By Charles Mgbolu
The 2023 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has again presented an opportunity for heavyweights within the filmmaking business to congregate, celebrate an outstanding movie year, and then brainstorm!
The 11th edition of the event from November 5 to 11 in the Nigerian city of Lagos has participants from across Africa and the diaspora.
The festival this year hopes to uncover new talents, create insider opportunities, and screen hundreds of films for free, AFRIFF head of media, Latasha Ngwube, told participants.
“The world is coming to Nigeria as AFRIFF looks internally to strengthen and grow in preparation to take African stories made by Africans to the world,” she said.
The festival has had panel sessions with speakers that seek to foster exchanges of ideas, production connections, and business relationships that deliver value, build capacity, and create wealth.
The organisers also said the sessions will identify deficiencies and suggest evidence-based interventions across the continent.
Some of the key speakers and jury members include celebrated Senegalese filmmaker Boye Pape, Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga, and top Nigerian actress Kate Henshaw.
Filmmakers from over 150 countries within and outside the continent submitted films for screening this year, according to the organisers.
The climax of the event will be the announcement of the winners of the AFRIFF Globe Awards.
This year’s edition will also unveil three new categories, which include the Honoree Award, the Viewer’s Choice category, allowing viewers to vote for their preferred movie of the year, and the Fan Favourite Award, where fans will cast their votes for the best actor and actress.
The awards will be presented at the Globe Awards Night on November 11 at the end of the festival.
