By Our Reporter
Mr Joel Haikali, Chairman, Namibia Film Commission (NFC), says there are many opportunities for collaboration between Namibian filmmakers and their Nigerian counterparts.
Haikali said this on Monday during the Actors Master Class segment of the 9th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) held at Film House Cinemas, Landmark Village, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the week-long festival, which started on Nov. 10 to end Nov. 16 is to bring together African filmmakers and enthusiasts to develop filmmaking in Africa.
Haikali said that Nigerian filmmakers could explore collaborative opportunities like introducing Namibian films into the Nigeria market in exchange for Nigerian films.
Others areas of collaboration, he said, included building capacity in the Namibian film industry, formal trainings and exhibitions.
He said in a bid to promote cooperation between Namibians and other filmmakers for the creation of African content, the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) had launched the Nixau Toma Film Fund.
“The NFC has committed up to one million Namibian dollars for this initiative.
“The country creates over 1,000 jobs through film making annually.
“Our industry is such a lucrative one which has recorded huge success over the years.
“In the last three years, 200 million Namibian dollars was spent for filmmaking,” the NFC chairman said.
Haikali said that with the success recorded in the country, South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, France and the United States of America would soon prefer Namibia as a film destination.
“In Namibia, documentaries are most popular followed by commercials, corporate videos, photography and television lifestyle shows.
“Since inception, the commission through the Namibia Government has fully funded 45 films, 25 short films, 11 feature films, one web series, two television series and six documentaries,” he said.
Earlier, at the opening ceremony of the AFRIFF on Sunday, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information and Culture, commended the organiser of the programme, Chioma Ude and other women in the creative industry.
He said the theme for the 2019 AFRIFF, which is “SHEROES”, tried to support more female film makers in the creative industry.
“Indeed, it won’t be out of place to say that women are taking increasingly leading roles in the creative industry and this is quite delightful as women most often succeed when they take charge.
“The examples are there to see, particularly, in the creative industry.
“I, therefore, implore the women of the creative industry not to relent in showing the way in this great industry.
“I commend the organiser of this year’s AFRIFF for using it to celebrate women,” Mohammed said.
He promised continuous support of government to the creative industry, saying that this had been evident in previous years.
“Government will continue to support the creative industry; the evidence of our support can be seen clearly in granting the industry the pioneer status, improving access to long-term, low-cost financing for entrepreneurs and investors in the creative industry.
“This can also be seen in the information technology sector through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s financing initiative (CIFI),” he said.
The minister said that the Federal Government was planning to finalise work on the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) Bill.
Mohammed said this was to create a proper regulatory environment for the sub-sector that had put Nigeria’s name on the global map to attract the needed investment to the industry
According to him, the MOPICON Bill will also establish the endowment fund for the arts to create a legal framework for the financing of the creative industry.
“These and more are our plans for this burgeoning Industry,” he said. (NAN)
