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Lake City Film Festival holds in Oguta

By Chuks Nwanne
10 December 2016   |   3:06 am
To be held under the theme The reel is yours, show your story, the event, according to the founder Ekine Stronghold, is more than just a film festival.
 Ekine Stronghold

Ekine Stronghold

Organisers Extend Film Submission Deadline

After months of working on the project that will definitely open a new page in the history of Oguta community in Imo State, organisers have announced that the maiden edition of the Lakecity Film Festival (LACIFF) will hold between December 16 and 18, at the Crystal Lake Resort, Oguta.

To be held under the theme The reel is yours, show your story, the event, according to the founder Ekine Stronghold, is more than just a film festival.

“It’s more than just a film festival; this is about tourism promotion. This event will give participants the opportunity to tour Oguta and see the natural endowment of the community, especially the Oguta Lake. It’s gong to be a three-day of film festival and tourism,” he said.

Describing tourism as a sector that can create job opportunity for teaming youth of the nation, including those in Oguta community, Ekine noted that, “the only solution to recession is job creation and that’s what we intend to do with this film festival. This is a community that has about four hotels, after this festival, a lot of people will begin to think of how to invest in the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, the organisers have announced an extension in the submission of film for the festival. Making the announcement, Ekine Stronghold, said the decision became necessary due to the many calls he has received from indigenous filmmakers, who said they needed more time to send in their films.

“The festival is after all to celebrate our indigenous films, so, we have decided to give Nigerian filmmakers another opportunity to send in their films by December 9.”

Recall that by the end of November, LACIFF received over 2,900 film entries from 105 countries. A college of screeners has come up with 100 films out of the 2,900, while the judges, including Sani Muazu (head jurist), Yinka Ogun, Bond Emeruwa, Kathy Kasic from the United States of America and Tari West-Johnson, are already assessing the entries that would be screened during the festival.

Meanwhile, CJ Obasi’s film, O-Town and Joe Brown Ubaka’s award-winning The Missing God will respectively open and close the festival.

Set in Owerri, the Imo State capital, O-Town tells the story of a young man, who aims to climb the ladder of the small-town criminal underworld to become the boss of all, while The Missing God, made in Igbo language, focuses on the power of African religion, culture and traditions.

“The films were strategically chosen to give people a sense of belonging and to tell guests they should come with their best film next year because our best can match your best,” Stronghold stated.

Aside film screening, the festival will feature master classes on cinematography and editing courtesy Ford Foundation with facilitators expected from the United States of America and Europe. Partners of the festival include the Imo State Government, Ford Foundation, Crystal Lake Resort, Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and Oguta Youth Empowerment Scheme.

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