News from 2005 Abuja International Film Festival

The festival was declared open by the Honorable Minister of Information and National orientation who was ably represented the Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation, Mr. Afolabi Adesanya who expressed Government's support for events such as the Abuja International Film Festival.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation went on to inform the gathering of Government determination to support the Nigerian film industry in areas that will help in the growth of the sector. He went on to commend the organizers of the festival for the initiative.

The festival director, Mr. Fidelis Duker welcomed the guest with his speech which centered on the theme of the festival which was SUSTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOLLYWOOD PHENOMENON . The opening night film which was a 30 minutes snippet from JETA AMATA's 35mm feature film titled AMAZING GRACE. The audience who watched the film were fascinated by the technical depth of the film, which is still undergoing final editing in the lab. In attendance at the opening ceremony were the Director General of National Film and Video Censors Board, Mr. Emeka Mbah, The Director General of Nigerian Copyright Commission, Mr. Adebambo Adewopo, the event also had in attendance the director of the Geothe instut, mr. Anne shreider, the director of center for black arts and civilization, Dr. Duro Oni. The Nollywood actors, actresses and filmmakers were not left out as Richard Mofe Damijo, zack Orji, St. Obi, Florence Onuma, Amaka and Charles Igwe, chico Ejiro, Madu Chikwendu, Tony Anih, Mahmood Ali Balogun, Andy amenechi, Bond Emeruwa, Emeka Ossai, Sonny Mcdon, Paul Obazele, Chris Ekejimbe, Peace Anyiam Fiberesima amongst others witnessed the opening ceremony.

In his opening address and goodwill message, the Director General of the Nat. Film and Video Censors Board, Mr. Emeka Mbah commended the organizers of the 2 nd Abuja International Film Festival for putting up the event, which he considers a veritable tool for the development of the nollywood phenomenon.

According to Fidelis Duker, the festival director and founder of the festival, the festival was initiated to raise standards in the Nigerian movie industry with a view of seeking closer partnership with filmmakers from other parts of the world. He went to further reiterate the festival organizer's desire to contribute its own quota to developing the industry.

Also speaking in the same vain was the able Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation who commended the organizers of the festival for the initiative, which he said, is in the vanguard of creating a credible platform in our immediate environment for the recognition of practitioners in the industry.

The festival continued the following day with over 40 exhibitors displaying their products and services to the world at the venue of the film market. Also during the event, 73 films in the different genre (features, shorts, animation, documentaries) from 42 countries worldwide were screened. As will be expected from an international film festival, the films were screened in two exhibition halls with a sitting capacity of over 655 people.

The festival was not only about screenings and exhibition as it witnesses a panel discussions on varied tonics with participants from the industry and other allied sectors, some of the panelist included the Director of the German cultural center in Nigeria – Mr. Arne Shreider, a Professor of film from the Maryland University in the United States, Prof. Denise Ward – Brown and the Director General Of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Dr. Matthew Ebhboreime. Also practitioners like Richard Mofe Damijo, zack Orji, St. Obi , Madu Chikwendu (President Producers Association), Amaka Igwe, Mahmood Ali Balogun, Segun Arinze, Paul Obazele, Sonny McDonn – W, Segun Afolabi (Chairman Film Marketers Association) and Florence Onuma amongst others.

The festival came to an end on 2 nd October with the awards ceremony where films which had been adjudged good won trophies with 39 pounds of love a film from Israel and ANINI by fred Amata from Nigeria being among the films that clinched honors. Also on the honors list were MNET/AFRICA MAGIC, NOLLYWOOD MAGAZINE, and FILM AND VIDEO CENSOR BOARD.