Nigerian Media Mogul Mo Abudu To Deliver MIPCOM Cannes Keynote
Nigeria’s celebrated media mogul and CEO of EbonyLife Media, Mosunmola Abudu or Mo Abudu for short, will present a keynote on diversity and inclusion in the global film and television industry at the MIPCOM Cannes confab next month. According to information on MIPCOM website and report by the authoritative The Hollywood Reporters, Abudu, known for building EbonyLife Media into one of Africas leading production companies, will present the keynote at MIPCOM on Tuesday, October 17 at the Grand Auditorium in Cannes. The event directly opens the seventh edition of Mipcoms Diversify TV Awards, the only global honour recognising the promotion of diversity and inclusion at international media organisations. MIPCOM Cannes Director, Lucy Smith, said they are excited at MIPCOM that Mo Abudu was going to give the keynote and also join an impressive executive lineup of speakers at this years MIPCOM, including Paramount Global President, Bob Bakish; Warner Bros. Discovery International President, Gerhard Zeiler and Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO of Spanish production giant, Mediapro Studio.
“Mo Abudu is simply a powerhouse,” Smith was quoted to have said. Smith also said “a creative entrepreneur, producer, broadcaster and philanthropist, successful for exporting her own studios work and a major force in helping African stories reach a wider global audience in recent years. When last with us in Cannes in 2019, Mo received the Médaille dHonneur in recognition of these achievements, and she joins this year as the keynote within a diversity and inclusion programme at MIPCOM Cannes that serves to highlight those making an impact in this critical area. No one is better placed to inspire than Mo and we look forward to welcoming, and hearing from her next month.” Executive Producer of a slate of local theatrical block bursters, including Oloture, Fifty, The Wedding Party, and Your Excellency, Mo, a voting member of the Academy Awards, and a recipient of the national honours of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), has received innumerable accolades for her work as a creative. Organisers of MIPCOM say they expect to welcome some 11,000 buyers, commissioners, creatives and producers from more than 100 countries worldwide at the 39th MIPCOM Cannes, which runs October 16 to 19.
Submissions Open For Hot Docs Festival 2024
SUBMISSIONS are open for the 2024 Hot Docs Festival, April 25 to May 5. As North America’s largest documentary festival, Hot Docs is reputed as a great platform to premiere documentary films to industry leaders and engage audiences. Hot Docs accepts Canadian and international documentaries of all lengths and subject matter. Early deadline is October 19, while Regular deadline is November 16, 2023. Source submission details from: www.hotdocs.ca
Jury For 2023 Zuma Film Festival Announced
AN eight-member jury of reputable domestic and foreign filmmakers to adjudicate on all entries in the competitive category of the Zuma Film Festival 2023, jointly organised by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has been announced. Zuma Film Festival, Nigerias foremos film fiesta, holds from December 1 to 10 at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria. The Theme for ZUFF 2023, the 13th in the series is, Cultural Convergence. Foremost Professor of Theatre and Film Studies, Femi Shaka, has been named as the Chairman of the Zuma Jury for the 2023 edition. The alumnus of the universities of Benin and Ibadan, respectively in Nigeria and also of the University of Warwick, Coventry, England is expected to bring his wealth of experience and those of other members to select winners for the prizes of the festival. Professor Shaka, clearly one of the most revered arts, theatre and film development scholar and specialist has contributed immensely to the growth of Nigerias vibrant movie industry- Nollywood. Holder of a Fullbright Senior African Fellowship Award, Prof. Shaka has taught and conducted researches at offshore higher institutions, including the Africana Studies Programme, New York University.
The widely read scholar whose articles have been published in reputable international and local journals, is a well-known strong advocate of the cinema as a tool for national development, through his regular campaigns for the establishment of Departments of Film and TV Studies across the geopolitical zones of the country to help professionalise the teaching and practice of both sectors of the creative industries. NFCs Managing Director and Chairman, Organising Committee of ZUFF, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, on behalf of its partner, the FCTA, congratulated Prof. Femi Shaka for emerging as the Jury Chairman. Maduekwe said the Jury Chairman and his teams roles are critical to the overall success of the Zuma Film Festival brand. The MD expressed the determination of organisers to achieve the objectives of sustaining the narratives that Nigeria is indeed the hub of film production in Africa. Meanwhile, submission of entry for the festival which opened on June 15, will close on November 15, 2023. Entries can be submitted through the film freeway platform https://filmfreeway.com/zumafilmfestival; or to ZUMA FILM FESTIVAL Secretariat, Nigerian Film Corporation Headquarters, Jos Plateau State, as well as NFC Zonal Offices in Lagos, Asaba, Umuahia, Yola, Kano and Abuja.
