Mary Nnah
As at this movement, Nigerian delegates have joined the rest of the world for Pavillon Afriques to showcase best of Nollywood at the ongoing prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France holding from May 14 to May 25.
Nollywood film heavyweights like movie producer and director Kunle Afolayan; Producer Tope Oshin, Veteran Actress Joke Silva; Director and Producer Mildred Okwo; Founder of African International Film Festival Chioma Udeh; CEO, Inertia Pictures Justin Morgan; Managing Director, FilmOne Moses Babatope; Vice-President, Silverbird Film Distribution Guy Murray-Bruce; Actress Rita Dominic and many more industry experts are most likely to be at the pavilion.
They are joining a line-up that includes participants from African countries including Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Niger, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Djibouti, four other African countries and its diaspora from countries such as USA, Jamaica, Brazil, Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and so on.
In its first year at Cannes, Pavillon Afriques is set to become the busiest, most unique, networking and business hub at the festival this year.
According to Operations Director Prudence Kolong, “With this project, we are creating a unique venue for movie trade and promotion that outlines the diversity and plurality from Africa and its diaspora film and television content. Our ambition is to become an exclusive business platform where film industry stakeholders meet, discuss, trade, make deals and take advantage of the unique atmosphere of the Festival de Cannes.”
Pavillon Afriques will be the first tent within the Film Market section of the Cannes Film Festival dedicated exclusively to the business of Film in the African continent and among its diaspora. It is properly situated within the heart of the Marché du Film, which is the world’s biggest gathering of film industry professionals who come to sell films, find partners and expand their professional network.
With the theme ‘Connecting the Past, Present and Future’, Pavillon packs a full schedule with a mix of private and public sector roundtables, discussions on film financing and content distribution, a series of country produced destination seminars, celebrity hosted panels, leadership workshops, film screenings and more.
The programme is set to be the most fascinating hub out of Cannes in 2019. It will feature a dynamic line-up of some of the biggest names in film and entertainment from across the globe. Also participating in some of the sessions will be top executives of international festivals and events.
The organisers confirm that activities include screenings, seminars, workshop, round tables, country 5forums, an auction, art exhibition, haute cuisine, mini-concerts and so much more. Networking and promotional activities will include product presentations, receptions, cocktail parties, brunches, B2B, B2G and G2G meetings. The ‘Marche du Film’ Cannes Film Festival runs from 14-25 May 2019.
