The Federal Ministry of Finance has said 32 movie firms, which successfully passed through rigorous assessment processes, have won grants from the Film Production Fund, one of the three components of the N3 billion Presidential Intervention Fund for the Nigerian movie industry - Project ACT Nollywood.
Also, the number of practitioners that have received grants under the Capacity Building Fund, the second component of the project and whose implementation started earlier, has climbed to 67 to further underscore the progress which the presidential intervention is making
The 32 film companies that passed the interview included Minek Entertainment and Films Limited, Denziot Integrated and Logistics Limited, Alternative Cinema, Zealview Nigeria Limited, Greenville Production International Limited, Akins Squared Limited (Akins Squared Productions), November Productions and Ruby Diamond Nigeria Limited.
Others are Green Waters Production, Viseosonic Studios Limited, Brickwall Communications Limited, Kasvid International Limited, Ayiba Communications, Phoenix Visions Production Limited, Tayekeni Productions Limited, Black Tower Production, Karr Resources Limited, Black Ivory Limited, 601 Realtime Limited, and Videofield International Limited.
Also on the lists of beneficiaries are Ogeney Entertainment Limited, Zeb Ejiro Productions Limited, Peculiar Communications Limited, Golden Pyramid Productions Limited, Wale Adenuga Productions Limited, Raconteur Productions Limited, Shadow Plus Motion Pictures, Karami Multimedia Limited, Azurfa Film Production Company Limited, Ramat Productions Limited, Haszain Global Resources Limited and BIK Entertainment.
According to a statement from office of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the 32 film projects from these companies were selected out of the 38 that applied for the Film Production Fund for the first batch of interviews concluded last week.
The statement signed by Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, Special Adviser to the minister, about 253 applications were received from film production companies during the application period, which spanned between November 11, 2013 to February 28, 2014.
The Film Production Fund (FPF) is a N700 million instrument, which allocates grants to production companies and independent producers for the making of commercially viable films at any stage of production.
This includes pre-production (scripting, budgeting, location, cast and crew; production (shooting, film set); post-production (editing, sound, and graphics), and marketing/distribution/exhibition (selling the movie to audiences).
The FPF contributes to commercially viable film projects with grants of up to N10 million even though a small number of film projects may be considered for higher grants.
In making these grants, Nwabuikwu explained that the initiative supports the further development of the Nollywood film industry and filmmaking talent.
“Eligible formats include feature films, documentaries, animation, short films, TV formats. Movies may be in English or in other indigenous languages. To qualify, movie projects must have national and international appeal.
“During the period of assessment, which lasted from March 3rd to April 25th 2014, 167 firms which applied were prequalified. The 86 applications that did not go through are those that–in spite of being contacted–did not submit the complete documentation required for assessors to review and mark.
“As part of the process, all applicants were invited to attend a 2-day workshops in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano to be trained on how to develop business plans for accessing film financing and other requirements for the second stage of assessment.
“Though not compulsory, about 121 applicants attended these workshops. The second stage of assessment lasted from May 27 to July 1st, 2014, during which the business plans submitted by prequalified applicants were assessed. Following this process, 115 applicants were invited for interviews,” Nwabuikwu explained in the statement.
Given the large number, he said it was deemed necessary to conduct the interviews in batches in Lagos and in Abuja. In the first batch, a total of 38 applicants were invited for interviews between July 10th and July 16th. Of these, 32 applicants passed the interviews and are ready for disbursement from the film production fund subject to presentation of their tax clearance certificates.
Another 71 applicants are slated for batch two interviews, which will take place from July 24th to 31st, 2014 in Lagos and in Abuja, while other batches will follow later, he added.
Nwabuikwu said the 32 winners of the Film Production Fund are only the latest beneficiaries of the Presidential Intervention on Nollywood. Earlier, about 67 practitioners—comprising members of the Arewa Filmmakers Association, the Directors Guild of Nigeria, amongst others—in the Nigerian film industry had been awarded various grants to undertake training courses in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the USA under the second component of the Presidential Initiative, the two-part Capacity Building Fund.
These individuals, he noted, have all completed their courses. Ninety practitioners from the Actors Guild, the Nigerian Society of Cinematographers, the Nigerian Society of Editors, the creative Designers Guild of Nigeria, and others, awarded grants are currently undertaking training programmes at Del-Yorke International in Lagos (which is in partnership with the New York Film Academy in the USA); the International Film and Broadcast Academy in Lagos; and the University of Southern California in the USA.
“Another 48 practitioners have been approved grants and will be commencing training shortly. The fund has received over 600 applications so far, and awarding of grants is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
“The training part of the Capacity Building Fund is valued at N150 million and is dedicated to training and skills acquisition for Nigerian movie practitioners in all competencies along the entire value chain of Nigeria’s movie industry, including scriptwriting, directing, production and production design, special effects, lighting, sound, HD techniques, acting, cinematography, make-up, editing and others.
“The second part of the Capacity Building Fund, the Special Adviser to the Minister said, is the Capacity Development Fund, which is also worth N150 million.
“It will give grants to existing Nigerian-owned private institutes that offer training courses, programmes and technical certification in the movie industry. To date, only four institutions: Del-Yorke International, Royal Arts Academy, Lufodo School of Performing Arts, and PEFTI Film Institute, have been approved for grants totaling N65 million, which will be disbursed shortly. The assessment of other institutes is currently underway.”
“Following consultations with stakeholders in Asaba, Lagos, and Kano, a programme for the third component of Project ACT Nollywood – the Innovative Distribution Fund of N2 billion, is being finalised and will be released shortly.
This component is intended to stem piracy of copyright content in the industry, while improving the distribution network for audio-visual content,” he emphasised.
Project ACT is a federal government initiative and managed by the Ministry of Finance in partnership with the Minister of Culture and Tourism that encourages the sustained growth of Nigeria’s movie industry to realise its potential as a significant creator of employment and contributor to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
