A COMMUNIQUE BY NIGERIAN FILM CORPORATION, NATIONAL FILM & VIDEO FOUNDATION
FILM STAKEHOLDERS AND SOUTH AFRICAN (CONSULATE) HIGH COMMISSION, NIGERIA
At The South African 29th Democracy And Bilateral Relations Anniversary With Nigeria
April 23rd, 2023
In furtherance to the auspicating processes of the Nigeria – South Africa Audio-visual Cooperation, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), the National Film & Video Foundation, in collaboration with Nigeria and South African Film Stakeholders, and the South African (Consulate) High Commission, Nigeria facilitated formal engagement sessions, discussions and meetings during the South Africa 29th Democracy & Bilateral Relations Anniversary with Nigeria which took place 21st – 29th April, 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Consequently, participants took notice of the efforts, processes being undertaken towards the full implementation of the Nigeria – South Africa Audio-visual Cooperation, including Nigeria’s participation at the Jo’burg Film Festival held from January 31st – February 6th, 2023; and the formal engagement sessions, discussions and meetings during just concluded South Africa 29th Democracy & Bilateral Relations Anniversary with Nigeria; and the following sufficed:
- That the joint activation and implementation forum, to be known as; Nigeria-South Africa Co-operation Forum, comprising the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film & Video Foundation, and film stakeholders from both nations as constituted should be encouraged, to among others, sustain and escalate its activities towards the implementation of joint domestic and cross border film development and cooperation activities, programmes and projects.
- The Nigerian Film Corporation has already constituted its Activation and Implementation Forum made up of film stakeholders, an outcome of the Jo’burg Film Festival held from January 31st – February 6th, 2023, and in furtherance of its quest for robust industry stakeholders’ inclusive engagements and co-production opportunity take-ups with the assistance of the “Film Co-Production Procedure & Practice Handbook” which will be formally adopted and presented to film stakeholders at the Durban International Film Festival/ Durban Film Mart Institute in July, 2023.
- The exploration of more platforms and windows of engagement between Nigerian & South African filmmakers be sustained through film co-production projects, film conferences, workshops, seminars, training and capacity building, etc
- Nigeria, through Zuma Film Festival, auspicated by the Nigerian Film Corporation shall provide the platform for coordination of official inter-country film festival engagements with a distinct annual and alternate “Nigeria-South Africa Film Festival” scheduled for December 1-10, 2023, Abuja.
- For South Africa, the National Film & Video Foundation (NFVF), shall coordinate the Durban International Film Festival/ Durban Film Mart Institute platform in South Africa, for the hosting of the South Africa- Nigeria-Film Festival scheduled for July 2023.
- Given the improved intercountry bilateral & people to people relationships of both nations, a 10-year Visa plan for Nigerians visiting South Africa for business and leisure is to be emplaced, auspicated by the South African Consulate, Nigeria. This will add up to the ease of doing business between filmmakers from both countries; hitherto being efforts by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film & Video Foundation in securing the cooperation and assistance of Embassy Consular Services of both nations, to ease intercountry film production engagements by film stakeholders.
- While efforts are to be made to extract film location production incentives from across the Federating States in Nigeria, there exists, among others a 35% tax rebate on film location production/projects in South-Africa.
- Stakeholders in commending the successes recorded so far, craved that no efforts should not be spared by relevant government agencies, as well as audio-visual practitioners of both nations towards the full optimization of all processes, programmes and projects in the Cooperation Agreement to serve as a springboard for enhanced, formal and more bilateral and multilateral audio-visual co-operation agreements in Africa, and consequently between African countries and other non-African nations.
NIGERIAN FILM CORPORATION
… Powering Possibilities
