‘With focus, Nigerian movies can win Oscars yearly’

You are a graduate of marketing, as the founder and chief executive officer of ARIFF, can you tell us what AFRIFF is all about?Chioma Ude: AFRIFF is about training and development of the film industry in Africa. You must agree with me that as a young film industry, there is a lot to be learnt, […]

You are a graduate of marketing, as the founder and chief executive officer of ARIFF, can you tell us what AFRIFF is all about?
Chioma Ude: AFRIFF is about training and development of the film industry in Africa. You must agree with me that as a young film industry, there is a lot to be learnt, AFRIFF is that bridge that helps Africa learn more about itself through the eyes of its people using film and stories as the vehicle for learning. It is a film festival for Africans so we can critique ourselves, learn how to improve, meet those who can help us improve, teach those who want to learn, collaborate to improve, relax and have fun while we work.
What spurred you to start AFRIFF?
Ude: My love for our rich culture and untold stories basically spurred me into this. I want to see these stories get to the farthest corners of the world in such a way that extols the story and the storyteller.  Every year, I ask myself, ‘why did you start this? It is a lot of planning; a lot of work and it is getting bigger. It is beyond me. It is huge. This year, we have MIPCOM coming in. It is the second largest film and television content market in the world. There will be a film market inside the festival for TV and films. Relativity Studios is one of the biggest studios, it is owned by George Clooney. They flew into Nigeria to talk with us. They have chosen three festivals in Africa they want to work with – Durban, Ouagadougou and AFRIFF – for the purpose of content, looking at talent for the types of movies they want to do. We will be premiering an American film in the festival this year, ‘War by Nine Days.’ And next year, they want to work with us. We have a foundation that looks at young film-makers, which is where my passion is to grow a different kind of film-makers. Next year, they will fund film-makers to Los Angeles for further studies.  I am looking for bigger deals.  It is for the film industry. We are growing the film industry, the talents in Africa. That is what we are doing. We are bringing people from all over the place. There is a focus in Africa. There is a student coming from Watson University who is going to understudy the festival. Nollywood started from nothing and grew into something phenomenal. We just have to make it competitive, by taking it to the next level in the world of global entertainment.
How easy has the whole process of setting up the festival been?
Ude: It has been an interesting journey. The technical aspects and logistics are easier to put together than sourcing the finances to make them happen.
Is the event getting easier now that you are in the fourth year?
Ude: Yes, you could say that. Some things are. More people now understand the AFRIFF vision and see the path that we are trying to create.
What makes the festival so special?
Ude: ‘It’s African by Africans for Africa,’ pardon the cliché. It is about the programme that constantly is upgraded, new foci for training workshops, panels of discussion on real film industry issues, then and the clincher, over 90 amazing films from mostly African film-makers. It’s also the camaraderie, the joy of being in the same space as others of like thinking. It is a breath of fresh air.
In what ways would you say the festival has contributed to the growth of the movie industry in Africa?
Ude: You know what made me exceptionally happy last year? When the festival ended, a lot of people sent messages to say a Nigerian film has opened a festival. For a Nigerian film to open a festival, it has to be of a certain standard. With structure comes standardisation. A guy, who came from Canada, said that when he got back, the first thing he would do was a short film because he wanted to come back for the festival. So, we have people wanting to do more; we have better films and we can see how it impacted on the people in Calabar, even if it is just those selling recharge cards. On a larger scale, the festival itself has been awesome.
What are some of the challenges of hosting such a festival?
Ude: Financing is a major challenge. It costs a small fortune to make an event of this magnitude possible. It takes a small miracle to access that fortune.
Generally speaking, what kind of feedback have you had about the festival?
Ude: All positive and very encouraging. We have our work cut out for us but we are working tirelessly to see that Nigeria is not relegated in matters like this.
You have become a big player in the Nigerian entertainment industry, how did you achieve this feat?
Ude: On one of my visits to Nigeria, one day I stumbled on an advertisement in the newspapers. The Film and Video Censors Board had a road show in London for Nigerian movies and they needed some logistics to accomplish the task. Having carried out a similar task for UBA, I was convinced that I could do it, what the advert wanted. After I applied for the job I performed to the best of my ability and was given the job. It was a tough job but I already had my mindset that I would carry out my duties to the best of my ability. I was to fly all the artistes to London, organise parties and put together a stand for Nollywood at the fair that was going on then and today here I am doing what I know how to do best.
This year’s festival looks interesting, what are some of your personal highlights of this year’s festival?
Ude: We will be sending some 10 remarkable students from the numerous potentials that sign up for our training programme, to continue studies in America, in collaboration with one of our partners. MIPCOM under the auspices of NBC will be at AFRIFF this year as an observer in preparation for its début in Africa next year at AFRIFF 2015
How much did ARIFF start with and where is it today?  
Ude: AFRIFF started with about N200 million. However, it is now spending less every year as different aspects of the event are being funded directly. I want to grow the festival. I want to let people know what the festival is all about. People need to be educated about what the festival is. They need to see the benefits. What is exciting is that people go to festivals also to sell and buy content.
Can you talk about the Nigerian movie industry? Where do you hope to see it in the next five years?
Ude: The Nigerian movie industry is a showcase of original storytelling, passion and exemplary of the can-do Nigerian spirit. In five years, I hope that there will be a lot more structures, technical and creative excellence and the seeds been sown with the current president’s support for the industry by investing in capacity building, production and distribution.
Why the passion for movies?
Ude: Films unify us, we share our stories, we know we are not alone; it entertains us and empowers us.
Do you see a Nigerian movie winning an Oscar sometime soon?
Ude: Yes, an Oscar committee has been set up and that is the first step to getting our films there. We have a lot of movies that can win Oscars but with the right focus and direction we can win an Oscar every year.
If there are lapses in our movie industry, how do we get it right?
Ude: We can get it right through better education, exposure and by fostering collaboration to make fewer but better films. We should not be after quantity but quality.