“This year’s ZUMA Film Festival (ZUFF) will be bigger and better”. That’s the assurance given Nigerians by the Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Dr. Chidia Maduekwe during the unveiling of the programmes and logo of the festival billed to hold in Abuja in December.
According to Maduekwe, after three years, the film festival has been rebranded with the theme ‘Feast on Films” and is being positioned as a national and international brand for the country.
“This year, we are mounting a re-branded ZUMA Film Festival designed to explore the economic and audiovisual potentials of Africa’s largest motion picture industry. Its thrust is to give impetus to its steady growth pattern and increasing profile as well as align it to the vast and expansive opportunities available in the global audiovisual market.
“The festival has, and will continue to serve as a platform for Nigerian film practitioners to network with their counterparts from other parts of the world and thus stimulate co-production and financing opportunities,” he says.
Maduekwe said further: “The recognition and reward of cinematic excellence; promotion of audiovisual services, cultural products and the huge export potentials of Nigerian films as well as heralding Nigeria’s tourism potentials as a film destination hub remain the overriding essence of ZUMA Film Festival.”
The NFC boss acknowledged that the film industry has contributed immensely to the nation’s GDP, therefore it is being galvanised with a renewed impetus not only to up its contribution to the nation’s economy but also to increase its power as a tool for peace, unity and progress.
Meanwhile, renowned film critic and scholar, Dr. Hyginus Ekwuazi has been appointed the Head of Jury of the film Festival which entry submission closes on September 31.
