The 2024 edition of the Nollywoodweek Film Festival, the 11th edition so far, opened in Paris closed on May 5. The festival, which aims to raise the profile of Nigerian cinema and African cinema in general opened on May 3. This edition featured the screenings of short and feature-length films, professional meetings and round-table discussions.
This year too, the organizers screened four virtual reality films from four regions of the continent, including Daughters of Chibok, which echoed the terrible kidnapping of 276 Nigerian schoolgirls in April 2014. An award ceremony, which had in attendance Euzhan Palcy, reputed as the first black female director to be produced by a Hollywood studio, closed the festival.
At the ceremony, which was sold out, the most outstanding films of the festival were rewarded, offering a true celebration of Nigeria and African cinema. The film, Perfect Night, by Director Stephane Alexandre won the short film jury award while one of NigeriaÂ’s prolific female filmmakers Biodun Stephen won the award of best feature film of the festival with her engaging drama Sista.
The organisers in their statement declared that Biodun StephenÂ’s Sista stood out from the rest, a reason it won the vote for best feature and the grand prize of Audience choice award. This is the second time Stephen will be receiving the audience choice award at the festival. The filmmaker received the diadem at the 2023 edition of the award. Rounding out the list of award winners were Daniel Ezekeil who got a special mention for male performance for his role in Blood Vessel, and another to Ifeoma Nkiruka for her portrayal of Kiruka in the film Dynamite by Nigerian director, Uche Agu.
The 2025 edition of the festival will hold as from May 4 to 6, according to the organisers. Organised by the Okada Media Association, based in France and founded by Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur, the Nollywood Week Film Festival has been held every spring since 2013 and it primarily aims to bring the best of Nigerian and African cinema to French and European audiences.
