NOLLYWOOD UNCUT – Film Festival Time!

It’s that time of the year again when the film makers go for various film festivals to present their works to the world. There are thousands of film festivals that take place around the world. There’s the popular Cannes Film festival, Sundance Film Festival USA, Berlin International Film Festival, Pan African Film and Arts Festival etc.

Nigerians have started attending some of these film festivals not so much to present films but to get a feel of how things really work in the film world.

On the African end, there is Panafrican Film and TV Festival(FESPACO) (the largest African film festival across the continent) in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. There is the Durban Film Festival, Durban, South Africa. In Nigeria, we have the BOBTV Film and Video Market, Abuja, The Zuma Film Festival, also in Abuja and of course African Movie Academy Awards, Nigeria.

The festivals most Nigerian Film Makers attend is the Berlin International Film Festival specifically the Berlinale Talent Campus; A six-day creative summit for up-and-coming filmmakers. It takes place sometime in February and there’s always a large Nigerian contingent there. I was there in 2008 and it was an interesting, eye-opening experience. You meet lots of people in your field from different countries around the world, make friends, discuss with important professionals that can advance your career, create important contacts, cut deals etc. And of course watch lots of films, documentaries, shorts etc.

A recent favourite for Nigerian filmmakers is the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), Los Angeles, USA. This year the Ghanaian film ‘A Sting in the Tale’ by Shirley Frimpong won an award. So did Kenyan movie, ‘From a Whisper’. Big congrats to all the winners. There’s also the Durban Film Festival, Durban, South Africa which will be held in July of this year. It used to be that the popular film festival for Nigerians to go to go to was the Sithengi Film & Television Market in Capetown, South Africa but it was postponed for about two years. I hear its back now. Have attended that too… In 2006. As many as 300 Nigerian filmmakers as well as thousands of film makers from across Africa, meet and have a great time networking, exchanging ideas, buying programmes and of course going for parties, enjoying the local cuisine and culture! .That was another fun place. Cape Town is so beautiful….clean, windy and cold… looks very European though…just like a post card. Any actor, actress, writer, director etc that is serious about honing his craft, should make out time to be try and attend at least one of the events.

written by Bola Aduwo of NollywoodUncut.com