14TH ABUJA INTERNATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL (9th – 13th October, 2017)

DATELINE: 14TH ABUJA INTERNATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL

FILM AS A TOOL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND PATRIOTISM.

(9^th – 13^th October, 2017)

                                                          Fidelis Duker
I wish to formally inform you of plans and activities leading to the 14^th edition of the Abuja International film festival with the theme FILM AS A TOOL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND PATRIOTISM.

Previous editions of the festival had witnessed participation from delegates from over 40 countries amongst them the United Kingdom, Ghana, South Africa, China, Japan, Niger, USA, Poland, Togo, Burkina Faso, India, Dubai, Singapore.

However this year the Abuja International Film Festival has witnessed an unprecedented 3158 film entries from over 70 countries with the largest number of entries coming from India, the united states and Iran with 310, 258,201 entries and countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Uzbekistan and Jamaica accounting for one entry each.  .

This highly reputed Film and Video Broadcast Festival attracts entries from over 50 countries worldwide with an attendance of over 3,000 participants from the film, TV and General Public.

The Abuja International Film and Video Festival which has been scheduled for the 9^th – 13^th of October 2017 at the prestigious silverbird Galleria Abuja Nigeria and Sheraton Hotel Abuja respectively.

As a follow up to the 2016 edition of the film festival, this year the capacity building initiative between Abuja International Film Festival that culminated in the training of over 60 young Nigerians in cinematography and photography will continue this year with training of another set of young aspiring filmmakers in documentary film making and fashion photography. 

Also this year the annual AIFF Campus challenge in Script Development will continue with over 12 Polytechnic and university’s departments of Theatre Arts, Mass Communication, Dramatic and creative Arts applying. The entries for participation by universities is still open till September 5^th 2017 and intending institutions can apply to aiffcampuschallenge@gmail.com

The festival will this year reward excellence in 15 competitive categories with 5 special recognition award to deserving Nigerians for their contribution to the development of the Nigerian movie industry. The awardees for 2017 will be announced at the 2017 Nomination party scheduled for the 30^th of August 2017

The 14^th Abuja International Film Festival will screen 70 local and foreign films. 30 of such films are feature, 8 in animation, 20 Short Films,  4 Experimental films, 8 Documentaries. Of the above mentioned films, 35 will be in competition at the festival, gunning for the 15 competitive different award categories.

The Opening Ceremony shall be a cocktail event at the Silverbird Galleria Abuja on Tuesday 26th October, 2010 at 6pm while the closing Dinner Gala will be held at the Sheraton Hotel Abuja, Nigeria.

Films will be screening at multipurpose built cinema halls to create the cinematic experience.

The festival is organized in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication, the National Film and Video Censors Board, the Nigerian Film Corporation, the Nigerian Intellectual Property Commission and the Nigeria Television Authority.

Speaking on the 14^th edition of the festival, fidelis Duker who founded the festival in 2004 as the first independent film festival in Nigeria said this year’s edition will surpass previous year’s edition in the area of content and will have in attendance members of the Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria.

He emphasised that the choice of the theme for this year’s festival has become incumbent on Nigerian filmmakers to begin to discuss the importance and role film can play in the area of National security which has become a major challenge globally.  He also said the theme is double prone in scope as security of any nation cannot be complete without patriotism of the citizens and this is where he thinks the filmmakers who shape perception of society through their films have a role to play.

The AIFF Market Exhibition shall attract over 60 exhibitors from the different sectors of the motion picture industry both locally and internationally.

Fidelis Duker

Festival Director.