The Managing Director/CEO of Abuja Film Village (AFV), Dr Francisca Ibezim, has called on stakeholders in the education sector and the creative industry to support the maiden edition of the Youth Educational Film Festival (YEFF) scheduled to hold in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) .
Dr Ibezim, who made the call at Stakeholders Meeting’ held at the AFV on Tuesday in Abuja, said the YEFF is a film fiesta to showcase educational films in driving value re-orientation and empowerment of young Nigerians.
According to her,the YEFF,slated to hold in September 2023, is part of flagship events conceived by the management of the AFV to drive its Films in Education Campaign .
She said the festival is been organised by the AFV in collaboration the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and an NGO “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative”.
She explained that the pre-event stakeholders meeting was to seek the inputs, ideas and suggestions of relevant stakeholders towards ensuring maximum participation of youths and to ensure that relevant agencies of the Federal Government and that of the FCT promote and support the festival youth film fiesta.
The stakeholders meeting had in attendance representatives of relevant MDAs, including the Federal Ministry of Education, National Film and Video Censors Board, Nigerian Film Corporation and the National Library.
Others include the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the FCT Secondary Education Board, among others.
The leaders and representatives of the of the AGN, “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative” and notable industry actors and filmmakers were also at the event.
Dr Ibezim said in her addresss: “The Youth Educational Film Festival is not merely an event, it is the celebration of the extraordinary story that emerged when the vibrant imagination of our youth collide with the power of cinematic story telling.
“The festival is intended to provide innovative platform for young filmmakers to showcase their talents , share their perspectives and inspire change through the act of film.
“I also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed stakeholders , the Actors Guild of Nigeria and the “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative”, your support and engagement are vital tools in nurturing the talents of this young filmmakers.
“By our collaboration in this festival, you are endorsing their efforts and also contributing to the future of the industry and the society,”she said.
She stressed that the YEFF was geared towards providing a platform for young filmmakers and passionate Nigerian youths to showcase their talents, foster creativity, promote education and stimulate critical thinking among them.
She added that “we had earlier had an audition tagged “Born Talent Audition”, where budding talents where discovered, who will be showcased at the educational film festival.”
“Some issues the films will address include illegal migration, drug abuse, domestic violence, child and sexual abuse and to educate young Nigerians on the need to be a good citizen towards building a better nation for all.”
She therefore called on government at all levels to support the initiative and ensure that their youths participate in it.
Dr Ibezim further explained the Abuja film village was a Public Private Partnership initiative of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with the vision of making the FCT and Nigeria at large the centres for film and entertainment excellence.
The stakeholders drawn from both the public and private sectors commended the Abuja Film Village and its partners for conceiving the YEFF as a platform for moral re-orientation for young Nigerians.
They therefore expressed their willingness to be a part of the youth film fiesta, but urged the organisers to hold the event when students are back to school from holidays in September to ensure full participation of students.
