Brazilian filmmakers are seeking partnership with Nigeria and African film industries.
A representative of the film and audiovisual agency Sao Paulo, SPCINE, and Brazilian filmmaker, Sabrina Fidalgo made this known at the maiden edition of the BrasNaija Cultural and Film Festival held recently in Abuja.
According to the SPCINE representative, Brazil’s traditional cinema in the recent past has always focused on collaborations with North America and Europe, however, with shared similarities in culture, and Nigeria’s reputation as the second largest movie producing country in the world, there is much mutual beneficial satisfaction to be gained in a partnership between both nations.
It will be recalled that ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s administration had all but crippled Brazil’s audiovisual industry, leaving it with little to no resources to operate. However, with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s assumption into office in January 1, and the appointment of a creative industries enthusiast, Jorge Viana as Head of ApexBrazil, things have taken a turn for the better.
da Silva’s administration is not only intent on focusing on Brazil’s priority markets – which are Latin America and Africa, but to foster regional development inside the nation, and double its co-production partner countries around the world, especially Portuguese speaking African countries, which research shows would surpass Brazil’s 210 million Portuguese speaking population by 2050.
Despite Nigeria being an Anglophone speaking country, SPCINE is leveraging on the government’s determination to double its co-production partner countries (which has yielded in 12 bilateral agreements, and a multilateral pact with 10 Latin American countries) to focus on Africa.
It has created several dialogue spaces between some African film agencies/filmmakers such as Durban Film Mart, in Johannesburg, South Africa; Angola; Burkina Faso’s FESPACO; and held several virtual and physical meetings with Nigerian film producers.
SPCINE further aims to host film Angola/Sao Paulo film exhibition, signed a MoU with South Africa to match-fund collaborative projects between Sao Paulo and Angola at their development stage, and have plans for virtual meetings between Sao Paulo and African film producers.
“With Nigeria, we are planning to visit AFRIFF, to bring more talents and distribution companies that will help bridge that cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil creative industries, despite the lack of bilateral agreement.
“We are positive of creating a partnership with Nigeria like the co-development project and interexchange we signed with South Africa worth $20,000. This is important in order to make the creative industry, especially the film creative industry where it is challenging to make creative industry translate to economic value,” said the SPCINE representative.
Meantime, Fidalgo whose works headlined the BrasNaija Cultural Festival said thus far, Brazil has no cinematic collaboration or co-production agreement/partnership with any African country. A status-quo, she said that needs to be changed, considering cultural similarities shared by both Brazil and Nigeria.
Such collaborations, she added can begin through the establishment of platforms for dialogues between Nigeria’s Nollywood and Brazil’s film industry, in addition to Brazilian government’s support of film exchanges between Nigeria and Brazil.
“Brazil can help by bringing film directors and stakeholders in Nigeria to Brazil. This cultural festival can be something that can lead to bigger collaborations between Brazil and Nigeria’s cinematic industries,” concluded Fidalgo.
Drop Naira Marley As Your Ambassador – African Council On Narcotics Tell NDLEA
African Council On Narcotics (ACON) has urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to rescind its brand ambassadorial appointment to Marlian Record founder, Azeez Adesina Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley.
With investigations ongoing on the death of Nigerian singer and ex-Marlian signee, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba aka Mohbad, and his autopsy completed by the police, the council thought it wise that the agency withdraw the ambassadorship in order not to create the wrong impression on the psyche of Nigerian youths, at this time.
According to Kakaaki, It further called on other agencies, groups and institutes to carefully profile future brand representatives to avoid appointment of individuals whose lifestyle and physical features are in contrast with the brand they are meant to represent.
ACON President, Rekpene Bassey said, “we call upon the NDLEA to stand down that appointment so as not to create the wrong impression on the psyche of our youth, particularly at this time.
“Going forward, government agencies intending to confer brand ambassadors on proposed persons must carefully profile such a person to be certain they are fit.
“Naira Marley hardly represents any strong positive social energy as can be seen in his public conduct and the character traits of the so-called Marlians modelling after him.
“Most of them are deviants to say the least, engulfed in cultism, petty criminality, internet fraud and abuse of dangerous drugs. How can such fellow be a role model for our youth?” asked Bassey.
Meanwhile, Award-winning singer, Essence, has lent her voice in the demand for justice for Mohbad, in her X tweet on September 22, 2023, which read “RIP Mohbad, you will get the justice you deserve”.
Her tweet however stirred netizens who felt the message came too late, two weeks after the 27 year old singer’s death.
“You just wake up?” – Pauliskypopping.
“She just woke up.” – VEENORM_king.
“You just dey come online abi.” –officialmrdeen.
Others were just happy to see her express support for fellow artiste, regardless the time.
“He’ll definitely get the justice by God’s grace. Thanks for lending your voice.” – DiianaD_:
“Nobody should knock her on why she is late sha.” – said zhurg_
“We will not sleep until he gets it. Thank you for your concern.” – chimaobi_nteoma.
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