As streaming continues to shift global cinema culture, the reality of community cinema has continued to simmer from the spotlight in recent years. However, a new creative community, The ivTH experience, is set to revive this scene, with weekly community film screenings in the heart of Lagos, from next month.
Positioning its showings to accommodate art films — a niche that’s mostly relegated to festival distribution in Lagos — the ivTH experience is set to expand visibility for a broad range of filmmakers in the country’s cultural nerve centre.
“There is a growing need for a more relaxed, less conventional space where films, music and art can be appreciated together in an intimate setting,” its founder Olalekan Suara, told The Guardian.
At its core, The ivTH Experience is championing festival-type, art-house, and socially conscious films, with a focus to ensure these films remain largely accessible to the very audiences whose realities they reflect.
“Why should someone have to travel abroad to watch a film made in their own community?” Suara argues. By opening their doors, they are reclaiming these films for the people who inspired them.
Interestingly, Suara also reveals that the project is deeply personal for him, whose journey into filmmaking began with a blend of heartbreak and intuition.
He said, “My journey into film began with both heartbreak and talent. I started acting as a child but only took it seriously as a way of distracting myself from emotional pain. In the process, I fell deeply in love with the camera and the art of storytelling. Since then, I’ve been fully committed to it.”
Beyond the screen, The ivTH Experience aims to cultivate a vibrant community of art lovers who not only enjoy film but are eager to interrogate their environment through the narratives they consume.
The ivTH Experience operates under The Good House, a larger ecosystem comprising the ivTH Material, the ivTH Design, and the ivTH Idea. This collective is rooted in collaboration and built to create opportunities for millions of creatives through meaningful, innovative partnerships.
