When The Stars Came Out For AFRIFF 2017

Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Chioma Ude, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Fidelis Anosike, Daily Times Chairman

The seventh season of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) kick-started Sunday night in a spectacular style heavy with leading film stars.

At a glittering ceremony held at the Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, The Palms, Lekki, Lagos, the festival had a double dose of films during the opening night with Waiting For Hassana, a short film directed by Ifunanya Maduka and an ode to the missing Chibok Girls abducted from their secondary school in 2014, and a Zambian entry, ‘I Am Not A Witch’, helmed by Rungano Nyoni.

Both films were selected on the strength of their merits, as they highlight important topical social issues relating to African children.

Delegates from around the world were welcomed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who expressed the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s willingness to support the creative industry through grants, tax breaks and funding opportunities.

L-R: Funa Maduka, Chioma Ude, Kunle Afolayan, Hilda Dokubo and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode represented by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, welcomed delegates to the centre of excellence.

He described AFRIFF as “one of the leading creative platforms in Africa that has been consistent, truly awe inspiring and has found the Lagos arty landscape compatible with its own vision.”

Mr. Herbert Wigwe, patron of the festival and Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, which returns as lead sponsor pledged his and his bank’s support for filmmakers, especially through the AFRIFF/Accelerate Filmmakers Project, an initiative set up to help aspiring youthful filmmakers fast track their ideas and nurture them to reality.

Wigwe stressed the importance of film as a powerful tool for Africans to tell their own stories, separate from the usual story of poverty that has been championed by the Western media.

Introducing the opening night films, former Akwa Ibom State governor and current Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio gave a lengthy account of his efforts to bring the exaggerated problem of witchcraft, associated to children in the state to an end.

According to Akpabio, his administration had succeeded through education, convictions and rehabilitation in halting the dangerous trend.

Also speaking at the event, French Consul General, Lagos, Mr. Laurent Polonceaux said; “This is a great opportunity for us because this is the first time that the French government is involved with AFRIFF. We will be having two days at the festival for French films, with possibility of co-production with Nigeria and Africa.”

The French envoy noted that it was good that the festival will be closing with the French film, ‘Felicite’, and disclosed that arrangement has been made to have about 70 film students for further training in France as an exchange programme with AFRIFF.

The Africa International Film Festival is an annual week-long, all-encompassing world class showcase running from October 29 to November 4, 2017.

About 200 carefully curated feature length, short, documentary and student films will be screened this year.

The festival also encompasses talent development classes, industry workshops and inspiring creative discussions.

Kemi Lala Akindoju, Wale Ojo, Uche Jombo, Linda Ejiofor, Hilda Dokubo and Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi were some of the A-list stars who made their appearance on the red carpet.

Others dignitaries include filmmakers and film entrepreneurs such as Biola Alabi, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Fred Amata, Zick Zulu Okafor, Kunle Afolayan, CJ Obasi, Belinda Yanga, Kenneth Uphopho, as well as media personalities like Shaibu Husseini and Ameyaw Debrah from Ghana.