AFRIFF, Ford Foundation take 15 to US for filmmaking

Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), in collaboration with Ford Foundation, has provided capacity development for 15 students for a summer course in filmmaking at Montana State University, United States. This comes as part of the second edition of its scholarship scheme.
The beneficiaries were selected from the AFRIFF Talent Development Workshops sponsored by Access Bank and Africa Magic at the 2015 edition of the festival, which held in Lagos.
The scholarship scheme meant to advance the aspirations of these burgeoning talents is an intensive hands-on training camp on various aspects of filmmaking, with emphasis on documentary filmmaking.
Though, 20 students qualified for the scholarship, 15 have been granted American visas so far. They include Morakinyo Fapohunda (Lagos), Leke Oyeyinka (Ogun), Kalu Nnamdi Anaga (Enugu), Damian Ashinjo (Benue), Richard Odilu (Delta), Tunray Femi (Delta), Kelechi Nduka (Anambra), and Dan Ikpoyi (Delta).
Others are Osei Owusu Banahene (Ghana), Adebusola Adeboyejo (Ondo), Kenechukwu Nwatu (Enugu), Alero Okorodus (Lagos), Joy Igbe (Benue), Susan Akalazu (Imo), and Vanessa Uwase (Rwanda). They all departed for US last Sunday.
Ford Foundation has often expressed how their organisation’s vision and support for creative talent fits into AFRIFF’s capacity development for the Nigerian film industry, hence the partnership. Also in the partnership are Arik Air, Montana State University, and Africa Magic.
Last year, the scheme had a total of 35 participants; 15 young film students, selected by AFRIFF for the Ford Foundation scholarship, and 20 upcoming filmmakers, who attended first-hand training at Relativity School, Los Angeles.
Paul Nwulu, Programmes Officer, Ford Foundation said his agency is excited about the scheme, stressing that they already had proposals for 10 of the 15 persons who made the training last year.
“The choice of Montana State University was strategic owing to the quality of training they offer,” he says.
For Founder/CEO, AFRIFF, Ms Chioma Ude, the scholarship is one in a series of other talent development initiatives of the six-year-old festival. According to her, the skill acquisition and youth development initiative was designed to use filmmaking as an authentic vehicle for youth empowerment.
“AFRIFF’s vision is to raise awareness about African cinema, its vast potential and the tremendous socio-economic impact of creative professionals on the African continent,” she states.
AFRIFF has since its first edition in 2010 provided free training and talent development opportunities for young people and aspiring filmmakers. The festival has among others provided cutting edge education in sound for film, cinematography and screen writing for over 500 students, in partnership with Sound & Motion Technical College and City Varsity, Cape Town, South Africa.