Green Me Global Festival for sustainability rewards filmmakers

The Green Me Global Festival for Sustainability held last week at the Silverbird Galleria Victoria Island, Lagos. The four major sections of the festival: Workshop, Congress, Marketplace and Film Screening collectively brought the festival to an impressive end.With Ocean life water, as theme, the films addressed ocean pollution, life’s complications and water sustainability.

President of the Festival, Nicolai Niemann, said the support of local and international non-govermental organisations (NGOs) as well as the base funding by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs was amazing.

There was a pre-production workshop prior to the festival, and it had six film schools in participation, namely: Hamazon Academy, Pefti Film Institute, Royal Art Academy, Graig-Phillips College of Technology, Mx Film and Multimedia Academy, International film and Broadcast Academy.

The workshop was directed by German filmmaker, Volker Langhoff, and the schools were challenged with the production and submission of a short film within 48 hours.

Some of the films screened included Jeta Amata’s Black November, OLOIBIRI, The Lady In the Water and Nowhere to Run, Delta Blood and Oil, Green Energy for the Giant of Africa. Others include Tunde Kelani’s Dazzling Mirage, Lancelot OduwaImasuen’s Invasion 1897 and Dagogo Reeves DiminasJack’s Stigma.

There were three major panel discussion sessions on the topic for the year. The panel analyzed and created awareness to the danger posed by pollution, proffered solutions, and the need for preservation and sustainability was emphasized. A film production and distribution summit was also held to find possible grounds for German Nigerianco-production and distribution.

Consul General Mr. Ingo Herbert. Cornel Agim, representing Patricia Bala, the DG of the Nigeria Film and Video Census Board, spoke on the‚ Viability of Ideal Distribution of Nollyood Movies and the need for Funding, Investment and Collaborations and Distribution’.

The participating environmental groups were; Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Mundus Maris – Science and Arts for Sustainability, Council for Renewable Energy Nigeria, Sustainability School Lagos, Fishery Society of Nigeria (FISON), Nigerian-German Business Association (NGBA)

The award night saw Economy by the Pefti Film Institute, Invasion 1897, Black November and Oloibiri win, while Nowhere to Run won the grand jury award.

Director international affairs and production, Nkiru Niemann said the outcome and turnout at the festival was beyond expectations, “the response from individuals, as well as the environmental groups was a total surprise to me. It was a successful outing and would not have been possible without the individual guests and groups. I therefore express our profound gratitude to you all, for your immense contribution to the achieved success at the just concluded Green Me Global Festival for Sustainability Lagos, Nigeria“, she added.