[size=14pt]Nigeria: FG Plans to Set Up Film Fund[/size]

Onyinyechi Nwangwu18 March 2010
Abuja — Apparently moved by the poor remuneration package offered the practitioners in the movie industry, the federal government said it has concluded plans to set up a Film Fund to upgrade the existing standard of the sector.

The planned Fund, under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication is expected to be used to create a forum to improve the expertise of local script writers and technicians among others.

It is also expected to provide funding packages to support the development and production of movies that would further uplift societal values while forming a baseline to address issues of welfare in the industry.

Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who stated this at the opening ceremony of the 7th African Film and Television Exposition tagged 'Impact your World' on Tuesday in Abuja reiterated commitment to initiate policies that would build up the industry to ensure that "no artist has to undervalue his or her artistry or vision for commercial reasons."

According to Akunyili, "new films will not only be developed and their visions articulated for the artistry and upliftment of society, but will now be funded for this vision to be translated into film. We will develop industry-wide channels for financing, distribution, marketing, technical improvement and promotion of Nollywood.

Continuing, she said "I promise that we will establish centers of excellence for the training and retraining of artists to hone their skills and translate their visions. We will work with the existing guilds to restructure them to address and support the business understanding and welfare of their members," she added.

The Minister said her Ministry is committed to ensuring that the potential of the industry, not only exceed the current World Bank estimate of $250 yearly, but that its current status as the second largest film industry attract more investment and employment for the nation.

She however tasked practitioners in the media and movie industries to ensure that what is dished to the public is not demeaning or negative, but uplifting adding that this is the only way the media can be used to develop and build the nation.

She charged them to "go beyond the craze to churn out banal parodies of real life situations and happenings, and graduate to films that provide creative possibilities for the Nigeria condition."

While stressing that media contents are constantly influenced by modifiers, she urged professional to at all time package contents in a way that will showcase the nation's rich cultural heritage and improve its image and rating before the international community.

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201003180490.html

THE AMAKA:

[size=27pt]FINALLY!!!![/size]
maybe more people will improve their quality and time on their projects and give us less of a headache.

I pray so as well. I'm tried of all those crappy Nigerian movies. Maybe with government's assistance, things might get better.

If they can curtail piracy, the film industry may have enough money to invest in
better films as well as pay their employees.

I wonder how the govt will influence movie scripts.
lets wait and see.

FG please use that fund to strngthen our universities first pleasssseee.

Good for them. So what about our university lecturers and professors? Let the FG do something significant about funding education, it is more important. Nollywood's problem transcends just funding.

Like nothing important to fund again?
What about the health and education sector crying out for help
They no go think with their head. mofos

People will always complain. Being negative to anything done or planned in nigeria. Dats all we do. No useful contribution at all. Nigeria shud 4get everyother sector n face education,abi? I see why a lot of nigerians are "perfect" candidates 4 presidency. Perhaps dats y we refuse 2 move forward even after plannings n agendas.

Wil they approve scripts or production critical of the government.

Obviously not.

man, you depressed internet ppl will complain about anything joh.
and who told you they're not investing in universities, which almost all of them except 1 are state entities and not the business of the federal government since you dont know what federalism is.

Ohakim personally sent money to my dad to distribute amongst the poor college age students in my village that are trying to go to college and can't afford it.


you had no proof that they're not investing in universities, you just wanted to complain cause your depressed and from the internet.



i think this is a great development, hopefully things like this will help overtake hollywood in due time

there is money and govt does not know where to spend it on, na wa oooo

Why should the government invest tax payers money in a private business?

Chai, some people, forever complaining. Please, this is a brilliant development, I hope we see tangible results,

Cogito:

Chai, some people, forever complaining. Please, this is a brilliant development, I hope we see tangible results,

whats brilliant about using tax payers money to finance private business?

going out of thought – wey the electricity to watch the movies?

Aloy+Emeka:


whats brilliant about using tax payers money to finance private business?

True, let me reiterate. What we need is a Nigerian equivalent of the British Film Institute.

Cogito:

True, let me reiterate. What we need is a Nigerian equivalent of the British Film Institute.

or like the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) in the United States.

obinna5000:

or like the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) in the United States.

Exactly

ifedy:

Like nothing important to fund again?
What about the health and education sector crying out for help
They no go think with their head. mofos

I just want to ask if there is anything wrong to fund nollywood

you people are stupid.
what makes you think nigeria doesn't have an equivlent of these things?
ppl have been saying for years that te FG should stop neglecting nollywood

on top of that, what tax payers? lol what was the last tax anyone of you ppl paid the nigerian government?
a government that's getting over 90% of it's money from oil non of you created or drilled for them you're talking about tax payer's money.

the nigerian situation is too complex for ignorant commentary.