Film & TV

How to Apply for African Development Funding for your Film or TV Project

By Sughnen Yongo

July 2023

As an African filmmaker, applying for funding for your project can be daunting and downright intimidating. While it may seem as though the African filmmaking landscape is the best that it has ever been in recent years, with African films leaving their mark on the global landscape and more filmmakers gaining access to capital, obtaining the resources needed to fuel your dream may still seem far-fetched.

 

The film and television industry in Africa may be growing rapidly, but with that comes the need for additional funding to help projects move forward, and challenges still remain. According to UNESCO, across Africa, the leading challenge that exists for creators include weak or non-existent governmental incentives encouraging African creators to pursue their stories.

 

With the right funding, projects can further push the envelope and open more doors for the future. Fortunately, numerous African development funding sources are available for filmmakers and TV producers. To help filmmakers on the continent, STATEMENT has compiled a list below on how to apply for African development funding, some of the places to find them, and ways to go about it.

 

1. Understand African Development Funding

 

African development funding is a niche sector that hinges on regional organizations and philanthropic institutions to support creators in the arts and entertainment industry. These funds are frequently earmarked to support projects that advance cultural preservation, economic growth, job creation, and social impact. The Alter-Ciné Foundation offers several yearly grants to young filmmakers in Africa, Asia and Latin America to direct documentary films that tell important stories. The African Development Bank has also been on this wave for years. In 2023, the organization unveiled the iDICE program—an ambitious endeavor aimed at fostering the growth of digital and creative enterprises. With a staggering $618 million in investments, this initiative is one of the bank’s attempts to invest in African-powered creativity.

 

2. Find the Right Fit

 

An important step to take while applying for funding is to identify the right fit. A practical way to achieve this is to create a spreadsheet of every organization that offers funding, detailing the deadlines and the exact type of projects they’re looking for. This way, you can streamline your hunt and be more intentional about the process. 

 

There are numerous organizations and charities that provide grants or other forms of financial assistance to African film and television projects, but the right fit is imperative. It’s important to do some digging to find the opportunity that aligns the most with your project. This way, there is a higher chance that you will get an approval. The IDFA Bertha Fund, for example, supports independent, critical, and artistic voices from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania regions.

 

To secure a grant from an organization like this, you will need to ensure that your objectives are aligned by honing in on the organization’s mission and goal. This will provide valuable insight into their preferences and priorities, and the mission they are aiming to fulfill. In your application, it will also be important to highlight the potential impact your film can have on the organization’s target audience, and how it aligns with their goals. Highlight any research or data that supports the positive outcomes your film can achieve.

 

Showcasing opportunities for collaboration and partnerships with the organization by highlighting how your project can provide mutual benefits by involving the organization in various stages of the filmmaking process. This could include involving their members or beneficiaries as actors, consultants, or advisors, or providing opportunities for promotion or outreach through joint initiatives.

 

3. Know the Ropes

 

To navigate the world of African development funding effectively, it’s important to become a savvy investigator. Eligibility criteria differ for each competition or grant opportunity, so make sure you read each application thoroughly, so that you can share your work with investors in the most concise, yet effective way. Organizations like the African Development Bank (AfDB) are pouring into grants that foster creativity and freedom of cultural expression in budding filmmakers. On an international scale, the prestigious Sundance Institute offers several resources to creators including a grant that prioritizes films led by artists from Africa, China, India, Latin America, and the Middle East, according to its website. Creators living in the diaspora can also apply to this fee-free opportunity. By staying on the pulse of current funding programs, eligibility criteria, and application deadlines, you can increase your chances of securing financial support.

 

4. Build Relationships

 

In an industry built on collaboration and storytelling, investing time and effort into building relationships is not just important — it’s essential. Good old-fashioned relationship-building can help to foster trust, inspire creativity, and open doors to new opportunities. Strong relationships enable filmmakers to assemble talented teams, secure funding, access resources, and navigate the intricate web of the industry. A great way to navigate this is to keep your ear to the ground. Industry events like Sundance’s Collab online events that draw in creators globally to learn from, and engage with industry experts, network and get your name and brand out in the open. Another major event is the prestigious African Film Festival. It can get really expensive to attend these events, so it is a great idea to offer to volunteer at these events. Volunteering creates a win-win situation, because it gives you first-hand access to many film power players and other rising creators who are looking to get their name out.

 

5. Know Before You Go

 

Before crafting a proposal, it is imperative to know the pulse of your work. What do you stand for? What is the crux of the film or TV project? You need to also have a concise explanation for your work- an elevator pitch, if you will -that is compelling enough to draw attention. In crafting your pitch, be prepared to highlight an in-depth overview of the project, its goals, and its potential impact. Know the answers to questions about the project’s budget, timeline, and creative vision, because this will keep you ahead of the curve. Additionally, it is important to treat your project as a full – fledged business, and that means knowing, and highlighting any potential risks or challenges that may arise during the development and production of the project.

 

Film

Exploring Ghana Through Film

Ghana’s Cultural Diversity and Strife on Film

By Takunda Chimutashu

July 2023

  • Gold Coast Lounge depicts Ghana’s transition to a less corrupt economy after independence from Britain.

  • My Mother’s Heart a colorful representation of the diversity of Ghana’s tribes.

  • Aloe Vera invokes humor to explore the tribal conflicts that have long plagued Ghana.

  • Azali sheds light on human trafficking in Ghana.

 

Ghana is a country with a deep history, complex socio-political structures and a vast population made up of many cultures and tribes. These films are a fantastic resource for navigating Ghanaian social and historical nuances, and for gaining valuable understanding beyond the cliches often portrayed in mainstream media.

 

From the subtle political commentary of Gold Coast Lounge and the tribal diversity of My Mother’s Heart,  to the awareness raised on issues of tribalism and child trafficking in Aloe Vera and Azali, these filmmakers lay the truth of life in Ghana bare for us to see and experience. 

Gold Coast Lounge (2019)

 

Figuring Out the Independence Thing

 

Daniel (Alphonse Menyo), adopted son of a ruthless drug kingpin, money launderer and owner of Gold Coast Lounge is forced to legitimize his business or face the wrath of an anti-corruption government. He is opposed by his siblings, Wisdom (Pascal Aka) and Akatua (Zynnell Zuh), who choose to continue down a dark path.

 

This Cain and Abel film noir allows us to understand the fundamental sentiments that existed during Ghana’s early years as the very first country to gain independence from Britain in the mid-1960s.

 

Gold Coast Lounge takes place during the coup of 1966, which saw Ghana’s transition to a militant anti-crime government, led by Jerry Rawlings. The film is more than a stylized surrealist exploration of film noir. It pushes further, to help us understand post-colonial Ghana, through the eyes of a family of gangsters.

 

My Mother’s Heart (2005)

 

A Magical Film Explores Ghana’s Rich Cultures

 

Nana Yaa (Akofa Edjeani Asiedu) moves from place to place to avoid a war that is consuming the magic-filled lands of her country. Half-starved and desperate, she finds a village to call home, and becomes its queen.

 

My Mother’s Heart is a well-composed testament to Ghana’s rich cultural diversity—one of its most significant treasures. Ghana has more than 100 ethnic groups and tribes, and boasts one of the world’s most culturally diverse populations. Each has its own set of cultural beliefs, while still sharing incredible stories of their ancestors, histories, and traditions.

 

 Despite its magical elements, the film is for mature audiences. Sadly, even the most beautiful light casts a dark shadow and Ghana’s cultural diversity has a dark side that is addressed by the next film on the list: tribalism. 

 

This classic Ghanaian film captures the nostalgic Ghollywood editing and music, to the old-school green screen effects and folklore-based storylines, My Mother’s Heart still holds a special place in many a Ghanaian’s heart. 

 

Aloe Vera

 

Confrontation: A Romeo-and-Juliet Tale of Tribal Clashes in Ghana

 

The forbidden romance between Aloewin (Aaron Adatsi), a man from Aloe, and Veralin (Alexandra Ayirebi-Acquah), a woman from Vera, symbolizes the confrontation of two communities in the village of Kelelewe that are forced to confront the absurd reality they adhere to. Aloe vera is a romantic comedy with a stellar cast and a big heart that uses a simple, effective approach to address tribalism.

 

The film is a clever representation of tribal clashes in Ghana. The Aloes (who believe the chicken came first) and the Veras (who believe the egg came first) quickly create stereotypes and propaganda about each other and train future generations to hate everything about each other. The tribes even go as far as resolving conflict using intense tug-of-war competitions. The village of Kelewele (the name of Ghana’s beloved crispy plantain snack) is divided over the very trivial yet popular debate of the chicken and the egg (literally) and ultimately each side builds their lives and identities around the villagers’ failure to resolve the conflict.—a clever representation of tribal clashes. 

 

As with the confrontation between the Aloes and the Veras, relations between Ghana’s 100+ vibrant ethnic groups is far from perfect. The roots of tribalism, which existed before colonial times, were reinforced by both colonial and post-colonial governments. Ghanaians recognize this problem and, through education, aim to stress national unity and an understanding of different cultures and traditions.

Azali (2018)

 

Fighting Child Trafficking: Tackling Ghana’s Brazen Crime

 

In a desperate attempt to give Amina a better life, her mother (Akofa Edjeani Asiedu) gives her to a woman who claims to find young girls lucrative jobs, but instead traffics and sells them. Follow the sad tale of Amina (Asana Alhassan), 14-year-old from a poor village who has no prospects beyond child marriage.

 

Efforts to combat child trafficking in Ghana have been significant but slow. In 2008, the Ghanaian government established its first Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, to coordinate and implement national efforts to combat human trafficking.  

 

Organizations such as the IOM are trying to educate and engage people from around the world to raise awareness and find solutions to trafficking worldwide. 

 

Ghana has a deep history, complex socio-political structures and a vast population made up of many cultures and tribes. These films help viewers to navigate Ghanaian social and historical nuances. They offer a valuable understanding beyond the cliches often portrayed in mainstream media.

 

These filmmakers lay the truth of life in Ghana bare for us to see and experience. From the subtle political commentary of Gold Coast Lounge, to the tribal diversity of My Mother’s Heart,  to the awareness raised on issues of tribalism and child trafficking in Aloe Vera and Azali.

 

Film

How to Find and Apply to African Film Festivals

By Wale Oloworekende

July 2023

There has never been a more exciting time to be an African filmmaker. With the eye of the world tilting towards cultural output from the motherland, titles from Africa are already starting to have global traction thanks to the impact of streaming platforms and the global brand of African actors. The rise of African films has similarly inspired a number of festivals across the continent dedicated to curating, celebrating, and platforming some of the most exciting movies made by Africans with a focus on their technical merits and narrative styles.

 

At STATEMENT, we decided to compile a list of some of these festivals, where to find them, and how to apply to them.

 

The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO)

 

Founded in 1969, The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) is a film festival that takes place biennially in Burkina Faso with a specific focus on African filmmakers and works chiefly made in Africa. Accepting all sorts of entries from short films to documentaries and feature films, the festival traditionally holds two weeks after the last Saturday in February but held its 2023 edition from the 25th of February to the 4th of March. The next edition of FESPACO is scheduled for 2025 and filmmakers can keep up with more information on the festival’s website.

 

African Film Festival

 

Committed to spotlighting films that capture the infinite possibilities in African films and stories, the African Film Festival founded in 1993 has grown to become one of the leading tastemakers and authorities on movies, shorts, and documentaries coming out of Africa. The 2023 edition of the festival was held from May 10 to June 1 and was billed as a “journey through a landscape of cinematic possibilities, where creativity knows no limits and boundaries are mere suggestions.” The African Film Festival welcomes submissions in both feature and short film categories. Applicants looking to showcase their work next year might find some information on the About page and look out for more extensive information on the Submissions portal.

 

Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF)

 

Alternatively known as the Festival of the Dhow Countries, the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) is the largest film festival in East Africa and is held in Tanzania annually. Film entries are considered from all over Africa and the African diaspora with entries from parts of the Arab world and Asia also considered. The Zanzibar International Film Festival places a primary focus on feature-length movies and is especially popular for its Golden Dhow award given to the best movie at the festival. The deadline for 2023 entries has already passed with the event taking place from June 24 to July 2, 2023, but filmmakers interested in applying in the future can check for updates on the ZIFF website.

 

Durban International Film Festival (DIFF)

 

Founded in 1979 by Teddy Sarkin and Ros Sarkin, Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is one of the oldest film festivals in Africa. DIFF accepts entries from African and international filmmakers but African filmmakers are given priority. The 44th edition of the Durban International Film Festival is set to take place from July 20 to 30th at the University of KwaZulu-Natal after a three-year hiatus and the deadline for application has since elapsed. With the 45th edition sure to come along next year, filmmakers can follow the festival’s social media pages and website for more information for admittance.

 

Carthage Film Festival

 

The Carthage Film Festival, alternatively known by its French name Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage (JCC) is an annual film festival founded in 1966. Originally held biannually, the festival has taken place annually every year since 2014 in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia with a hyper-focus on shorts and feature films by African and Arab filmmakers. 2022’s edition took place from October 29 to November 5, 2022. Preparations for this year’s event are happening in earnest with the festival expected to take place from October 28 to November 4. Applicants for the festivals are encouraged to apply through the application links on the festival’s website.

 

African International Film Festival (AFRIFF)

 

Widely regarded as the most popular film festival in Africa, the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) was founded in 2010 by Chioma Ude with the task of providing total immersion into the world of African filmmaking from shorts to documentaries, feature films, and student films. Since its inaugural edition was held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 2010, the festival held annually in Nigeria has grown to be an annual celebration of African filmmaking across these formats. The 2023 edition of AFRIFF will be held from November 5-10, 2023. Applicants for the festival can head to the AFRIFF website where updates about upcoming events and instructions for registering for the festival are shared.

 

Africa in Motion (AiM)

 

Africa in Motion (AiM) is an annual African film festival that celebrates the best of African talent across all visual formats with a strong focus on feature-length movies. Traditionally taking place in Scotland and open to African-based filmmakers and diaspora-based Africans, it has been running for over 15 years. Last year’s edition was its 17th with a series of screenings and panels held from the 11th of November till the 20th of November. Details have not been announced for the 2023 edition but filmmakers and prospective attendees can keep an eye on the Africa in Motion Instagram page and website for additional info.

 

Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF)

 

Founded in 1976, the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is the only international competitive feature film festival recognized by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) in Africa. CIFF places a heavy focus on feature-length submissions with its highest prize, The Golden Pyramid, being awarded for the best film at the competition. The 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival will be held from the 15th to 24th of November 2023 with submissions from Africa and the Middle East being considered. Submissions are still ongoing for CIFF and prospective attendees can find more information on the application process on the festival’s website and social media pages.

 

TV

Rogers Ofime on Queer Love in the Nigerian Series Wura

A queer love story on Nigerian TV and the man behind it

By Chisom Peter Job

July 2023

“Am I being Western?” he asks. “No. We’re talking about love, and it is between two people. And as far as I’m concerned, whether it’s a man and a man, a woman and a woman, a man, and a woman, I don’t think there’s anything wrong as long as it’s genuine love.”

 

In Wura, Rogers Ofime brings queer characters out of the shadows, challenging Nigeria’s long-held social norms.

 

Dubbed as Showmax’s first Nigerian telenovela, with plans on making it their longest-running one, with over 200 episodes, Wura follows Wura Amoo-Adekola (Scarlet Gomez), a mother and ruthless businesswoman who is ready to do whatever it takes for her gold mining business to succeed.

 

In Wura, Femi (Seyi Akinsola) and Lolu (Iremide Adeoye), two queer characters, are allowed to exist as they are without the implication that they are abominations, a common theme in mainstream Nollywood. While there are a few productions where queer characters are beginning to be respected, humanizing them has always been a problem, something Wura takes seriously.

 

While creating the show, Ofime wanted to stay true to its South African adaptation, The River, where these characters also exist. “So, when we were going to adopt it, we asked questions like ‘Would it be accepted in Nigeria?’ ‘Should we change it to a boy and a girl?’ ‘A love triangle?’ But then, we had to remind ourselves that there wasn’t anything wrong with two people of the same sex being in love and that the fact that it isn’t accepted in Nigeria doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” Ofime tells STATEMENT.

 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

 

STATEMENT: You’ve worked on many projects and have been in the industry for years. What has it been like for you so far?

 

Ofime: Well, I think it’s been fun. It’s always interesting when you do what you love to do and what you’re passionate about. And that’s the one thing that has kept me going. I’m doing what I love and have carved a niche for myself in the industry regarding the stories I tell.

 

I like to tell provocative stories. Stories that can change the status quo. So I think it’s been an interesting journey so far.

 

The story of Femi and Lolu was provocative. What was it like to tell it? Were there any challenges faced?

 

Honestly, there was no challenge. There was nothing. We don’t face challenges telling the stories of a boy and girl in love, so why now? Why are we giving it attention? Why are we making it feel like there’s something wrong that we’re doing? There’s nothing wrong with the story. There’s nothing wrong with the creative approach because it is what happens in our day-to-day existence. We all must come to the acceptance of it because it is what it is.

 

This is the first Nollywood show on a major service that isn’t offensive when showing queer love. And we know there’s still a long way to go, so what do you think about that?

 

On the contrary, Nollywood has come to embrace it. Do we have many confident producers telling these [queer] stories? Maybe not, and perhaps not many of us, but it’s been accepted. Like, a friend recently won a Berlinale award for his gay drama, and that’s not the first. As I said, it’s not Westernization but the fact that we must embrace this part of our existence. 

 

Do we have queer people in Nigeria? Yes. Do some of us accept them? Yes. I’m not here to tell people; please accept queer people because they’re in love. They’re in love, and you have to take it or leave it.

 

Why was it essential to bring The River to Nigeria?

 

Firstly, The River was very successful. And secondly, we knew it would work in terms of our social milieu. The only area, as you pointed out, was the queerness. The River is in its 6th season in South Africa; it’s done about three seasons in Kenya and two seasons in Portugal, if I’m correct. And so when they approached me to do this for Nigeria, I checked and saw the good ratings, and thought, “why not?”

 

Were you involved in the casting process?

 

Yes, I was. So our casting process was very long and tedious, but yes, I was involved, and of course, Mnet was involved too. So we called for an open audition, and then we streamlined to the number of people we wanted from the open audition. And in fact, you’d be amazed at how many actors wanted to play the part of Lolu and Femi. 

 

I was shocked, but seeing people auditioning to play these characters was also encouraging, as we had about 15 actors for the role of Lolu and about 20 for Femi before we pruned down to three and then from three to the final two. And the actors we eventually got for the role knew what it entailed. They got close, would call themselves babies, and held hands, which made the on-screen chemistry believable.

 

What stood out between both actors?

 

We didn’t want stereotypes. Do you know what I mean? We tried to avoid stereotypes about queer men and how they must look or sound. So we looked out for good screen chemistry and screen presence in delivery. Also, they were more convincing than the others, so they landed the role.

 

So what should viewers expect in the next season?

 

It is going to get better. I mean, we saw people complain about Femi and Lolu. Meanwhile, we didn’t show them doing anything. But wait for it; our viewers won’t be disappointed. We had two queer characters in The River and got to see more. So, expect the same.

 

Wura is currently streaming on Showmax.

 

Film

African Women are the Future of Global Cinema

“This is just the beginning”: African female filmmakers make big strides

By Seyi Lasisi

July 2023

  • African cinema has historically marginalized women 

  • The new generation of women in film seek broader representation

  • Box office success has paved the way for more women in the industry

  • Queer characters signal the expanding roles of women

 

“It’s extraordinary…but at the same time, it’s not. It’s like saying the sun shines bright. We all know the sun shines bright…. same thing about female filmmakers.”

 

This is according to Oge Obasi, producer of Mami Wata [Nigerian debut indigenous premiere at Sundance Film Festival], as she tells STATEMENT about the accomplishments that African female filmmakers are continuously achieving.

 

In traditional African cinema (as in culture), female characters have one purpose: to indirectly uphold masculine dogmas. When not being the submissive housewives, or bearing the burden of infertility, women in African cinema are used as mere plot propellers. “At the beginning of African cinema, people did not understand the role of women, nor did they accept them, but people are now beginning to understand their importance,” Malian actor Maimouna Helene Diarra  said in an interview. The new generation of women in film are openly leading “unconventional lives,” thereby challenging the existing patriarchal dogma and paving the way for other African females.

 

In 2019, Nigerian-American director Chinonye Chukwu left the Sundance Film Festival with an award for her film, Clemency, becoming the first African female filmmaker to win the Grand Jury Prize. In the same year, French-Senegalese filmmaker, Mati Diop became the first Black female director to be in contention for the Cannes Film Festival’s coveted prize, The Palme d’Or for Atlantics. Although Diop didn’t win the Palme d’Or, Atlantics won her the  Grand Prix Award at the Cannes in 2019. 

 

In the Nigerian film industry, female filmmakers directed or produced films that dominated the box office. Funke Akindele’s Battle on Buka Street is currently Nollywood’s highest grossing film, replacing her other film, Omo Ghetto: The Saga. Genevive Nnaji and Jadesola Osiberu have an unprecedented deal that will forever be imprinted on their CV. Nnaji, with Lion Heart, made the first Netflix Nigerian original. And in 2023, Osiberu, with an impressive catalog of films, made the debut Prime Video African original.

 

South African filmmaker Sanduelela Asanda, whose film Mirror Mirror was screened at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, confronts the conventional tropes of “the strong Black woman, the sassy Black friend, the struggling mother, the angry Black girl” by depicting same sex relationships. “It starts first by centering the stories of African women that we don’t usually see on camera” Asanda tells STATEMENT.  “The easiest reference I can think of is Wanuri Kahui’s Rafiki [it’s the first Kenyan queer film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival] which brought us a love story between two African women onto the world stage.”

 

The future of African cinema is bright, as more African female filmmakers on the continent and the diaspora from Alice Diop to Nosipho Dumisa, Mo Abudu, Christa Eka Assam, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Emamode Edosio, [and a host of others] continue to make films that celebrate the representation and diversity of African stories.

 

“Whatever you think is happening, or whatever greatness you think you’re seeing, just know that we’ve barely scratched the surface,” Obasi said. “As we say in old Nollywood – this is just the beginning.” 

Film

Mandon Lovett Helps French Montana Tell his Personal Story

For Khadija: Sacrifices only a mother can make

By Chisom Peter Job

July 2023

Moroccan-American rapper French Montana—the most streamed African-born artist—credits his mom for making some huge sacrifices that have had a major impact on his life. This changed the direction of Mandon Lovett’s documentary, For Khadija, to focus more on the rapper’s mother and how her love helped propel her son to stardom.

 

For Khadija premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Fest on June 17.

 

As director Mandon Lovett explained to STATEMENT about his process for making the documentary, “over the course of time, as French and I got to spend more time together, and I got to observe him just in more personal spaces, I was able to understand that he had a very unique relationship with his own mother.”

 

STATEMENT sat with Lovett to discuss his process for filmmaking, shooting in Africa, retracing French Montana’s steps in the Bronx, and his upcoming projects.

 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

 

STATEMENT: You’ve worked on a couple of documentary projects over the years. What’s your process for directing a doc like this or for directing documentaries in general?

 

Lovett: First, it’s finding a story. It all starts with the story which can come from different places like my own personal research, newspaper clippings, books, or word of mouth. Sometimes stories are pitched to me by other production companies or studios or by other people. I always do my own research if it’s a story that interests me, and from there, I come up with my own take on the story by asking what it is that I want to say about the story, or how I would tell it.

 

So how long does it take to carry out your research? What is that process also like?

 

It depends, as it could either be a long or short process. Sometimes I’ll start researching, pitch an idea, and then we’ll start producing the project, while research is still happening. So the research process can go on for a while and take place over the course of filming. You could be finding out other pieces of information during this time because you can’t find out everything that you need to know or understand about a story all up front.

 

Right. So what was it like blending and balancing the different styles in this doc? That is, the interviews with people, the French, the shots.

 

That was a really fun process in the edit. I think the documentary is unique in that it’s not just reviews and archival footage. There’s a lot of really stylish broll, and we were able to travel to different parts of the world, so you got to see the juxtaposition of the two continents, Africa and North America. So we just played with a lot of different things in the edit and really landed on a style that I felt like fit the film and fit the story.

 

Why are documentaries an important part of filmmaking? Why is this a medium you mostly work on?

 

I love authenticity and real stories. Sometimes I joke about whenever I go to see a movie, like a scripted movie, in the theater. I can be disappointed when certain things doesn’t ring true to me, when they feel like it’s too fabricated or too made up. I think there’s lots of people around the world that love fantasy films or crazy action sequences, but what I appreciate the most is reality and authenticity. And I feel like real stories can be as compelling as any sort of fictional story. So it’s just a personal preference of mine because I love real, authentic, true stories. I find a lot of value in them.

 

What’s your favorite part about creating documentaries?

 

It’s really getting to know my subjects on a different level. I love people. I like to observe people, and I like to find out more about people, especially celebrities and stars. I think there’s a lot more depth to artists and famous people [and people in general]. They put out so much content that we see, but a lot of it is curated, so I just love telling real stories about real people and allowing people to look at their lives in a different way.

 

Okay, so away from documentaries you’ve made, do you have any favorite documentary out there that you’ve seen and you loved so much?

 

Sure. One of my favorite documentaries is OJ Made in America. It came out maybe five or six years ago, I’m not exactly sure when.

 

What I loved about it was fascinating because it took an event and a person that I think a lot of us here in the United States already knew, who was a big American football star named OJ. Simpson, who was accused of a crime. And this crime had sort of captured the attention of American society for a long period of time, and there was so much media attention given to it at that time that I think all of us who experienced it thought that we knew the story, the beginning, middle and end of the story.

 

But what I thought was interesting about this film and the filmmaker was that he took this event and was able to show it from a totally different, much broader perspective and how it affected different parts of America, and how the life of this person might have come to shape that event. It took an event that we all knew, gave it a much broader perspective, and then shed a lot of new light on it. So that’s a documentary that I really sort of hold in very high regard.

 

As the director of For Khadija, what are some of the conversations you hope people have after watching it?

 

I want people to walk away being inspired because French really did go through so many obstacles, starting from the first time he set foot on American soil. I think there’s this idea that when people from other countries come to America, it’s going to be a path full of roses. Everybody has to work hard and everybody has their own journey, and America represents a lot of opportunity, but it doesn’t happen freely. It’s not just given freely in the sense that it’s handed over to people as they have to work and sacrifice, and French, his mother, and his family really did that with their dreams coming true, despite all of the setbacks and the personal tragedies.

 

So I want people to see these things and understand that, yeah, this is a real story. This really happened to a person that you all know, and he went through all of this, but he persevered and had a spirit of resilience that I think that we all have inside of us.

 

What were some of the difficulties faced while filming?

 

Sometimes, when you’re traveling internationally, you run into some issues. I know there was a funny story where the film starts off with these aerial footage of Casablanca, Morocco, and I had brought a drone which I was able to get into to the country and film freely. However, on my way out, for some reason, the customs confiscated it. I’m still not sure exactly why they did, but I know they did. They told me it wasn’t allowed, and so I had to think on my feet, and I took the memory card out of the drone right before they went and took it from me. The drone is still in Morocco in the airport somewhere.

 

But what was more important than the drone was the memory card, which contained the footage that I shot. Yea, so that was just one of the early obstacles we went through. But in general, it was a very collaborative and fun process, but it was also a lot of hard work.

 

Yes. So you mentioned the drone, the confiscation and everything. So what was it like filming in Morocco and the Bronx?

 

It was a lot of fun. I’m blessed that film, the camera, and these ideas have been able to take me to so many different places. I’ve been to so many countries in the name of my work, and I feel incredibly blessed in that regard.

 

Shooting in Morocco was my first time in Africa, and I was ready to take it all in. As a person from the United States on the continent for the first time, I was just seeing it like a child. I wasn’t taking any of what I was seeing for granted, so I really wanted to shoot everything.

 

I had a lot of fun just walking around the city with my crew and filming the culture, the people, anything I saw, and not necessarily knowing at that moment where this stuff might be placed in the film. The Bronx was great as well. I spent some time in New York after college, so I knew that part of town, but getting to see it in a new light and sort of retracing French’s steps — going to his old apartment where he lived with his family, and the playgrounds that he played on, talking to some people that knew him, — in a place that is very much alive and full of so much culture was cool.

 

Right, so what’s next for you?

 

I’m working on a couple of films that are just in the development and the production process right now. It’s too soon to say what they’re about, but I have some really cool projects up my sleeve, and I’m super excited about them. I love music, sports, and love to do projects that are interesting to me. So I can say that the projects I have coming out are around the two [sports and music].

Film & TV

From YouTube to Netflix, African Folktales Open Doors for Loukman Ali

A solo filmmaker learns how to collaborate with large studios

By Chisom Peter Job

July 2023

  • A new partnership with Netflix offers up and coming filmmakers the chance to reimagine African folktales.

  • Loukman Ali gained valuable experience working with Big World Cinema, learning the ropes of a large scale production.

  • African Folktales is now available on Netflix.

 

“We were working with guns and shooting in an area going through disarmament, with a couple of crazy warriors in the region who had guns while the government was trying to take them [the guns].”

 

Loukman Ali is a successful solo filmmaker who was prolific on YouTube. In 2021, Netflix launched a short-film competition with UNESCO in Sub-Saharan Africa, focused on African Folktales, Reimagined. The winners got $75,000 toward mentorship opportunities and the projects, which premiered on March 16th.

 

The Ugandan filmmaker’s film, Katera of the Punishment Island, was selected as a finalist. The story follows a woman who exacts revenge on the powerful man who leaves her and other unmarried, pregnant women on a remote island to die. The film, based on “something that used to happen in Uganda a long time ago,” is an exploration of the grief these women endured. The idea came after Ali watched a documentary about a woman saved from the island. “Something in my brain sparked when I watched that documentary. I wondered what would happen if one of the girls escaped and came out to seek revenge.”

 

Ali felt the competition and mentorship helped him develop deeper skills when it comes to story structure. “During the whole process of writing and editing, I learned a lot from the Netflix and Big World Cinema team because there are many things I’d never thought about that way,” he tells STATEMENT.” He explained that those companies can anticipate problems before it becomes too costly to make changes.

 

Ali shared his major problem dealing with filming scenes with guns, after the stuntman quit. “There’s a point where we used a gatling gun. We thought we would hire one from the police or the army, but then we quickly realized that they wouldn’t let that happen, which led us to make one. And as you can imagine, that’s illegal, and we were trying to be as legal as possible,” he says, “which led us to create bits of a gun and then assemble and disassemble after because we wanted to be in a gray zone where we weren’t breaking any laws.”

 

Working with Big World Cinema allowed Ali to understand how collaboration operates on a larger, studio-level scale. As a filmmaker, he knew quite a lot, but he also got to experience working with a team and understanding how the feedback loop works, things he wasn’t familiar with as a solo artist.

 

 

Film & TV

The Future of Nigerian Film: Backyard Studios in the Suburbs

How Nollywood filmmakers are solving Nigeria’s age-old logistical issues

By Wale Oloworekende

July 2023

  • An ineffective permit system has shifted film productions from urban cities to rural areas. 

  • Veteran producers anticipate the growth of ‘film lots’ to maintain control of shooting environments.

  • Without government support, Nigeria can’t grow its production capabilities to full scale.

 

Since its inception in 1992 with the release of Ken Nnebue’s thriller, Living In Bondage, the scope of Nollywood–the portmanteau used to refer to Nigeria’s film industry–has only grown bigger.  From the over 750,000 copies of  Living In Bondage sold that made the film an instant hit to the return of cinema culture to the country around the early 2010s and, now, the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon in ubiquity, Nollywood has continued to tell authentic stories about the Nigerian experience while finding ways to bolster profitability. Last year, Nigerian films grossed over N800 million ($1,103,400) at cinemas. Crucially, the industry employs over 1 million people. 

 

While Nollywood is also widely recognised as the second largest film producer in the world, behind Hollywood, it continues to grapple with logistical difficulties surrounding production. The lack of governmental support or an institutional framework to smoothen the production process continues to make filmmaking in the country a herculean effort, meaning that filmmakers have had to move their productions to other countries in the past for various reasons. 

 

“One of the biggest issues is getting the right permits because we don’t have the functional bodies to issue those permits to shoot,” actress and producer Imoh Eboh tells STATEMENT. “They exist in theory but they’re not functional in a practical sense. In other countries like Tanzania, the government and authorities are fully involved in the filmmaking process, but in Nigeria, it’s heavily based on who you know and how you can work around tricky situations.” 

 

Too often, the process of getting film permits is bogged down by bureaucratic red tape that reflects how low the movie industry ranks on the government’s list of priorities. It’s a conundrum that shows no sign of getting better despite the industry generating over $600 million annually. With the bulk of filmmaking shoots taking place in urban cities like Lagos and Abuja, the lack of interest in the filmmaking process by government authorities can often mean that producers and directors are left to figure out how to navigate shoots in areas they’re not familiar with alone. They are often left at the mercy of touts and street urchins locally known as agberos who make logistical preparation and execution a nightmare. 

Blessing Uzzi, a Nigerian producer and filmmaker, contends that these street urchins are at the heart of all the logistic issues facing filmmakers. “Touts are at the root of the problem,” she says. “To be honest, every [logistics] problem eventually boils down to an agbero issue.”

 

Furthermore, the uncertainty and incertitude of logistical preparations mean that very few people working in the Nigerian film industry can claim to have mastered the process. According to director and producer, Editi Effiong, not having a comprehensive understanding and mastery of the logistical process is a big issue that needs addressing. “The most chaotic aspect of setting up logistics for a Nigerian shoot is having the know-how,” he says. “Because most pictures are shot in Lagos or in just one location, the ability to handle people over large spaces or work on sequences that are not situated anywhere between Lekki and Ikeja means that most people don’t have any experience with that. However, I think the industry is growing in know-how and people are getting a handle on how to do things.”

 

The continued growth of the movie industry and the influx of a new range of industry practitioners means that alternative options are being sought to find a way around these logistical issues. One of the options being explored is the devolution of the filmmaking process from the urban centres where films were made in the past to other areas across the country. It’s an idea that has historical precedence. An ambitious project led by ex-Cross River governor, Donald Duke, in the mid-2000s was launched to turn the picturesque Tinapa Resort in Calabar into a filmmaking mecca in Nigeria with movie mogul, Mo Abudu, leading that charge through her EbonyLife studios. 

 

 In 2018, Up North, a romantic drama based on a story by Editi Effiong, was released to critical acclaim. Mainly shot in Bauchi, in Northern Nigeria, Editi remembers it as one of his favourite shoots. “I’ve found that shooting in the North is inherently easier than shooting in Lagos,” he explains. “When I am working in the North, everything is easy. In the past when I have applied for military and government permissions, I’ve tended to get them and I think Bauchi is a great place to shoot as well.”

 

The next evolution of this trend could also be a move towards movie lots that allow filmmakers to bring their visions to life in a controlled environment without the disruption of hoodlums or the looming spectre of logistical costs hanging over them. Last year, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, who is often credited with helping Nollywood transition into a more modern epoch, released his latest movie, Aníkúlápó, to rave reviews. The historical drama, set in the 17th century Oyo Empire, was shot on location at the KAP Film Village and Resort, a 40-acre property located in Igbojaye, Oyo State. 

 

The idea for setting up the lot came to Afolayan after a decision was made in his mind to pursue making Aníkúlápó. “Seeing as the movie was set in the 17th century, my mind went to my mum’s village because they have mountains and all that,” Afolayan says. “We decided to go there and see if we could remodel some structures. I took some of my crew members and friends but as we were entering the town I saw a land by the side surrounded by hills. Later, I went to the community, told them my plans and asked for six acres to build sets and all that but today we have 40 acres.”

 

Another advantage of having that facility, per Afolayan, is being able to bring his vision to life clearly. “The highlight of Aníkúlápó in a film village is the flexibility that you have,” he says. “Sometimes you have a script and it says you need a palace but it doesn’t tell you what the palace looks like. I referenced some pictures of the Oyo empire in the past but I decided that I wasn’t going to build the palace like the ones from that period.”

 

For all the talk about movie lots easing the production process, they represent different logistical costs due to the concentration of movie stars and crew members in cities like Lagos, Ibadan, and Abuja. “Because of their nature, we need to have these lots in faraway places,” Eboh says. “So, the question becomes if filmmakers can have the money to put their crew and cast in the optimal facilities around these areas. Donald Duke built one in Tinapa, but people still moved back to Lagos because flying people across the country is expensive.”

 

Still, Editi Effiong believes there is a place for movie lots in the Nigerian movie landscape. “Lagos is the hub of the film-making industry, so I think it needs a lot,” he says. “I think there’s a market for smaller and big pictures that can find film lots very useful. Generally,  I also think that film lots can reduce the cost of production significantly, especially for pictures that don’t need a lot in terms of outdoor sets.”  He also thinks that having movie lots in places like Uyo, Jos, Kaduna, and Kwara would go a long way to helping lower logistical costs and foster a true, broad representation of Nigeria. 

 

It’s something that Kunle Afolayan wholeheartedly agrees with. “I think we can have movie lots anywhere,” he says in a chat from the KAP Film Village one morning. “The important thing is that someone has to see the vision. We have different geography everywhere, and we need it all deployed and used in our films. Nigeria is massive, and all we need is people to take the bull by the horn.” 

 

As Nollywood continues to grow bigger and the scope of its stories gets more ambitious, there are sure to be more movies made in lots across the country thanks to investments being made by private financiers and the influx of streaming services into the country. As these adventurous commitments rise in popularity, there should also be vigorous government-led efforts to make filming in urban areas hassle-free, thereby ensuring that the movie industry can unlock its full potential.