The latest episode of CNN’s Africa Avant Garde follows filmmakers and organisers from the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Chioma Ude, the founder of AFRIFF, explains how the film festival benefits a whole range of individuals, “To just film lovers, it’s a place where they go in and watch films. To young people who want to be associated with stars, it’s a place where they can actually go see them. For filmmakers that need to partner, to learn, it’s a great place for learning.”
The week-long event screened 150 films. Ude describes that the most important aspect of the event is, “Having the filmmakers show their films to the rest of the world, the people that are there, and showing the film, taking the bow at the end. and talking about your experience.”
Obi Emelonye, writer, director and producer of ‘Out of Breath’, the closing film of AFRIFF 2024, shows CNN around the festival, pointing out key sights such as VVIP Theatre. He explains the value of his film closing the festival, “It’s a huge profile that can be stepped upon for greater things for the film. So, film festivals are hugely important, and I think one other thing that film festivals, just like awards ceremonies, have done is to elevate filmmaking to just rise above commercialism. Now there’s an interest in critical acclaim, for awards, film festivals, official selection, and all of a sudden filmmakers are aspiring not just to make money but to have those accolades as part of their growth to get to bigger things.”
As well as up-and-comers, it’s important for big name creatives from outside the continent to attend the festival and show their films. Ude reflects on the creatives who are in attendance, “John Boyega coming […] is a good attraction for the younger people who want to be here. For Skepta, somebody from his team reached out and we got talking and I flew to LA to see his premiere in Africa, and we had a good discussion, and so we agreed to have it in the festival.”
Awam Amkpa, the director of the film, “The Man Died”, based on the incarceration of Wole Soyinka, explains his film, “This is a language of the younger generation, and I think that’s one of the amazing opportunities that this festival in particular draws us to. And it’s important for Southern Africa to become mainstream, the rest of Africa and for the rest of Africa also to catch up with itself.”
Ampka ends with a view on the impression he hopes to leave, “We would also break that idea that we are just African filmmakers, we’re filmmakers. We happen to come from Africa, and we tell stories that are global stories.”
