This year’s Honours list included the Governor of Lagos. Mr. Babajie Sanwo-Olu for his 1 billion Naira intervention fund for Nollywood filmmakers based in Lagos. Also honored is the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Prof Ben Ayade, who established a Nollywood office and has supported various Nollywood films for several years. The Governor of Bauchi State, who has attempted to enhance the tourist industry through cinema, is among those honored.
Completing the list of Special Recognition winners.
, Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, for his creative regulatory frameworks for the industry, and The Lagos State Video Censors Board.
The film festival got 1,771 films from 67 nations, with about 51 films and directors making the nominations list for the awards ceremony, which was hosted at the Silverbird Cinemas Abuja.
It was an evening where Nigerian Films and Filmmakers dominated most of the award categories of the 18th edition of the Abuja International Film Festival with the theme: SEE BEYOND – Film Industry under the new normal, which could be referred to as the return of Anglophone West Africa’s Longest Running Film Festival.
According to Festival Director Temitope Duker, who met with media on the sidelines of the award ceremony, which took place on Thursday at Silverbird Cinemas, 115 films were played throughout the course of the five-day film festival.
The night’s prizes were given to a total of 15 films and filmmakers.
During the five-day event, the Film Festival also hosted three industry-specific Masterclasses for Producers, Actors, and Writers.
A big number of aspiring and veteran filmmakers attended the Workshops.
Top movie actors and producers such as Segun Arinze, Lancelot Imaseun, Papel Paul, Bond Emeruwa attended the event, as did Association of Movie Producers Nigeria President Peace Anyiam Osigwe, Aljazeera News Editor Fidelis Mba, Special Assistant New Media to the Vice President Philip Obin, Founder Kaduna International Film Festival Israel Audu, Executive Secretary Lagos State Censors Board Bukola Adaminoju, Officials of Nigerian Film.
It is worth noting that the Film Festival returned after the 2020 edition, which was conducted virtually owing to the Covid-19 epidemic, and that victors of the Virtual edition were able to receive their prizes.
According to Fidelia Duker, Festival Communication Officer, unlike the 2020 edition, which had just 600 entries with 92 selected for screenings and 42 nominated for possible prizes, Nigerian filmmakers won 9 out of the 15 categories.
Speaking on the 18th edition, Duker, noted that the he is excited that the festival is back as a physical one after the 2020 edition that was a purely hybrid and virtual in its entirety.
“As the world unite together to fight the global pandemic that prevented physical gathering last year, it is important we begin to see films as a tool to air our own opinions; make judgments and become part of the story-telling traditions passed down to us through generations now enhanced and embellished with the aid of ever-captivating and improving technology,” said Duker.
Speaking during the Film Festival, Veteran Filmmaker and Director Benin Film Academy Lancelot Imaseun commended the tenacity of the organizers for sustaining the festival this pass 18 years. Also speaking, a first time director who won an award under the First Film by a Director Category, Olamide Wale Akimolayan, believes the award will spur him to contribute more in the industry.
“It’s an honour , I’m very happy to be a recipient of an award like this as a first time director, it’s a privilege for me. This is my first movie, and the title is Balokun”.
“Nollywood is growing, we have our movie showing all over the world and it’s gaining outside recognition, it’s a win for us”.
Some of the award recipients according to their categories are:
Efere Ozako Outstanding Experimental Film
Winner ‘Boy meets Girl’ Nigeria
Outstanding short film (Nigeria)
Winner Peter Fada ‘Soja’
Outstanding feature film (Foreign)
Winner Mucho Wang, Fangmin Wang _China ‘Love Laboratory’
Outstanding feature film (Nigeria)
Winner Papel Paul Papel ‘Eagles Wings’
Outstanding short film (Foreign)
Ralph Isenberg-United States ‘Four Motherless Children’
Outstanding male actor
Winner Ifa Iwara-Nigeria ‘Lockdown Heat’
Outstanding female actor
Winner Nse Ikpe Etim-Nigeria ‘The Wait”
Outstanding films music score
Winner ‘Tara’s Diary’ Nigeria
Outstanding film directing
Winner ‘Eagle Wings’ Papel Paul Apel Nigeria
First time directing
Winner ‘Balokun’ Olamide Wale Akimolayan-Nigeria
Outstanding documentary film
Winner ‘Golden Fish, African Fish’ Senegal Thomas Grand Moussa Diop
Outstanding student film
Winner ‘Home’ China
Festival mention for narrative
Winner ‘Love Castle’ Beatrice Ogunmola
Outstanding Animation
Winner ‘Free to fly’ Nigeria
Audience choice award
Winner ‘Eagle Wings’ Nigeria
Golden jury award
Winner ‘Lockdown’ Moses Inwang Nigeria
The 2022 edition of the film festival is however scheduled to run from 31st October to 4th November 2022 in Abuja.
Source: Read more at freelanews.com
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