Greece takes action to support the Nigerian film sector

Ioannis Plotas, the ambassador of Greece to Nigeria, has pledged to promote the country’s film and entertainment sector.

At a press conference held yesterday in Abuja to announce the hosting of the second Nollywood Travel Film Festival, which would take place in May in Anthens, Greece, Plotas made the commitment.

The Greek representative noted that the film industry is important in fostering international ties and that the event would improve and further develop the already-existing relationship between Greece and Nigeria.

“For us, the event is a priority, and this film festival will have a significant impact on the cultural connection between the two nations.”

Mykel Parish, the founder of the Nigerian Television Film Festival (NTFF), stated that the festival’s goals are to increase cooperation between the host nation and Nigeria’s screen industry in the areas of film and high-end TV co-production; to establish the Greece-Nigeria Annual Film Week as a useful platform for establishing an MoU on audio-visual co-production between the two countries; and to create a film market that brings together content providers, stakeholders, and investors from both countries.

Additional goals include providing both countries with employment possibilities through cultural interaction, attracting foreign investment, and recognizing and rewarding film industry talent.

The Pan-African Film Development Fund in Nigeria created the Nollywood Travel Film Festival (NTFF) as a project to support and provide a platform for deserving African independent filmmakers to present their work on a worldwide level.

Since 2017, the Toronto, Atlanta, Humburg, Oslo, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Lima, London, and Glasgow Nollywood Trace Film Festival has held screenings.

The festival’s main goal is to play Nollywood movies that aren’t generally screened in the diaspora and to open up new business options for the sector.

More than 3,500 filmmakers, fans, distributors, and marketers from around the world attended earlier NTFF events.

Dr. Victor Okhai, president of the Nigerian Directors Guild, stated that the project has shown a strong relationship between Greece and Nigeria and that there is no better time than this.

He continued by pointing out the cultural similarities between Greece and Africa, and he gave his members his word that they would participate in the festival to advance the sector.

In contrast, Anold Jackson of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council asserted that culture is now a concrete concept that can be used to deepen bilateral ties.

“Nollywood is one of the six economic subsectors that we have selected to grow because of our comparative advantage in these fields.

The services sector drives the global economy, which is where the globe is at the moment. Another area Nigeria may capitalize on is entertainment. This will help us gain a lot of traction on the global stage, he claimed.