Curtain Closes On 2024 Cannes Filmfest
The 77th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival closed yesterday in Cannes, South of France. The festival opened on May 14 with 22 films competing for the festival top prize. Jury President, Greta Gerwig, the director behind last summer’s pink-hued hit, Barbie, will lead eight other jurors including, U.S. actor Lily Gladstone and Japanese director, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, to decide, which of the 22 films including a Donal Trump biopic, a musical about a Mexican cartel boss and Francis Ford Coppola’s long-time passion project to award the festival grand prize-Palme d’Or. This year, the festival honoured some Hollywood big names including Meryl Streep and George Lucas. Also, George Miller and Kevin Costner were invited to premiere their new films out of competition. Films that have been tipped to feature on the winning list include, All We Imagine As Light, India’s first competition film in 30 years, Sean Baker’s darkly funny drama Anora, Demi Moore’s The Substance, The Apprentice, about former U.S President Donald Trump and The Seed of the Sacred Fig by exiled Iranian director, Mohammad Rasoul.

Kaduna InternationalFil m Festival To Hold In August
THE Kaduna International Film Festival (KIFF) will hold between August 27 and 31 in Kaduna, the founder of the yearly festival, Audu Israel, has asserted. Audu disclosed that the festival would continue in spite of the near lack of sponsorship because it has become a critical tool in changing the narrative of the northern part of the country as a region grappling with insecurity. Audu, also the Vice-Chairman of Nigeria Film Festivals Association (NFFA), said during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria that the northern part of the country was blessed with natural and human resources. He said that the festival would be highlighting and showcasing the rich culture of the region and its creative industry during the three-day long festival. He further stated that the forthcoming KIFF festival would hold in August and would include activities such as master classes to develop skills of creativity, panel sessions, seminars, film screening, exhibitions and award ceremony. According to him, the creative industry in the northern part of the country was lacking the requisite exposure to grow in spite its many talents and potential. He expressed confidence that the annual KIFF would help in addressing the situation. Responding, the Managing Director of NAN, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, commended the KIFF organisers for their determination to use the festival in changing the trajectory of the northern part of the country. Mohammad noted that the creative industry is the forte of youths worldwide which had been used by countries such as India to change the trajectory of their nations. He said that the media is critical to the success of their festival and assured the founder that NAN would support the organization in publicising all the activities of the festival. The festival opens from August 27 and will close on August 31.

NFVCB-CAPPA Launch Campaign For Healthy Screen, Smoke-Free Nollywood
THE National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has urged stakeholders in the Nollywood industry to ensure that films and music videos do not depict or glorify harmful substances like tobacco smoking, criminal acts, ritual killings, and money rituals. Speaking at the National Stakeholders’ Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood in Enugu, NFVCB’s Executive Director, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, emphasised the need for responsible content creation, citing the industry’s significant influence on the entertainment and creative sectors. He applauded Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) for organising the event as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative in Nigeria’s creative industry. The ED stressed that the industry faces an emergency requiring collective action from all stakeholders to combat unapproved and unclassified content. CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, reiterated the need for a smoke-free Nollywood, citing studies that show smoking remains prevalent in Nigerian movies despite laws prohibiting tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorships in movies and entertainment. He emphasised the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle and stopping the glamourization of smoking. Meanwhile, leaders and representatives of various guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry that attended the stakeholder’s engagement have pledged their support for the campaign against smoking and consumption of harmful substances in Nollywood films. They assured members of the public that, moving forward, they would ensure that smoking and other vices are not glamourised, especially in films meant for children and young adults. AMP National President, Blessing Ebigieson, said filmmaking starts as an idea and story writing before you can assemble a cast and crew, and that is the work as producers. She added that members of her association would ensure that stories, especially those for children’s films, do not have smoking scenes.

National President of DGN, Victor Okhai, said: “We are talking about our children here; we shall ensure that they are protected from smoking by ensuring they are not exposed to such films.”. However, Salisu Muazu, MOPPAN’s Secretary General, emphasised the need for intensive education on the menace of smoking in films and offered to produce a Public Service Announcement (PSA). Patrick Lee, representing the Cinemas Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), said members would ensure that PSAs against smoking in films are exhibited.