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
