New Initiative for Aspiring Filmmakers in Lagos

By Tosin Clegg 

The Lagos filmLAB is a project funded by the British Council and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), in collaboration with delivery partners, BiolaAlabi Media and Creative England. The project is designed to address issues affecting the film industry in Nigeria, such as challenges around financing, infrastructure and capacity building, to improve the quality of output and revenue. Open to all aspiring filmmakers in Lagos state, Lagos filmLAB aims to discover and support emerging talents towards the development and production of market-ready, low-budget, high quality feature films.

This project will discover and support 12 teams of emerging film talent in August/September 2019, through an intensive residential programme facilitated by experienced film executives and professional writers. Filmmaking teams will be guided through the development and production phases of filmmaking with dedicated support. They will also enjoy access to networking and mentoring opportunities with established industry professionals. Participants will be educated on topics such as script development, production, sales, marketing and distribution, and financing. The initiative is designed to improve the creative and commercial skills of each filmmaking team member, thereby positively impacting the overall film making industry in Lagos State.

The delivery partners will provide relevant expertise to the pilot programme. They will also support a cohort of emerging filmmakers to develop new feature films and give them distribution and marketing planning insights to enhance their prospects.

Acting Executive Secretary, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Teju Abisoye said: “As a partner for the maiden edition of this creative sector initiative, we are convinced this collaboration further defines our commitment to job creation through relevant and appropriate skills that support the creative sector in Lagos State and in particular film production. 

“The LSETF Employability Support Project will be working with the partners to ensure that the curriculum is updated and relevant for all the current trainings that can directly benefit from this intervention.  Finally, we expect that a new tribe of world class filmmakers would emerge to further contribute to the depth of quality and growth of the creative industry in Lagos State.”

Leading film maker, CEO of Biola Alabi Media and local delivery partner of Lagos filmLab, Mrs. Biola Alabi, enthused over the partnership, heralding it as a first of its kind that would introduce a new cadre of filmmakers in Nollywood and propel the overall terrain of Nigerian filmmaking towards explosive growth.

 Head of Film from Creative England, Paul Ashton said: “Our approach to film development endeavours to foster and facilitate the highest quality work from exciting, distinctive storytellers which has the potential to break out and reach an audience. The ‘lab’ format offers an intense and intensive experience, where quality and ambition are the beginning and end points, and where filmmaking teams develop the skills and relationships that will sustain their career.”