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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
No less than 2,230 films from 172 countries of the world have been submitted for participation in this year’s Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF).
The film festival, which is in its second edition, is to run from Oct 24 to 27, 2024 in the city of Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, Nigeria, with the movie industry in the state eagerly awaiting the start of “a great outing.”
According to the founder and director of the festival, Kate Ezeigbo, “last year, we received 582 films from 82 countries. This year, we are proud to announce that we have over 2,230 submissions from 172 countries, including major entries from the United States and India.”
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Ezeigbo said the milestone achieved “explains the possible socio-cultural relationship that can exist between Rivers State by extension Nigeria and all of these countries.”
She said ‘The Rivers International Film festival was birthed in October 2023. It is the first indigenous film festival ever held in Rivers State, organized by Desgol Entertainment Worldwide.
“The Rivers International Film Festival is a humanity-based film festival with the vision to educate and empower the next generation of film makers.
“It was so difficult to select movies to contest in the forth coming festival taking place from 24-th-27th of October 2024, because they were too many beautiful and competitive movies,” she said.
The festival director noted that the requirements for this year’s film submissions were: Cultural analysis addressing any gender inequality, sexuality, power dynamics, security and racism.
“Issues on social justice at the national or regional level. Stories addressing indigenous and cultural or racial groups that are usually marginalized, disabled and a wide variety of other cultures and communities who make up the diversity of human life.
“Stories that tell the realms of technology, psychology. Medicine and spirituality as it intersects with human belleves and practices.
“This year, as part of our social impact responsibility to the creative industry, the following initiatives were introduced into the festival: The RIFF Free Medicals, RIFF Empowers, Pitch Your Project, Tour Rivers Initiative, Rivers Film Project.”
The free medical services for filmmakers initiative, according to Ezeigbo, is in response to the alarming health challenges faced by practitioners in the industry.
She said, “We discovered that because of the peculiarity of their job, being very tidious and time consuming, they barely have the time to do a routine check on their health.
“That is why the RIFF Free Medicals was created, so that every October, film practitioners, flm lovers and flm critics can access free minor surgeries, routine checks and free drugs for certain ailments.
“Secondly, we intend to use this platfom to reach out to all the necessary parastatals and agencies involved to have a structured health scheme plan for all Nolywood practitioners.
So, in thís second edition we will be having thirty free minor surgeries, drugs for malaria antibiotics, hypertensive, diabetics, ulcer, diarrheal, cough., cold, allergies, multivitamins will be dispensed, while tests for malaria, typhoid fever, STD, HBV, HBSAG, HCV, H.pylori will be carried out and free eye checks will be done all through these four days of the flm festival.”
Ezeigbo further noted that because of the peculiarity of the Nollywood industry in Nigeria, “where you have to become a celebrity before you are paid, there is need to diversify into other career path to avoid sex for roles or constitute nuisance in the industry. This is bane to the RIFF Empowers Initiative. This year a training on cinematography, smart phone videography for content creation, Production of hair care products, make up classes, ballon decoration classes and a cake baking/production of 15 other pastries.
“We hope that through this initiative, diversification will be taken seriously and more jobs will be created.
“The Pitch Your Project Initiative is a platform where content owwners interphase with executive producers. This particular initiative solves the problem of funding especially for those who have very good contents.
“The Rivers Film Project initiative targets to encourage the production of films that promotes and brings to bare the culture of the Rivers people which are yet untapped. It will promote film productions that will turn the state to a movie hub.
“This year the best Rivers Film Project will win a plot of land.
“The Tour Rivers initiative will be showcasing the sights and sounds of Rivers State. Our guest from all over the world will have a first-hand experience of our culture and heritage and how beautiful and peaceful the Rivers People are,” she said.
This second edition of The Rivers International Film Festival, themed ‘The Shift,’ seeks to “celebrate the shifting landscapes of filmmaking, fostering creativity, diversity and collaboration among Nigerian and International film makers.”
It will also “showcase innovative and compelling films that reflect the shifting narratives in the film industry, facilitate knowledge sharing and skills development through workshops, master classes and panel sessions and contribute to the growth of the Nollywood industry in Rivers State and Nigeria.”
Ezeigbo said “Our expectations are as follows: Enhanced creativity and innovation in film making, improved skills and knowledge for film makers, greater cultural exchange and understanding, contribution to the growth of the Nigerian Film industry, among others.
“| will like to say a very big thank to all our sponsors and partners especially The Rivers State Governor His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS the executive governor of Rivers State whom since his assumption into office has beamed his light on Nollywood from the befitting burial he gave to our colleague Late Precious Ofurum and now The Rivers International Film. Our dear governor we are proud of the milestone you have achieved already especially with the creative sector in the last six months.”
