Ace filmmaker and co-founder of Fenmore Studios, Allen Agozie, has urged teeming unemployed youths to embrace opportunities that abound in the Nigerian film industry in order to become self-employed.
He made the call in an interview on the sideline of the maiden edition of the Fenmore Film Festival on Saturday in Abuja.
The one-day film fiesta, organised by Fenmore Studios in collaboration with the French Insitute, had in attendance industry stakeholders, young filmmakers and film enthusiasts drawn from different parts of the country.
According to him, as Nigerian youths grapple with unemployment, the film industry is a viable option that can create jobs and make people self-employed, if only the youths can tap into it.
He noted that a lot of opportunities were available both in front and behind the camera for creative and talented young Nigerians whole may want to venture into the motion picture industry.
“There are opportunities for every passionate and talented youth out there in the industry; from acting to cinematography, script writing, costume design and many more.
“A lot of Hollywood films are being made with millions of dollars and that is because they think it is an industry worth investing in, and Nollywood actually has the same potential.
“So, what we really need to do is to start telling our own stories very well, genuine stories that a lot of people will be interested to tap into and make bigger on larger scale.
“That is when the money and employment will come, and the industry is definitely worth investing your time, talent and money in “, he said.
Agozie said that as Nigeria faces economic challenges and seeks to diversify its revenue mainstay , its rich culture and creative sector was a veritable alternative, if well harnessed.
He therefore urged government at all levels to make the sector attractive to creative young Nigerians by providing necessary support in the form of funding and capacity building.
According to him, the Film Festive was an initiative to offer young filmmakers a platform to showcase their talents and creativity.
“As a production company, Fenmore Studios decided to organise this film festival in collaboration with the French Institute to celebrate short films and young filmmakers who are trying to tell our stories.
“The aim of Fenmore Film Festival is to give them a platform to showcase their works and encourage them that they can be genuine tellers of original human stories.
“The theme of the festival is ‘Contemporary African Narratives’, which is about the new ways of telling the African story, and we want to tell our young filmmakers that they can change the nation through film.
“We selected and exhibited eight films that we believe shows exactly what it means for young filmmakers in this generation to tell the same story that have been told before about society, but with a bent that will appeal to a wider audience.
“We hope that anyone that attended this festival falls in love with the films, and with this happening in Abuja, youth will join this community of young filmmaker to explore the vast opportunities that abound,” he said.
Some of the short films screened at the festival included ‘Swimming in a Sea of Trauma’, ‘You Matter to Me’, ‘Boy Meets Girl’, and ‘Cementary of Doves’. Others were ‘Rare Fish’, ’Hanky Panky’, and ‘A Quiet Monday’.
