6th Abuja International Film Festival postponed to October

The organisers of the 6th Abuja International Film Festival which was to take place from 22 – 25 September has been postponed to 27 – 30 October to allow “for maximum participation of delegates, visitors and participants as a result of festivities after the Islamic Ramadan period”.  The festival will take place at the same venues of Musa Yardua Center and Bolingo Hotel Abuja.
 
According to a release by the Festival Manager Ebiere Ajibola Bodude, the postponement will not affect the programming of this year’s festival.
 
The Festival has so far received 211 film entries of which 43 of the entries are from Nigeria and the remaining 168 are from filmmakers from other parts of the world.
 
According to Festival Director Fidelis Duker some of the major entries received include Run Game (S/Africa), Close Enemies (Usa/Nig), Figurine (Nig), Pow (Canada), Mauroo Shampoo (Brazil), Storm Of Emotions (Israel), The Kiss (France), Four Element (Portugal) amongst some of the 60 films for screening this year. As regards, exhibitions, the Festival market will witness the participation of the regulars but some new exhibitors are VIASAT cable network from Ghana , Multimesh Cable from Nigeria , Excite TV and VOX Africa from the UK who will all be attending the film festival to source from contents.
 
This year, the festival capacity building segment shall launch the The Filmmaker Talent Hunt Academy which will be a four day master class on filmmaking for aspiring and established filmmakers. The Honorable Minister of Information has confirmed her readiness to talk on the role of Nollywood in Re- Branding Project, other speakers at the Festival this year include, Mr. Emeka Mba Dg Nfvcb, Mr. Adebambo DG of NCC, Otunba Segun Runsewe of NTDC who will deliver a paper on Nollywood and Tourism, Dr. Idi Farouk of NOA who will also deliver a paper on the impact of Nollywood in national orientation.
 
From the foreign angle, the festival is expecting two experts from the Kenyan Film Commission, Mr. Kindu Mackuvu and Ms. Sighele who will discuss how the KFC has been able to sell the tourism potentials of Kenya to attract foreign filmmakers in Kenyan.
 
The Newly Instituted Nollywood Achievement Award will also be giving to 15 individuals amongst them the late Mr. Muyideen Aromire for pioneering video production in 1987 with Ekun.