Ferdinand Ekechukwu
The 11th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is holding in Lagos between the 6th and 12th of November 2022. In the international film showcase in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos, AFRIFF presents a complete immersion into the world of film making, with participation from all over Africa and the diaspora, celebrating the best African films and stories.
Speaking with journalists during this year’s festival programme launch and media parley at Alliance Française Lagos, the founder and festival director, Chioma Ude announced “Indigenous for Global” as the theme for 2022.
She said, “Filmmaking has evolved rapidly in Africa over the last two decades and this year’s edition is designed to influence global perspectives of African films and storytelling.”
Continuing, the ardent film lover and entrepreneur said: “We intend to continue to empower our storytellers to explore ideologies and techniques that appeal to a larger global audience.”
Buttressing her point, she explained that the keynote conversations for the 11th edition feature high-profile speakers and facilitators from all over the world, with high-value networking as a preconceived outcome.
The festival’s 10th-anniversary edition was applauded for multiple achievements, including the hosting of Amazon Prime Video in an interactive session with filmmakers that saw licensing deals of short, feature and animated films.
As part of activities at this year’s festival, Chioma Ude has announced the continuing collaboration with Prime Video and Amazon Studios while introducing Nanny as the Opening Night Film of the festival.
Nanny represents the often-overlooked immigrant working mother in the domestic space, who walks the tightrope of adaptation and assimilation. It tells the real story of a mother’s pursuit of a better future, for herself and her child, while trying to maintain her own identity. Nanny is the winner of the 2022 Sundance Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, marking the first time a horror film and the second time a Black female director received the award.
The film will screen in theaters in Nigeria and select territories on November 25. Nanny will be released on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on December 16. Nanny joins Prime Video after the streamer recently announced its increased investment in Nigeria with its first two Nigerian originals, Gangs of Lagos, and LOL: Last One Laughing Naija, its first exclusive overall deals in Africa with Nigerian director/writer, and producer Jáde Osiberu and Greoh Studios.
