and television are accessed to opportunities of funding, marketing, distribution and exhibition. “We must continue to create opportunities through platforms such as Zuma film festival, to deploy our energy and resources to harness the rich diverse continental yet beautiful cultures, in promoting people-to-people interaction, peace, economic prosperity and development”.

The statement added that call for, and mode of submission of film entries will soon be made public, having already constituted the Jury for the film festival which will also be announced, along with ZUFF 2023 film freeway and website addresses soon.

Brian Etuk

Director, Public Affairs

Mmeli Becomes The First Titan To Hold Head of House Title

Big Brother Titans premiered yesterday, Sunday, January 15, and it was the most exciting entertainment event of the new year.

Building on the expectations, the housemates had the first game to determine the season’s first head of house. As is usual with Big Brother, the games were divided into two parts.

The first game had all 20 housemates construct six paper planes. The rule was to throw them as far as they could across marked lines in the arena. They created and threw the paper planes in groups of 10 each - male and female. The top two best-performing housemates in each set qualified for the second round of games.

The ladies took on the games first, and Olivia and Jenni O qualified for the next round. Mmeli and Lukay emerged the winners in the second set and proceeded to the second round.

For the second game, all four housemates had a chance to toss a dice once. None of the participants could touch or move the dice at any point during the game. After playing, Lukay and Olivia both had 5, Jenni O had 2, while Mmeli pulled a 6, thus emerging the first Big Brother Titans head of house.

As HOH, he earns the most coveted immunity from the week’s eviction and access to the head of house bedroom. He was also allowed to pick a female to share the room with and he chose Ipeleng. The season’s first tail of house was Khosi, and she has to wear a tail as her reward till next week.

Pulling a surprise out of his sleeve, Big Brother told the housemates they would have one hour to decide which fellow contestants they would put up for possible eviction. The new HOH has the veto power to save a nominated housemate and replace them with an unnominated one.

The live nominations began after an hour, and making their way into the diary room, each housemate made their choices. The housemates with the most nominations were Nana (nine nominations), Justin (five times), Khosi (five nods), and Olivia (four nominations). However, Big Brother refused to share the names of the people up for possible eviction and asked everyone except the new HoH to prepare to go home on Sunday.

The drama is starting, and we can’t wait to see what cards Biggie has up his sleeves.!

For more information about Big Brother Titans, visit www.dstv.com/africamagic/en-ng/page/big-brother-titans. Fans can also catch the show anywhere they are across Sub-saharan Africa, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland on Showmax. Visit www.showmax.com to get started right now.

Big Brother Titans is sponsored by Flutterwave, LottoStar and Bamboo.