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Communications, makers of classic Yoruba genre films like ‘Afonja’ and
‘Owo Eje’, have unveiled the programme for the 2010 edition of the
fourth annual Festival of Indigenous African Language Films (FIAF), to
be held in Akure, Ondo State, next month. Details were released at a
joint press conference with the Centre for Black and African Arts and
Civilization, held at the CBAAC offices in Lagos on Monday, September
13.

A Remdel
initiative, the festival started in 2007 as a capacity building
workshop known as ‘Behind the Screen’. It has since 2009 shed tag to
become a fully fledged expo of indigenous African language movies.
Films in Yoruba, Edo and Igbo languages are slated for screening this
year, with the likely participation of Hausa movie makers. There is
also a continental reach, as films from several African countries will
be premiered during the week-long festival.

Although all
featured films will be subtitled in English or French for a wider
appeal, their having been filmed principally in an indigenous African
language, is key. “Films in African languages contribute better to the
pool of universal knowledge as pertaining to African tenets;
spiritually, culturally, politically, and economically; while these
languages preserve the rich cultural heritage, ordinances, norms and
values of the peoples of Africa,” said Biodun Ibitola, MD of Remdel and
Festival Director. She added that “African languages enrich the [film
content] and project better the overall image of African nationalities
so as to expose these cultures globally.”

Politically engaged

One of the
highlights of FIAF 2010 will be a documentary on the life of the late
Moshood Abiola, reputed winner of Nigeria’s freest and fairest
elections, annulled in 1993 by former military ruler, Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida, the latter now once again a presidential aspirant. The theme
of this year’s edition is ‘Films, Politics and Society’.

Speaking on the
broad perspectives and objectives of the expo, Mrs. Ibitola said, “The
choice of the theme derives from the fact that 2011 is an election year
in Nigeria… and the realisation that films… have a lot to
contribute to the development of a robust and violent-free political
culture in Africa.”

In his remarks,
Director General of CBAAC, Tunde Babawale, also spoke of the political
imperative as regards this year’s festival. “Politics is all embracing
and permeates and pervades all aspects of our lives; and we believe
that one of the ways by which we can bring messages to the people that
can bring about the evolution of the new political culture is to use
the indigenous language films medium,” he said. Babawale observed that
a major factor in the political climate in the country is the absence
of ethics; and affirmed CBAAC’s and Remdel’s commitment to contributing
to the ongoing process of democratisation, through film. “We believe we
can use the instrumentality of films to preach political tolerance, to
preach the gospel of non-violence and ensure that we have a better
Nigerian society [to] create what we call an ethical foundation for our
politics,” he said.

Preserving culture

CBAAC is partnering
with Remdel for the second year running to organise the indigenous film
festival. The CBAAC DG said it was important for his organisation to
embark on outreach programmes by working with agencies that are in
touch with the grassroots. CBAAC is supporting FIAF as part of such
outreach efforts, explained Babawale, who praised Remdel as “an
organisation that has a history of performance and public service
delivery” in the area of film.

“We are
particularly enthused by the film medium because it has a wider reach
and has a way of engraving itself in the memories of people, to make a
very lasting impact,” he said, while noting the added value of movies
in indigenous languages. “There is no better way to market your country
and your culture than to do so through indigenous means of
communication,” he declared. “There is no better way to preserve you
cultural heritage than the instrumentality of language. If you language
survives, your culture will survive. If your language atrophies, your
culture will atrophy.”

Changing the mindset

While praising
Nollywood as the medium that has most successfully taken the country to
the Diaspora, Babawale highlighted some of the challenges, particularly
“off-track” films that depict Nigerians “in the era of Tarzan”; and
storylines that begin and end with witchcraft. CBAAC plans to organise
a scriptwriting workshop next year, to help change the mindset of those
who tell Nollywood stories, so as to encourage more positive portrayals.

A skills
acquisition feature is also one of the underpinning elements of FIAF
2010, according to Remdel. Industry practitioners can attend clinics
for training and retraining in the various aspects of filmmaking.
Sessions will be facilitated by the likes of cinematographer Tunde
Kelani, actress Joke Silva and Tunji Bamishigbin of the Nigerian Film
Institute, Jos.

Also included on
the programme are: a women’s segment to be chaired by Kemi Mimiko, wife
of the Ondo State governor; a business forum coupled with another on
film financing; an exhibition; a filmmakers’ summit; and a discussion
session, ‘Tiwa n Tiwa Forum’, to be conducted in an indigenous
language. The festival’s annual Filmmakers’ Lecture will be delivered
by Wole Ogundele, the Director General of the Centre for Culture and
International Understanding (CBCIU), based in Osogbo, Osun State.
Recognition Awards will also honour those who have contributed to
development of filmmaking in Nigeria.

Mrs. Ibitola
disclosed that FIAF’s former ‘Behind the Screen’ tag is now the focus
of the Remdel Arts and Film Academy, an institute of film training.
Apart from a N5,000 participation fee for practitioners and those who
attend the Skills Acquisition clinics, there are no charges for
festival goers.

FIAF 2010 is
co-funded by Remdel and CBAAC. Commending the culture parastatal’s
involvement, Remi Ibitola, Chair, Board of Directors of Remdel, said,
“The contribution of CBAAC is immesurable.”

The Fourth Festival
of Indigenous African Language Films holds at the Owena International
Hotels, Akure, Ondo State, from October 3 to 9.