Frequent death of actors worries group 

Worried by the increasing rate of deaths in Nollywood, organisers of the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) have introduced a free medical programme for filmmakers in the 2024 edition.

Festival Director of RIFF, Kate Ezeigbo said the initiative is to allow filmmakers to have access to regular checkups and minor surgeries.

Speaking on Thursday in Port Harcourt to herald this year’s edition of the annual film festival, Ezeigbo, noted that the work of filmmakers is tedious such that most of them forget to take care of their health.

She said: “In recent times, the sudden death of film practitioners in Nigeria became alarming and scary.

“We embarked on a research and we found out that because of the peculiarity of their job been very tedious and time-consuming, they barely have the time to do a routine check on their health and that is why the RIFF Free Medicals was created.”

She said through the initiative, every October film practitioners, film lovers, and film critics can access free minor surgeries, routine checks, and free drugs for certain ailments.

Ezeigbo added that the platform was intended to reach out to all the necessary parastatals and agencies involved to have a structured health scheme plan for all Nollywood practitioner.

She said there would be 30 free minor surgeries, drugs for malaria, antibiotics, hypertension, diabetics, ulcers, diarrhoeal, cough, colds, allergies, and multivitamins would be dispensed.

Ezeigbo added that tests for malaria, typhoid fever, sexually transmitted infections, and other venereal diseases would be carried out.

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On the festival expected to run from 24th-28th October in Port Harcourt, she said the organisation received 2230 films from 172 countries with the United States of America and India topping the list of most entries.

Ezeigbo explained that the festival aims to contribute to the growth of the film industry in Rivers State and Nigeria.