By Osezua Stephen-Imobhio
If we are to be honest with ourselves, there are several key issues we must consider in this ongoing conversation about the state and future of Nigerian film festivals.
First, we need to return to the fundamentals: What exactly is a film festival?
Many of our members still do not fully understand what a film festival represents—its philosophy, aims, objectives, and its crucial place within the broader creative ecosystem. Until every member of NFFA grasps these foundational principles, our collective progress will remain limited.
This reality underscores the urgent need for structured training and capacity-building, which must be regarded as sine qua non for all member festivals. It is, in fact, one of the key reasons we came together as a body—to learn from one another, standardize practices, and elevate the quality and credibility of Nigerian film festivals. I strongly urge the executive to acknowledge this necessity and roll out a training and workshop calendar without delay.
Secondly, every founder and festival director must clearly understand the role of a film festival within the film-industry value chain. A festival is not a jamboree, nor is it merely a cultural event. Festivals serve multiple strategic functions:
They promote the sale and distribution of films, especially for independent producers who need platforms to reach buyers and curators.
They give visibility to student films, experimental works, and other specialized content that often struggle to find audiences.
They preserve, promote, and project our culture, languages, and values—crucial elements of national identity and soft-power development.
They create vital opportunities for filmmakers to connect with global networks, funding agencies, programmers, and industry stakeholders.
We must also address a critical question: How do Nigerian film festivals position themselves to qualify for grants, sponsorships, and institutional support?
It is troubling that Nigeria is one of the few places where festival organizers take personal loans, sell property, or carry the full financial burden of their events. This is not the global norm. There are proven models, institutional frameworks, and strategies that can attract proper support—if we are trained, aligned, and organized.
Furthermore, we must interrogate the role of government and relevant agencies in supporting NFFA-affiliated festivals. Unfortunately, agencies that should be partners have, in many cases, become competitors—organizing parallel events instead of strengthening existing structures.
As NFFA, we must define a collective advocacy strategy that protects member festivals, ensures mutual respect, and promotes genuine collaboration rather than unhealthy competition from public institutions.
These—and many more—are the questions I believe should shape our focus under the current NFFA administration. Our mandate must be clarity, professionalism, capacity-building, and the creation of an ecosystem where Nigerian film festivals can thrive and compete internationally.
These, of course, are my personal views. Yet I believe they are essential to the growth and sustainability of our industry.
–Osezua Stephen-Imobhio, is
Founder, African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF)
