Broadcast content across borders

Lagos International Film Festival Holds August 30
This year’s diet of the Lagos International Film Festival dubbed LIFF is scheduled to hold between August 30 and September 2, 2023 at the Oriental Hotel Lagos and at Sky Mall also in Lagos. Festival Director, Daisy Madu Chikwendu, disclosed that this edition would feature screening of films, panel discussions and exhibition of filmmaking soft and hard wares. The festival director also announced four movies would feature at a special section of the festival termed ‘Red Carpet Movies’. The movies are Steph Nora Okere’s Dance With Me, Uzo Okpechi’s Kamsi, Kemi Adekomi’s Dark Clouds and Joseph Adejoh’s Awomi. However the selection of the films according to the organisers of LIFF ‘is without prejudice to their competition status as the competitive and non-competitive films are supervised by two different sets of professionals’. LIFF could not hold last year because of some logistical reasons. However, the festival director assured that the organisers are back and ‘have put those logistical challenges behind them now’. Daisy Chikwendu also disclosed that two special segments of the festival — Best Student Film and Screen To Win, would be making their return at this year’s edition. “Every edition of Lagos International Film Festival has very special programmes for students of tertiary institutions. Best student film is an award for best film made by a department or an individual. Also we have screen to win, which is a tribute to the early beginnings of Nollywood when innovation, ingenuity and adaptability meant everything. So students will receive onsite training during the festival and they will produce movies that are screened at LIFF gala night,” the festival director said. Information on the festival can be sourced on the festival’s Instagram page @lagiff012.

AFRICAST Still For October 24
THE 2023 edition of the biennial International Conference of African Broadcasters, AFRICAST 2023 hosted by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is still to hold between October 24 and 26 in Lagos. Beyond providing a robust atmosphere for brainstorming on international best broadcast practices and standards, AFRICAST has from inception provided a platform for analysis and review of Africa’s broadcast industry. To be held under the theme of ‘Broadcast Content: Synergy, Finance and Market’, Director General of NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah assured that like previous editions, this edition of AFRICAST will unveil the unparalleled opportunities in technology for the best broadcast profession across Africa. Ilelah stated that this edition of AFRICAST would showcase modern technologies, thought-provoking discussions, and networking opportunities to foster collaboration and drive innovation across various sectors. This year, NBC is partnering Broadcast Media Africa, BMA and Nigerian International Film and Tv Summit (NiFS) to deliver a rewarding AFRICAST event. The NBC DG had explained that BMA’s role is to project Africa’s broadcast and media industry to the world and bring the world to our industry, while NiFS will provide a link between broadcasters and top-class content creators and push narratives towards how to create relevant contents that will bridge the gap between what the old generations want to watch and what the new generation are tilting towards. More information on AFRICAST can be sourced at www.nbc.gov.ng

Warner Bros President To Deliver Mipcom 2023 Opening Keynote
WHEN major players in the broadcast industry gather at Palais Des Festivals de Cannes for the opening of the 39th edition of the prestigious television market dubbed Mipcom on October 16, they will be listening to the President of Warner Bros Gerhard Zeiler who has been appointed to deliver the opening keynote of the 39th edition of the TV market. The usually well-attended market will open on October 16 and run till October 19 in Cannes, South of France. Zeiler whose major responsibilities for WBD span strategic oversight of brands and joint responsibility for direct-to-consumer activity including streaming service across more than 220 markets, is expected to share insight into WBD’s transformation post-merger as well as lay out the company’s worldwide content and streaming strategy. A check on Mipcom websites revealed that more than 250 exhibitors from over 40 countries including Disney, MGM, NBCUniversal, Paramount, WBD, Fox, Fremantle, All3Media, Banijay, Federation, ITV, ZDF and Studiocanal have confirmed their participation for Mipcom 2023.