NIGERIAN FILM CORPORATION FILM FORUM

FILM FORUM ENDS IN LAGOS: MOPICON, FUNDING WINDOWS, NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK, TOP ISSUES DISCUSSED

 Mr. Adesanya,MD,NFC,declaring open the One-Day Forum

The quick establishment of the Motion Picture Practitioners Council of Nigeria, (MOPICON), government investment in exhibition infrastructure (Cineplex’s), the provision of more funding windows for the film sector and others topped issues, and formed part of the Resolutions of the one-day Interaction Forum for film professionals held last week, Tuesday January 15^th, 2013.

Mr Afolabi Adesanya,MD,NFC and French Audio Visual attaché to Nigeria,Mr F .Daniel at the Forum 

Rising from the one day interactive forum held at the Lagos office of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), participants mainly, Producers, Distributors, Marketers, Exhibitors and representatives of Government Agencies, relevant to the development of the film sector, averred that, far reaching decisions and actions must be taken to ensure that the film industry is ultimately structured.

“Building a Synergy between Film Producers, Distributors, Marketers, Exhibitors and Government Agencies in the Film Industry” was the theme of the one-day Interactive Forum.

Mr. Afolabi Adesanya, Managing Director/Chief Executive; Nigerian Film Corporation, organizers of the interactive forum in his keynote address noted among others, that despite the growth potential of the film industry, there exist the formal challenges that impede its sustainability due to the unstructured methods of releasing of films, piracy, disconnect among industry players, and loss of revenue.

Mahmood Balogun and Gabriel Okoye,both, film makers at the forum

The essence of the Forum was to build a value chain between Producers, Distributors, Marketers, Exhibitors and Relevant Government Agencies aimed at ensuring that the film sector is put on the path of sustainable and verifiable growth, with the capture of all revenue streams available within the sector.

Hope Obioma Opara (The President of Eko International Film Festival at the panel of discussion on standard agreement as a basis for building agreement between producers/distributions/exhibitors)

Mr. Adesanya further said that the Nigerian Film Corporation in its quest to provide an enabling environment for the growth and development of the film sector, going by its mandate, has instituted programmes, projects and initiatives including the Awards for Best Distributor and Highest Box office Grossing, (Nigerian Film). He then solicited for Stakeholders buy-in that will enable the Nigerian Film Corporation generate required data for the Industry Annual Report required by government, international agencies and Non-governmental organizations.

In her remarks, Patricia Bala, Acting Director-General, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) praised the Nigerian Film Corporation for initiating the forum.  “It is very timely”, she said, especially against the teething problems associated with the absence of effectual and effective film distribution system for Nigeria.  The panacea for revamping the cinema culture, she further said, rests not only on government in the provision of enabling environment, but on producers – to produce films for the large screen.

Speaker after speaker, enthused the need for a paradigm shift in the structure of the film industry, having deliberated extensively on the 5^th sub themes of the one day forum which were “Equating Financing in Commercial Film Production”- “Enhancing Residual Values through Interactional Property Rights Protection” -  “Standard Agreement  as a basis for Building Agreement between Producers/Distributors/Exhibitors”, and “Tax incentives as a Stimulant for growth”.

Participants also were unanimous on the role the industry has continued to play in the Nigerian economy and beyond, with the capability to be very impactful and consequently, decided, recommending far reaching measures to be taken to ensure that no leave was left unturned in our collective efforts in ensuring the sustainable development of the Nigerian Film Corporation Industry.  The measures include:-

1.     That the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) should vigorously pursue the legislation and eventual establishment of the Motion Picture Practitioners Council (MOPICON).

2.     Government should invest in exhibition infrastructure in urban and sub-urban areas/communities.

3.     That the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) should accelerate the production and take off of the National Distribution Framework (NDF).

4.     The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) should urgently complement the efforts of film practitioners in copyright protection and other areas to contain privacy.

5.     Government should initiate intervention measures by assisting filmmakers in the procurement of digital equipment for exhibition centers.

6.     Tax policy as it concerns the film industry should not be at the production level (s) but on the end product and that government should be responsible to the industry to encourage the payment and remittance of taxes.

7.     That there should be tax-breaks (holidays) for the importation of film equipment.  Tax incentives should be introduced by way of a bill of the National Assembly in order to stimulate more activities in the film sector.

8.     Development and Regulating Agencies/authorities in the film sector should enhance their advocacy meetings in educating and enlightening practitioners on policies and programmes organized to boost the growth of the film sector.

9.     That Commercial Banks should accept film as an intellectual property and valuable collateral for access to credit facilities; Banks should equally consider film as a profitable yield commodity with a long term of returns.

10.                       Film Practitioners and Stakeholders were urged to support governments initiatives of structuring the industry in order to attract both domestic and international equity financiers.

11.                      That the establishment of a collective Management Organization for the Film industry was timely and that all practitioners should undertake appropriate and necessary steps in protecting their property rights.

12.                      That Distributors’ should assume the functions of direct DVD sales/releases instead of marketers, in line with international practice.

Participants at the one-day interactive forum included representatives of NEXIM Bank, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Silver Bird Distribution Company,  Blue Pictures Distribution Company, Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, PMAN and over seventy (70) other independent film Producers, Marketers, Distributors and Exhibitors.

By Brian Etuk

Head, Public Affairs.