Gov. Sanwoolu, Other Veteran Nollywood Actors Commend Cross River Born Film Maker, Fidelis Duker On The Success Of 19th Abuja International Film Festival.
By Our Reporter
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu has joined several other Nigerians to commend Cross River born and renowned film maker, Mr. Fidelis Duker for his consistency in sustaining the Abuja International Film Festival for so many years.
The Abuja International Film Festival which is currently in its 19th year since inception and regarded as the longest running film festival in Anglophone west Africa, this year received an unprecedented 1,987 films from 97 countries.
The Lagos State governor who was honored with the distinguished Merit Award of the festival for his several interventions and support for the development of the movie industry, emphasized that it is on record that he has, during his tenure created capacity building initiatives that has so far trained over 2000 aspiring and established filmmakers in different aspects of filmmaking, including funding opportunities like grants and interest free loans that several filmmakers have so far accessed. He also made known his plan to unveil the new film city being built around the Epe area of lagos.
Also speaking during the event, veteran Nollywood actor and former President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Charles Inojie of the popular The Johnson’s Family commended the tenacity of the organisers for sustaining the festival for the past 19 years, he said he was looking forward to the 20th edition next year.
Founder of the Festival, Mr. Fidelis Duker while speaking with journalists noted his excitement of sustaining the festival for several years.
Mr. Duker who described 19 years as a stage of maturity and adulthood insisted that the festival has a lot of potentials for the development of the nation’s movie industry.
Meanwhile, ‘Rule No ‘ emerged winner in the short film category sponsored by Hypo Home Care Product tagged SHOOT TO CLEAN.
The movie came tops after a rigorous screening exercise by a team of Jury which had Segun Arinze, Monalisa Chinda, Mykael Parish, Charles Inojie, Temitope Duker and Akintayo Akinseloyin.
