The Africa Film Academy (AFA), organisers of Africa Movie Academy Awards, has announced that it is set to launch a new initiative, ‘100 Film Project’, to train and support African creatives.
AFA revealed this at a media lunch in Lagos on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, where it announced the date for the 17th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
The Nigerian film industry is globally recognised as the second largest film producer in the world. And despite being one of the priority sectors identified in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Nigerian Government, the industry still faces a bevvy of challenges. Access to funds for filmmakers, development of talents and stories through proper training are some of the industry’s challenges.
To address some of these challenges, Abiola Durodola, the Project Lead of the ‘100 Film Project’, said AFA would be training new talent for the film industry, encompassing the wider creative community and skilled labour like carpenters, tailors and hairdressers that make the film making the process a success.
According to Durodola, the 100 film project is a platform that uses films to create value for brands, particularly African brands.
“We regularly run training programmes across Africa, equipping young filmmakers on industry best practice. This year, we have held training sessions in Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Asaba on cinematography and film production. Over the years, we have seen the many gaps in the filmmaking process in Nigeria and Africa at large, and we have always tailored our initiatives, conversations and training to breach this gap,” said Durodola.
“One of such gaps that we are breaching is the near-isolation in which the filmmakers work in Africa. A film production needs the services of a wide variety of skilled labour, and at the same time, conversations need to be had with other members of the eco-system like advertising brand managers and distribution channels. This is a lot for a filmmaker to take on board. To support this process, we have created the 100-film project, which we have been crafting for a few years now and is a culmination of a lot of what we have done and still doing.”
He added that this is a way for brands to leverage the continued growth of Nigerian films while supporting the creative industry.
