How Northern Movie Industry Is Improving Amidst Challenges

Practitioners in the Northern movie industry have shared their thoughts on the present state of the industry, saying it has advanced and improved in picture quality and storytelling, even as there is still great room for improvement.

Founder of Kaduna International Film Festival, Audu Israel Kashim, in an interview with Leadership Lifestyle, said there has been improvement in the Northern movie industry, noting that Kaduna has a standard cinema in Kaduna North, two annual film festivals, and a new set of actors and young filmmakers.

He added that two of the movies selected for the Oscars- The Milkmaid (2020) and Mai Martaba (2025) were from the north.

Audu noted that there is still much work to be done to take it to a higher level, as in the Southern part of Nigeria.

He noted that the state government’s support for the industry is still minimal, as the industry is privately driven.

He also commended the efforts of the present Kaduna State government in tackling insecurity.

”In the last two years, we have made a lot of gains in the movie industry in the north – in Kano (Kannywood), Kaduna (Kadawood) and in Jos, which was the mecca of the Nigerian movie industry in the 80s. We now have Silverbird Cinema in Kaduna, the only standard cinema. Also, the Kaduna International Film Festival has been running since 2018. We have another film festival in Kaduna, the Arewa International Film Festival and others in Kano and Jos. We are seeing discoveries of actors, and young filmmakers are entering the industry. These gains in the Northern industry need to be sustained with deliberate efforts and support from the public sector and state governments,’ says Kashim.

An industry actor, Nuradeen Mohamed Usman, popularly known as Nura Mc Khan, also stated that production quality has improved and that the industry is moving toward full digitalisation.

”In the past, the Northern movie industry, especially Kannywood/Kadawood,

had low quality production, small budgets, and limited exposure. Now, there is clear improvement in picture and sound quality, we are almost  turning to fully digital better storytelling, and more use of social media for promotion,” says Mc Khan.

Speaking further on how to move the industry forward, he says, “The government can support with funding, eg, grant and soft loan. The government also need to support us in areas of capacity building, workshops, master classes with professional filmmakers from in and outside the industry, good policies

while also partnering with private and international organizations to grow the industry.”