The Founder of the Lagos International Film and Cinema Convention (LIFACC), Mr. Theo Akatugba has addressed the participants at the ongoing convention.
Read full text below:
Founder’s Welcome Address
With great pleasure, I want to welcome you all to the maiden edition of the Lagos International Cinema Convention, LIFACC.
A momentous cinema and film event in Lagos for Africa Cinema owners, film distributors, aggregators, and film producers in Nigeria, Africa, and from around the are here together in Lagos to share industry trends, showcase cutting-edge technology, screen upcoming films, and network at what is expected to be the most important gathering of motion picture industry investors and professionals.
The three days event with the theme, ‘Advancing the business of Film and cinema in Africa’ is here to deepen understanding among practitioners in the distribution and exhibition sector of the movie industry in Africa while helping producers to understand expectations for better, bigger, and creatively innovative movies to satisfy and sustain the ever dynamic need of audiences across the continent.
There are film festivals, film summits, and several other events for this motion picture industry in Nigeria but LIFACC is birthed as a business trade show for the film and cinema sector of the motion picture ecosystem, LIFACC is and will pattern after its likes CinemaCon, Cine Europe and cineAsia, etc. for the practitioners to have a platform to understand each other, learn about the business of film distribution and Exhibition and promote its cause of developing, growing and sustaining cinema culture across the continent of Africa.
Lagos, the center of excellence, the commercial nerve center of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa is a deliberate choice to be the host city for LIFACC, but we aim to assemble African Film and Cinema stakeholders in Nigeria every year to learn from one another, network and do business. I am confident that LIFACC will evolve to be the most important and strategic event in the film industry in Africa, with the support and collaboration of all of you in this hall and others who are not here.
This maiden edition has in attendance, delegates from South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana. Also, the United States and Germany are attending and participating in panel sessions virtually. We hope that next year, we will witness bigger participation from more countries of the world. In this year’s event, we have carefully programmed interesting panel discussions, which you will find in your brochure. We have also curated master classes to help improve the practitioners improve understanding, increase knowledge and acquire new skills. LIFACC will help shape the trajectory of the Nigerian and African film industry, jump-start buzz around the box office, and set the stage for cinematic, film distribution, production, and innovations
This Maiden of LIFACC will feature a variety of keynote sessions, panel discussions, products, and presentations. Besides, there will be master classes that will cut across production, distribution, and even new technics in cinematography to be conducted by original equipment manufacturers. We are happy that the financial sector is not left out of LIFACC, We have in attendance and actively participating as supporters of LIFACC, the Bank of Industry, BOI which is reputed to be a bank that has funded Nollywood PROJECTS broadly over the years, and Sterling Bank, which has good products for the Nigerian movie industry.
We can see Radisson Blu, the luxury hospitality place has remained an open place for the support of the entertainment sector of the Nigerian economy. Radisson Blu is proudly a sponsor of LIFACC and this partnership, we hope, will endure into the future.
LIFACC enjoys the support of the National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB. Led by Alhaji Adedayo Thomas. I am confident that this support and collaboration will continue to expand in leaps and bounds.
Let me appreciate the Lagos Film and Video Censors Board, led by Mrs Bukola Agbaminoja for the invaluable support for deciding to partner with LIFACC from the very beginning of this journey.
Finally, I will like to special thank you our sponsors, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Chairman of Silverbird Group, Mr. Moses Babatope Group Managing Director including FilmOne Film Entertainment and Film House, Mrs. Joy Odiete of Blue Pictures Entertainment Mr. Patrick Lee of Viva Cinema, Mrs. Funmi Onuma country Manager Silverbird Cinema Ghana whose enthusiasm for LIFACC is highly motivating and other companies as listed in event guide brochure.
We hope that you will enjoy yourselves by networking, creating businesses, and expanding opportunities. Participate actively in the panel sessions, and workshops. Let us be open and provide viable information generously do not hoard information for when people are properly informed, they become easier to deal with.
So, let the conversation be robust, rich in content, and quality to the benefit of our film and cinema industry.
I desire to see LIFACC signal a new beginning for an improved, mutually benefitital and profitable relationship between film distributors, exhibitors and film producers,
Once again, welcome to Lagos, and thank your participation….
Mr. Theophilus Akatugba
Founder, LAGOS INTERNATIONAL FILM AND CINEMA CONVENTION
