British Council sponsors, empowers film makers   

Film Lab Africa Team at Lagos International Smartphone Film Festival (LISFF) which took place in British Council office, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria recently

By allcitynews.ng

When British Council sponsored about 20 filmmakers for future their better future, it reminded everyone of the wise and popular saying:- “give a man a fish, you feed him for a day but teach him how to fish you will feed him for a lifetime.”

So in apparent bid to make them self-dependent and employers of labour in the nearest future, British Council not only singlehandedly sponsored the film makers but has also empowered them.

Thus, one of the special guests of honour during the British Council #FilmLabAfrica, programme, the Alado of Ado-Awaye, HRM, Oba Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi lauded the organisers for creating the platform that will create jobs for the teeming youths.

Oba Folakanmi urged the film-makers to strive towards gaining necessary competence to adopt both the smartphone and camera in making films, noting that they both have their peculiar advantages.

“Camera has its own role to play just as smartphone has its own role to play. Smartphone cannot replace use of camera but only to compliment. For example, with Smartphone one can take large content at a tight corner filming which may not be easily done with camera.”

Other stakeholders, in chat with allcitynews.ng, in unanimous agreement said that smartphone has not come to replace camera in filming but only to  enhance the filming industry as each one has its own advantage.

They further claimed that smartphone can only add more advancement to film-making.

And they commended the leadership of British Council for the roles it played in lifting the film producers with sponsorship of 20 artists and for empowerment with grants to 10 artists.

On her part, the National President, Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria (AMP), Amb Queen Blessing Ebigieson commended the organisers for providing a bold and veritable platform which targeted at creating jobs and opportunities for the teeming youths.

Ebigieson highlighted the essence of camera as a crucial tool for interpreting stories in film-making.

According to her, smartphone is good in film-making but with use of camera, you can capture very long objects by zooming. In fact, it depends on the targeted  audience, some films can be for cinema houses.

“It depends on the audience you have in mind for producing a film. With cameras, long range filming can be recorded. But in short-distance recordings, smartphone can be used because it can capture wide range participants.”

In addition, Ebigieson noted that, “I want to appreciate the British Council and Film Lab for this initiative that will create opportunities for the participants. Though camera may have durability over period of time, users of smartphones must have backups to avert lost of recorded programmes.”

One of the participants in the
FilmLabAfrica which took place in British Council office in Ikoyi, Lagos on Sunday, September 1, 2024, Tolulope Odebunmi, expressed satisfaction with the those winners, saying it offered them the platform to learn the use of a smartphone to shoot short films.

Odebunmi however noted that smartphones alone cannot replace the use of camera, but to compliment it.

On his part, another trainee, Paul-Esupofo Oriade, stated that the camera and smartphone complement themselves in film making. “I am one of those that brought the idea of using smartphones for making film because I have tried and enjoyed its use since 2014. I can tell you that smartphone usage can go a long way in bringing more improvement, especially in evangelism filming which I am into. We are going to use it much in our forthcoming events in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“Speaking further with allcitynews.ng, Oriade adviced everyone to always have the consciousness of preserving of recorded programmes not only in film industry, but in any other useful programmes. Users must have backups to avert lost of recorded programmes.”

On his part, Mr Jerome Read noted that one cannot replace the other, rather it will go a long way in adding value to filming.

According Read, though not all phones can be used due to their peculiarities, but with right smartphones, Nigerian film industry will enjoy more advancement.

Read also adviced users to use backups for safety purpose at all times.

And another stakeholder,  Gafar Ayinde Amoo, in a chat with allcitynews.ng, applauded the leadership of British Council for throwing more light into the filming industry by its encouragement.

According to Amoo, the lessons gotten by those participants in the programme sponsored by British Council will not only remain but will also enhance the use of smartphones in future films making in the country.

Some of the young film makers who produced films contents using the smartphones were unveiled at the British Council, Ikoyi in Lagos on Sunday, September 1 2024, all noted that the inclusion of smartphones for making film would fast track the plan to take the film making into greater height.

It would be recalled that British Council engaged the winners in a 10-week training programme, after which it announced grants for 10 winners in the short film and microfilms categories to fund their various film projects.

Actors Stephanie Coker-Aderinokun and Akah Nnani, who among other creatives artists got grants of £5,000 from the British Council.

They got the grant after a successful 10-week training programme when the British Council Film Lab Africa project announced that 20 grant winners in the short film and microfilms categories would get funding for their various film projects.

British Council’s Creative Economy Lead, Sub Saharan Africa and Head of Arts Nigeria, Brenda Fashugba, who made the announcement at a virtual event hosted as part of the Film Lab Africa events, with over 200 industry practitioners in attendance.

Moreover, Fashugba stated that the filmmakers displayed ‘tremendous capacity’ and exhibited a firm grasp of the goals that the Film Lab Africa project was set to achieve.

The grant winners for the short films are Stephanie Coker Aderinokun, Akah Nnani, Shimatever Igbawua, Twansen Danann, Jemima Marcel-Udo, Anyanwu Adaora, Moses Ipadeola, Mel Rouge, Faustina Okomayin and Ami Williams.

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