Stories by Vanessa Obioha
The atmosphere at Lagos Theatre, Igando on a recent Thursday afternoon was filled with expectations and excitement as the over 300 students rounded up the four-week training in the art and business of filmmaking. The training ‘Film in a Box’ is facilitated by the Africa Film Academy, organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) in partnership with the Lagos State Government. The training however is part of the new initiative ‘100 Film Project’, which AFA launched last year which it said will empower young creatives, tackle unemployment and help creatives produce films that meet international standards.
The ‘Film in a Box’ is spread across three local governments in Lagos: Alimosho, Badagry and Epe. The goal is to train 600 young and emerging creatives in different aspects of filmmaking.
“It’s a long-term goal of not just training and leaving them because over the years we discovered that after the training, what next,” said AFA founder Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. “So that’s where the ‘100 Film Project’ came from. After training them now, we’re making sure that they have work to go to, so that it’s not just we have trained and helped them, no. We are going to make sure they have some work they’re doing and then from there, they can build up.”
The turnout at Alimosho however surprised the academy and the facilitators. One of the facilitators Keppy Ekpeyong who is a Nollywood veteran said they were amazed to have such a turnout.
“I think Alimosho managed to shake all the facilitators because we have evolved people who have become what they want to be.”
He added that the calibre of talents in the area showed the great potential that they can become more than social media hype because they have the talent and passion and are hungry for visibility.
His words were echoed by Achor Yusuf, another facilitator who took the students on directing.
“I see the eagerness, the zeal of the young talents we found here. People really want to learn. It’s just a matter of time until we begin to see the impact of the training on society.”
The students are expected to produce films after the training. As they walked into one of the rooms to audition for roles in an upcoming film, their passion could not be hidden. It showed in the way they delivered their lines, and the determination to get a yes from the casting crew. The scriptwriting class according to the facilitators boasts many talents. One of them is 21-year-old Sylvia Chinwendu who is currently studying Environmental Management and Toxicology at the University of Benin. Her passion for telling stories led her to participate in the training and so far, she said it has helped her to understand the business of filmmaking.
One of the things that excite Anyiam-Osigwe is that the students were trained in their community and she is looking forward to seeing their works as they embark on their filmmaking project which the academy is supporting with seed funding.
