Stakeholders in the creative industry and the education sector have pledged their support for the maiden edition of the Youth Educational Film Festival (YEFF) scheduled to hold in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).

The stakeholders drawn from both the public and private sectors expressed their willingness to support the initiative at the ‘YEFF Stakeholders Meeting’ held at the Abuja Film Village on Tuesday in Abuja.

The YEFF is a film fiesta to showcase educational films in driving value re-orientation and empowerment of young Nigerians.

The festival, scheduled to hold in September 2023, is organised by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) in collaboration with the Abuja Film Village (AFV) and the group “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative”.

Emeka Rollas (MON) , President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), said in his opening speech that the meeting was to seek the inputs, ideas and suggestions of relevant stakeholders towards ensuring maximum participation of youths.

He added that the meeting was to also ensure that relevant agencies of the Federal Government and that of the FCT promote and rally support for the festival towards making it an annual youth event.

“The objective of the Youth Educational Film Festival is to provide a channel for educators and filmmakers in Nigeria to share ideas and methods towards promoting educational contents.

“ Therefore, the essence of having the youth educational film festival is to provide a platform for young filmmakers to showcase their talents, foster creativity, promote education and stimulate critical thinking among youth.

“We strongly believe that Nollywood is a viable tool for transformation and will help reduce some vices which has been introduce into our society.

“We intend to showcase films that will educate and inform our teeming youths through screenings, workshops, discussions and cultural activities.

“Our target group for the festival are children, adolescents, youths, as well as teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and their families,” he said.

The stakeholders meeting had in attendance representatives of relevant MDAs, including the Federal Ministry of Education, National Film and Video Censors Board, Nigerian Film Corporation and the National Library.

Others include the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the FCT Secondary Education Board, among others.

The stakeholders, who spoke with one voice, lauded the Actors Guild and its partners for conceiving the YEFF as a platform for moral re-orientation for young Nigerians.

They therefore expressed their willingness to be a part of the youth film fiesta, but urged the organisers to hold the event when students are back to school from holidays in September to ensure full participation of students.

In his goodwill remark, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board(NFVCB), regulators of the nation’s film industry, described the YEFF as “unprecedented”.

“ We will do everything within our reach to support this vision and I must commend the President of the AGN and his team,” he said.

Earlier, Mrs Noni Okocha, Chief Executive Officer of “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative” explained that films that would be produced from the project would focus on addressing disturbing national issues.

According to her, some issues the films will address include illegal migration, drug abuse, domestic violence, child and sexual abuse, among others.

Okocha explained that the group had earlier had an audition tagged “Born Talent Audition”, where budding talents where discovered, who will be showcased at the educational film festival.

She therefore called on government at all levels to support the initiative and ensure that their youths participate in it.

Also, Dr Francisca Ibezim, Managing Director/CEO of Abuja Film Village, said the YEFF was part of initiatives lined up to drive the Films in Education Campaign of the organisation, and therefore lauded the stakeholders for identifying with the YEFF project,

“The Youth Educational Film Festival is not merely an event, it is the celebration of the extraordinary story that emerged when the vibrant imagination of our youth collide with the power of cinematic story telling.

“The festival is intended to provide innovative platform for young filmmakers to showcase their talents , share their perspectives and inspire change through the act of film.

“ I also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed stakeholders , the Actors Guild of Nigeria and the “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative”, your support and engagement are vital tools in nurturing the talents of this young filmmakers.

“By our collaboration in this festival, you are endorsing their efforts and also contributing to the future of the industry and the society,”she said.

Other stakeholders present at the event include Nollywood stars and filmmakers.