Welcome to LIFFEST 2007

Hi to you all. It was a very long bus ride from Owerri, Imo State (where I am studying) to Lagos, the host city of the annual Lagos International Festival. This year’s edition according to the organizers, MCM group, promises to be an eventful package.

The LIFFEST has been a celebration of black films produced on the African continent, not just for Africans but for the entire planet. Africa is a continent that has been battling with a number of negative factors that tried to mask the entertainment industry but, trust human beings, especially Africans, there is always an avenue to celebrate, even when all seems to be wrong.

Talking of the African film industry, Nollywood (Nigerian version of Hollywood) is blazing the trail in film production, the third largest in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood.

The Nigerian film industry has produced professional film producers and actors with other playmakers that could extend the frontiers of the industry but their efforts have been marred and hindered by a lot of factors like poverty, paucity of investments, poor stories, poor production, distribution, and exhibition, unstable market, and of course, piracy which has had a negative toll on the industry.

This year’s LIFFEST is an avenue for all stakeholders to come together and see ways to raise the standards so as to improve the qualities of film production, not only in Nollywood but also in the entire African market. Apart from serious symposia, we are expecting to have the maximum fun as we screen the best movies from the African movie industry in the last decades. There would be the creation of the Wall of Fame and of course, the Gala night on Friday where we would taste the very best of African cuisine. I will be part of all events.

Today, we had the opening ceremony the MUSON center and it was really a celebration of rich African culture. The Federal Government of Nigeria was well represented, we had international delegations and members of partnering organizers were there to add colors. Arguably, the LIFFEST, according to Daisy Madu- Chikwendu the CEO of MCM Group, LIFFEST is Nollywood’s biggest film fiesta. We would see the flavour that this year’s edition would add because they have a lot to do to beat the pace set by the Abuja International Film Festival.

Another beauty of today’s event is the attendance at the opening session. The hall was packed full with people from the industry, music, media, and well-wishers. This is a great improvement on last year’s package and this goes a long way to show that the festival is promising having at the back of the mind the fact that this is the 7th edition (second as LIFFEST) and the sky is the limit.

Tomorrow will witness a lot of lectures in the morning and film screening in the evening and the choice of movies and films had been meticulously done by the panel of juries which is made up of experts in the film industry both within and without. So this would be great fun and I can’t wait to feast my eyes on them that I hope would make it to the best films in the last decade. They include Amazing Grace, Dangerous Twins, Playing Games, Saworoide, The Prostitute, The Senator, Hostage and a lot of other blockbusters. It would be a Herculean task for the juries but I trust their judgment to give us the best.

Boxoffice.com will be there to give you the latest gist and watch out for the sizzling interview with a major playmaker.

I wish everybody attending the festival happy staying in Lagos, Nigeria’s business Capital City and a center of excellence.

Welcome to LIFFEST 2007.