Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports that Organisers of the Nollywood Week Film Festival have announced the official selection for this year’s edition scheduled to take place virtually between Thursday, May 6 and Sunday, May 9, 2021
The selections for the 2021 Nollywood Week Film Festival is made up of eight short films and 10 feature films, scheduled to screen, like Moses Inwang’s latest film – Lockdown – which will have its world premiere and open the 8th edition of the annual festival.
Some of the Nigerian movies that have also been selected for this year’s festival include About a Boy by Diji Aderogba; All Na Vibes by Taiwo Egunjobi; For Maria Ebun Pataki by Damilola E. Orimogunje; The Herbert Macaulay Affair by Imoh Umoren and Lady Buckit & the Motley Mposters by Adebisi Adetayo.
Others are The New Normal by Teniola Olatoni Ojigbede; One Lagos Night by Ekene Som Mekwunye; Ponzi by Kayode Kasum and The Sessions by Judith Audu.
Same goes for the short films which include Heaven Baby by Damilola Orimogunje; Homecoming by Daniel Uzodinma; Listen by Udoka Onyeka; Pause by Senegalese Nigerian Jammal Ibrahim; Something Special by Precious Asuai; The List by Goga Clay; The Satchel by Nissi Ogulu, and the Train Wreck by Roberta Orioma.
The organisers of the Festival however noted that the prevalent changes and challenges being experienced necessitated this year’s virtual event.
“Today, as the world is experiencing changes and challenges (BLM movement, COVID-19…) we have decided to expand the scope of the festival in order to amplify voices from all over the black world as today more than ever we believe #blackstoriesmatter.
Traditionally taking place in the heart of Paris, France, the festival will be accessible online to keep our audience safe, follow local safety protocols and to provide accessibility to attendees around the world,” said the orginisers.
The Nollywood Week Film Festival, which is open to Black filmmakers from around the world, showcases the best of the Nigerian film industry with the aim of finding a larger audience and a more sustainable distribution system for these quality films.
The festival is organized by Paris-based association, Okada Media, headed by Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur. Call for entry for this edition was made February 10.
The two co-founders have been promoting African cinema globally for a decade and are now witnessing a shift in attitudes. “France and the rest of the cinema world are now seeing Nigeria as a true contender in filmmaking.
We see that with the shift in attitudes, the increase in acquisitions of Nigerian content and even the importance that the French president placed on it during his visit to Nigeria in 2019 for instance” Nadira Shakur, the festival’s Communications Director noted.
