At the grand opening of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) 2024, notable figures in the Nigerian film industry were in attendance, including Dr. Shaibu Husseini, the newly appointed Director General (DG) of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).
Dr Shaibu, a renowned journalist, film critic, and cultural administrator, has been a driving force in promoting Nigerian cinema. With over two decades of experience, he has held various roles, including editor-at-large for The Guardian newspaper and chairman of the Selection Committee for the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). His expertise and passion for filmmaking have earned him recognition as the “most consistent documentarist” on Nollywood-related topics.
Dr Shaibu spoke with us on the opening day of AFRIFF 2024, sharing his insights on Nigerian cinema’s growth, film festivals’ role in promoting African stories, and his vision for the industry’s future.
THE BENCHMARK: What role do film festivals play in promoting Nigerian cinema?
DR. SHAIBU: Generally, festivals provide a platform for distributing and exhibiting content. Filmmakers want to put their films in festivals because they believe buyers and scouts will be there to see some of them and then pick them up. It is also a networking opportunity. As a journalist, I have covered this festival right from its inception, and I have also taken part in it as a juror and given some film critic classes. So I have found that this (AFRIFF) is a very stable platform for internationalising our products, our films, and even the talents themselves because there are some talents whom we do not get to know but when they come here, exhibit their films and win awards, we get to hear about them, we get to know about them.
How does the National Film and Video Censors Board help young filmmakers improve their craft?
We are a classification board, but we have not reduced our function to just classifying films and registering. We also help people build capacity in areas that would enable them to make better movies, so we have less work when we classify those films.
What we have decided to do in recent times is to build capacity in the area of scripting. When the script is correct, and you have a good director, then you find out that the final vision will be something that will come out well. So we are building capacity in that area. We have also introduced ‘Nigeria in the Movies’ to reward scripts that project our values.
What kind of support does the Nigeria in the Movies initiative offer filmmakers?
We provide grants to improve their writing and offer writing residencies, providing a space for them to improve their work further.
How do you think Nigerian filmmakers can improve their craft?
By spending quality time in scriptwriting. In South Africa, filmmakers spend a lot of time developing a script. They can spend as much as two to five years developing a script before they go for production. A script that took about five years to work on will turn out well because many hands, eyes, and opinions will have gone into the script. So we want to encourage that practice here as well.
What are your thoughts on Chioma Ude’s vision for AFRIFF?
It has come a long way. I mean, this is a dream that has become a reality. She just wanted a platform where we could celebrate African cinema, and the platform is working. By the time you see the list of the films that have been selected to be screened and the participants who have come from far and wide, you will find out that it truly reflects what it is. Even though it’s only set in Nigeria, it’s an African international film festival.
As AFRIFF 2024 celebrates African storytelling, the DG’s leadership at the National Film and Video Censors Board is poised to transform the Nigerian cinematic experience. By prioritising script development, industry collaboration, and cultural preservation, Dr. Husseini’s vision promises a brighter future for Nigerian filmmakers, paving the way for global recognition and success.
Ishioma Imokhai-Bello conducted this interview on the opening night of AFRIFF 2024.
