Africa International Film Festival founder, Chioma Ude, has emphasised the significant role of Nigerians in the diaspora in the future of the Nigerian film industry, particularly in Nollywood. She stated that diasporan Nigerians, especially those aged 15 to 35, are the primary consumers of Nollywood films.
“The people that eat it all up are in the diaspora, and the numbers are huge,” she said.
In an Interview with ARISE NEW on Thursday, Ude pointed out that remittances from Nigerians abroad, particularly in the US, have averaged $20.5 billion over the past decade, indicating their financial capacity to support Nollywood.
While speaking on the theme “Cultural Wealth to Global Prosperity” for this year’s Africa International Film Festival, founder Ude emphasised that cultural wealth extends beyond natural resources and is fundamentally about the people, highlighting that Nigerians creativity stimulates global conversations and is increasingly receiving international recognition and acclaim
“Cultural wealth beyond the natural resources is about the people and one thing that reverberates everywhere I go internationally is how people talk about the creative skills of the Nigerians or the Africans but most importantly the Nigerians. This year we are going to have a strong focus on who we are, what we bring to the table.”
Since its inaugural edition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the festival has become a vibrant platform for filmmakers, film lovers, and the broader creative community, featuring award shows and training classes that highlight various genres, including feature films, documentaries, and short animations.
While discussing the festival’s sustained success over the years, Ude asserted the importance of community involvement.
“I would say the community – the filmmakers, the film lovers, the diasporans that come in, the families and friends but most importantly, the government and the sponsors. In AFRIFF, when you come there, you feel seen, you feel loved, you know you are part of something great whether you are a young filmmaker or someone who is aspiring to be a filmmaker,” she said. “People look forward to meeting different people… that sustained community is what we say is keeping us going.”
Ude opined that the theme for the 2024 edition, reflects an ambition to elevate the unique talents of African filmmakers on a global stage.
“We started off in UNGA, and we’ve had our panel in UNGA on this, so we are expanding on what we started off.”
She elaborated on the importance of showcasing Nigeria’s creative skills, highlighting the festival’s carefully selected opening night film, which promises to be a true representation of Nigerian storytelling.
Distribution continues to be a significant challenge for filmmakers looking to secure investor interest. Ude highlighted, “Distribution is key and that is something we haven’t seen so much of beyond Filmhouse, beyond Genesis, beyond Silverbird.”
She pointed out the emergence of platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Showmax, and YouTube, which now offer filmmakers avenues for achieving a return on their investments. “As a distributor myself, I can go to an investor and say, ‘this is what is happening in the space… if you make a film with this amount, this is what you get.”
However, Ude asserted that there are still areas needing improvement within the industry. “I’m not seeing the exponential infrastructural buildup; I’m not seeing the exponential financial support,” she opined. Yet she also recognised the growing interest from international companies and studios seeking guidance on filmmaking in Nigeria. “We have a state government, Lagos state to be precise, that is very vested in the industry,” she added.
“As long as you have people working very hard, who see the direction where we are headed, support what we are doing, the infrastructure will be built, the financial inclusion would happen, and most importantly, team and skill building.”
She also disclosed that AFRIFF is set to return this year from November 3rd to 9th in Lagos, Nigeria.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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