Hope Obioma Opara
Hopeful Nigerian plans mega-film festival for Lagos Mega City
As millions the world over continue to shudder at the shocking news out of Plateau state, in Nigeria’s “Middle Best” region, of the gory massacre of beleaguered Berom Christians by rampaging Muslim Hausa-Fulani herdsmen, in the midst of the unease surrounding Acting President Goodluck Jonathan stepping in to resolve the dilemma of an incapacitated President Umaru Yar’Adua, and the do-or-die political game of his ruling party in the ongoing power tussle over the leadership of Africa’s most populous country, one hopeful Nigerian is not giving up on the future of his beloved country.
His first name, Hope, is suggestive of his drive, as is the smile on his chubby face, beaming out as a beacon of light, bright enough for the ship of state to sail by in the troubled waters of the turbulent times.
Hope’s journey to the world of international film festivals began in November 2008 when he braved a particularly bad spell of winter to attend the 30th edition of Festival of 3 Continents in Nantes, France.
He was excited to gain accreditation to attend the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, where he got caught in the rarefied air surrounding blazing star actress Angelina Jolie. He wrote about it for his Supple magazine which he started in August 2008, after six years’ experience as a successful printer.
From being star-struck at Cannes, France, Hope returned home clear-eyed with high motivation to launch a new film festival buoyed by the much publicized report of Nigeria as having the largest movie-making industry in Africa and the second largest in the world, after India, with an annual production of over 800 movies in video-format, popularly called Nollywood after India’s ‘Bollywood’ the first to be christened after the benchmark, America’s Hollywood.
A close associate came up with a name: Eko International Film Festival. He posted it online in August 2009. By the following month, it was duly registered by Hope. Both had never undertaken any film festival before and knew definitely that they would need help.
Soon, he found a mentor in the person of Bruno Chatelin, co-founder of filmfestivals.com, a web portal launched in 1995. Bruno was in charge of the launch of over 250 films during his tenure as Marketing Director and Managing Director for Columbia TriStar Films and Twentieth Century Fox.
Hope would brave yet another bone-chilling winter to meet up with Bruno in Paris. He got to seal a deal that makes filmfestivals.com a media partner to boost morale to help realize a world-class film festival, like Cannes. He proceeded to commission the design and hosting of the official website of Eko International Film Festival. He returned to Lagos to share the good news.
Hope returned again to Europe for the Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Netherlands, then again for the 60th Berlinale, Germany. He now felt convinced he could put together a successful world-class film festival.
But how does he hope to finance it? “We are making sacrifices to raise the funds for Eko International Film Festival, and what we need most is money to host the filmmakers and accredited journalists and enough to rent the halls we would need to screen selected films!” Hope says amidst chuckles.
Big dreams come with big, mind-blowing budgets. Hope needs over a million dollars to make his dream of a mega film festival come true.
“We have started a fund-raising drive. We’re sending out letters of proposal to sponsors. I saw film festivals with numerous sponsors in Europe. We are seeking the cooperation and support of local and international sponsors. We have attracted the interest of some Nigerian banks and we expect to close deals with some prospective sponsors shortly,” he explains, with infectious optimism pouring out of his brown shining eyes.
News of the forthcoming Eko International Film festival is circulating fast and far on the Internet. But will filmmakers and visitors from outside Nigeria troop in as expected, at the prospects on offer, given reports of the massacres of innocent Christians in the middle belt region making the headlines online and offline?
“Lagos is quite safe and I know that the federal government has the means to stop the conflicts and restore peace in the troubled Plateau state, ditto the troubled waters of the Niger delta region. Everything is going to be fine, even long before Eko International Film Festival opens on July 7,” he assures.
Hope Opara is upbeat. “Eko International Film Festival will provide exciting new business and tourism opportunities. It’s going to be great fun for filmmakers and lovers of films in Nigeria and many thousands of film aficionados sure to turn up.”
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
