The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has urged the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musawa, to revisit some key film industry’s policies that have the capabilities of enhancing the sector.
This was disclosed in a statement made available by its Director, Public Affairs, Mr Brian Etuk in Abuja on Friday.
Etuk affirms that the Managing Director of NFC, Dr Chidia Maduekwe, gave the advice while presenting a catalog of film festivals to the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musawa in Abuja.
Maduekwe said the policies would help in sustaining the sector’s contributions to content creation, effective film distribution and exhibition.
Adding that minister should also revisit training and capacity building, as well as the establishment of the National Film Development Fund (NFDF).
According to Maduekwe, the corporation had achieved a 10-year hosting partnership with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in 2021 through a Memorandum of Understanding which designated Abuja as the official host city.
He said, it is natural for Abuja to be named the official host city for the film festival in line with best global practices. For instance, the cities of Cannes, Toronto, Durban and others.
The NFC chief said that the film industry challenges had slowed down the development process and growth rate of the sector, particularly the laws, including the NFC Act of 1979 that needed to be reviewed.
“This has never undergone any single amendment in the last 44 years, and other legal framework for the Motion Picture Practitioners Council (MOPICON)”, he added.
“The National Film Institute (NFI), Jos has continued to provide training and capacity building for Nigeria in film and television production, including entrepreneurial skills acquisition for youths across the geopolitical zones of the country.
“This is achieved through its Mobile Audiovisual Training Platform, aside from the Master Degree Programme in Film Culture and Archiving Studies,” he said.
