Two Film Festivals, IREP And CCFF, Same Dates, In Lagos, Enugu
IT’S the start of the festival season back here in Nigeria and two film festivals — Irepresent International Film Festivals, also known as Irep Film Festival and Coal City Film Festival are billed to open and close the same day ( March 21 and 23) in Lagos and Enugu states. While Lagos is to play host to the 2024 edition of the IREP international documentary film festival starting March 21 and closing on March 23, Nike Lake Resort, Enugu State, will be venue of the 2024 edition of the Uche Agbo- led Coal City Film Festival ( CCFF). The organisers of Irep said over 45 films would be screened at the two venues hosting the documentary festival this year. The venues are Freedom Park, which is located on Hospital Road, Lagos Island, and Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, in Ikoyi, Lagos. To be held under the theme: ‘ Righting The Future’, this 2024 edition has been designated as ‘ The Soyinka Editon’’ to commemorate the 90th birthday anniversary of the distinguished global cultural icon, poet, playwright, essayist, polemicist and Africa’s first Nobel laureate for literature, Professor Oluwole Akinwande Soyinka. The theme for the Coal City Film Festival is ‘ Cultural Renaissance’ and it centres on how to utilise the powerful medium of film to rekindle sense of pride in Nigeria’s heritage. Also, this year’s edition of CCFF will feature traditional events such as master classes, panel discussion, palm wine and bush meat round table and it is featuring a 72- hour script to screen marathon workshop for rookie filmmakers and actors who are expected to make short films in 72 hours with the best short film receiving a prize from sponsors. The CCFF organisers had earlier named the filmmaker, writer, essayist and novelist, Jude Idada, as head of a five man jury. Other jury members are writer and producer, Chichi Nwaorah; filmmaker Theo Ukpa; theatre and film scholar, Dr. Charles Okwuuwulu and Prof Atul Marewad, a renowned filmmaker from India.