AFRIFF 2014: Festival website records huge traffic
year’s Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) will
surpass that of previous editions, with 250 applications
already received within the first week of registration.
Feelers from the festival secretariat has it that the ongoing
registration exercise has recorded an impressive number of
requests from filmmakers in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana,
Cameroon, South Africa, Senegal, Mali, Malawi, Uganda and
several other African countries.
Reports say the pack received so far also includes requests
from Africans in the Diaspora as well as individual
filmmakers and film companies in Europe, United Kingdom,
United States and Canada.
For the festival which is in its fourth year, the success story
is unprecedented, even as organisers say the best is yet to
come.
Since its first edition in 2010, AFRIFF provided free training
and talent development opportunities for young people and
aspiring filmmakers.
Interestingly, another aspect of this year’s edition which has
swelled traffic on the festival’s website is the hands on
training and workshop on scriptwriting, cinematography,
acting and directing for aspiring filmmakers in Africa.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AFRIFF, Chioma Ude, noted
that from this workshop, AFRIFF is planning to take 10
students to a prestigious university in the United States of
America for further training in various aspects of
filmmaking.
She explained that through this initiative and several others,
the festival plans to change the economic horizon of the
African film industry.
“We believe we can use this model for a social revolution
that will change the economic horizon of the African film
industry, by providing technical knowledge and skill to
enhance the abundant talents in our film community,” she
said.
This time, beneficiaries of the training will be expected to
shoot a short film after their course abroad, in fulfilment of
their training billed to be entered into the festival’s students’
short category for the subsequent AFRIFF in 2015.
According to the festival guidelines, registration for the
workshops which opened at the new AFRIFF website,
www.afriff.com on September 15, will close on October 17,
while general registration will end on October 31.
AFRIFF 2014 is scheduled to take place at the popular
Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, Cross River
State from November 9 to 16.
Comments