Africa Film Festival makes debut in Port Harcourt
08.04.2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010


Organisers of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) have said the event will hold from December 1 to 5, 2010, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.The festival is a platform that seeks to give expression to players in the African film sector by recognizing and rewarding excellence in the industry.The organisers have released guidelines for the submission of film entries which closes on August 13, 2010.Creative Director of the festival, Peace Anyam-Osigwe, said the five-day event would become the annual appointment of global filmmakers on Africa’s soil, comprising film screenings in cinemas, a technical training series aimed at raising local industry standards; business sessions and networking opportunities; film exhibition and the launch of a unique film and equipment market that would encourage and grow content and equipment trade out of Africa and form global partnerships.


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Anyam-Osigwe said practitioners in the industry who wish to enter for the various categories are required to follow the entry guidelines posted on the AFRIFF website www.africafilmfest.com.

According to her, eligible films must have been produced after January 1, 2009 and preference would be given to films which were yet to be screened globally or in Africa, adding that the categories included feature, short, documentary and animation.

The theme of the festival’s maiden edition, “Africa Unites”, will bring together both local and international film makers, celebrities, actors, directors, film buyers, distributors, visual artists, film students, amateurs, film lovers and the media.


Communications Consultant for AFRIFF, Celine Loader, said the festival had started receiving international coverage to ensure global participation, including a special focus on AFRIFF in the Cannes Daily Edition of the influential Hollywood Reporter in May 2010.

“We want the film industry in Africa to compete favourably with its global peers and so we are activating a comprehensive communications strategy with a global outlook that will achieve sensitization across the world,” she said.


Commenting on the choice of Rivers State as the host venue for the event, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Marcus Nle-Ejii said the state is known for its rich heritage in arts and culture, adding that staging AFRIFF in the state would help towards achieving its developmental objectives.