The founder of Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), Israel Kashim Audu, has identified fear of being stigmatised, irresponsibility and lack of investors as major setbacks to the development of entertainment in northern Nigeria.
He added that lack of acceptance and enabling environment for entertainers, lack of support from governmental bodies as also constituting hindrance to the development of entertainment in the region.
Addressing newsmen at the unveiling of new logo ahead of the 2nd Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), which held at Iwalewa Gallery of Arts in Lagos, Audu said the festival scheduled to hold from 20th – 24th August, 2019 in Kaduna seeks to provide an enabling platform that will facilitate a link between film makers, film lovers, entrepreneurs and youths.
According to him, the festival is themed: “The impact of entertainment on youth and girl-child in the society.”
He noted that the festival will inspire, motivate and help the teeming youths to identify their hidden talents and offers them an opportunity to build a career in film production.
Line of activities for the festival include: master classes, film screening, awards, tourism, seminars/workshops, panel discussions, film makers round table, movie premier and exhibitions among others.
“In other parts of the world, entertainment improves the economy and serves as a major means of revenue while it creates job too.
“Kaduna Film Festival hopes to bridge that gap as we also intend to work with Hollywood and other foreign bodies,” Audu said.
According to him, the Nigerian film industry known as Nollywood accounts for more than 1.4 percent of GDP or $7.2billion of Nigeria’s economy.
“The Hausa movie industry popularly known as Kannywood in the North will also be able to reach the globe through the Kaduna festival.
“Through movies, messages can reach audiences and target groups in real time while they can also generate changes and tendencies.
“As such, the positive impact of entertainment on youths includes helping them turn away from drugs, smoking and any kind of drinking spree.
“Youths are so adventurous but a good movie can be an alternative to keeping them astray,” he emphasized.
The KADIFF founder however called for entries from film makers in Nigeria and in the Diaspora to send their films video shot in the last 24 months and stand a chance of being listed in the roll call of honours.
He stated that submission of entries ends on May 24, 2019.
