The Guardian (Nigeria)

Broadcast Content Across Borders

- Compiled by Shaibu Husseini

LLockdown Nollywoodw­eek OCKDOWN, the 2021 film by Nollywood director, Moses Ewang, has won the Audience Choice Award of the 2022 edition of the Nollywoodw­eek Film Festival ( NWFF) Paris, France. The yearly festival held between May 5 and 8 in Paris. The audience choice award is the only diadem presented at the festival, and it is given to a film adjudged the best by festivalgo­ers. Written and directed by Ewang, the movie featured some top Nollywood acts such as, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Tony Umez, Deyemi Okolawon, Chioma Akpotha and Yomi Blaq. The movie follows a group of strangers, who get trapped in a hospital in Lagos. They soon discover that a patient infected with a lethal disease has also been admitted to the hospital. They eventually plan their escape, but risk infecting others and causing an outbreak. This year, the selection of films for NWFF was extended beyond Nollywood. Prior to this edition, the festival was dedicated to the screening of Nollywood films. According to the organisers, this edition featured 19 shorts and feature length films and from 10 countries. The 10th edition comes up in 2023.

Nollywood Film, Wins Film Festival Top Award Better World Fund In Cannes To Promote Food, Heath, Sustainabi­lity

THE Better World Fund, the Paris- based non- profit organisati­on raising awareness on critical global issues, presents Food, Health and Sustainabi­lity —- a series of prestigiou­s events. The event will be attended by S. E Madame Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Cote d’ivoire; HRH Princess Ghida Talal, as well as internatio­nally recognised actress, producer, humanitari­an, and New York Times bestsellin­g author of The Beauty of Living Twice, Sharon Stone and Kiera Chaplin at Cannes, France on May 22 and 23, 2022. In line with the United Nations Sustainabl­e Developmen­t Goals ( SDGS), the two- day event —- Better World Fund’s Mastermind Conference, Cocktail VIP Reception and Gala Dinner Auction aims to raise awareness on the immediate need to change our agricultur­al and eating practices to take better care of our health, and our planet by uniting filmmakers, writers, scientists, environmen­talists, activists and business leaders to explore and provide tangible efforts to address the environmen­t, biodiversi­ty, and climate challenges. The supply issues arising from the pandemic, and the more recent tragic developmen­ts in Europe, have emphasised the need to “reorganise our agricultur­al practices and global value chains to ensure food security for all,” said Manuel Collas de la Roche, President and Founder of Better World Fund. “There is an excess of talk about climate change and biodiversi­ty loss,

but the time is now to put the spotlight on more specific actionable issues. Food waste, the degradatio­n of our land and food systems, the carbon footprint and tremendous impact of food on our health are slow poisons that can ruin generation­s. It is time to act now, together and fast,” he added

Hot Docs 2022 Ends In Style

HOT Docs 2022 ended on Saturday, bringing 225 films from 63 countries to Toronto cinemas and across Canada online. The 11- day hybrid festival featured 318 live screenings on nine screens at four venues across the city with 223 live filmmaker questions and answers and five special extended discussion­s with filmmakers and special guests as part of the Big Ideas Series presented by Scotia Wealth Management. The past 11 days have been a deeply rewarding experience after a three- year pause to our inperson festival, shared Chris Mcdonald, President of Hot Docs. “We are proud of the multitude of rich, important, and timely stories that were shared at Hot Docs 2022, proving that documentar­y cinema matters more than ever. We are thankful to our volunteers, filmmakers, industry stakeholde­rs and partners who helped make this year such a success, and we look forward to celebratin­g 30 years of Hot Docs at next year’s festival.” The Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentar­y, which recognises the top Canadian feature, as determined by audience poll and awards cash prizes totaling $ 50,000 to the top three Canadian features in that poll, was announced at a special free encore screening at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. Eternal Spring ( D: Jason Loftus), in which exiled Chinese illustrato­r Daxiong recreates the daring hack of Chinese state television by activists, placed first and received the top prize of $ 25,000 Canadian dollars. Okay! ( The ASD Band Film) ( D: Mark Bone), a backstage look at a band of four talented autistic musicians as they prepare for their first live show, placed second and received a $ 15,000 Canadian dollars prize. Unloved: Huronia’s Forgotten Children ( D: Barri Cohen), a searing account of abuse inside Ontario’s oldest government- run home for disabled children, placed third and was awarded $ 10,000 Canadian dollars. Hot Docs Audience Awards are determined by votes submitted by Festival audiences after inperson screenings and via the Hot Docs at Home streaming platform. At the close of the Festival, it was determined that Eternal Spring also placed first in the overall audience poll and won the Hot Docs Audience Award in addition to the Rogers Audience Award.

 ?? ?? Cast and creaw members of Lockdown, which won the Audience Choice Award
Cast and creaw members of Lockdown, which won the Audience Choice Award

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria