Today's Entertainment News: 40 Nollywood players get capacity building fund

40 Nollywood players get capacity building fund

WorldStage Newsonline-- Firty practitioners in the Nigerian film industry have received various grants under the recently launched Capacity Training Fund of the Presidential Intervention scheme for the industry also known as Project ACT Nollywood.

 

A statement from the federal ministry of finance which coordinates the fund said "the applications submitted by the practitioners successfully scaled the rigorous qualification processes for the training and skills acquisition segment of the Capacity Building Fund."

 

The statement signed by Paul Nwabuikwu Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister to the Economy and Minister of Finance said "grants which are currently being processed will enable the practitioners receive high quality training in accredited institutions to improve their competencies in various areas of film craft."

 

Nwabuikwu said the training part of the Capacity Building Fund is valued at N150 million and is dedicated to training and skills acquisition for Nigerian movie practitioners in all competencies along the entire value chain of Nigeria’s movie industry.

 

These include Scriptwriting, Directing, Production and Production Design, Special Effects, Lighting, Sound, HD

Techniques, Acting, Cinematography, Make-Up, Editing, etc.

 

However, he lamented that "the rate of applications from the north has been particularly low. This project is for the whole movie industry so practitioners need to come forward and take advantage of the opportunity."

 

The second component of the fund is the Capacity Development Fund which is also worth N150 million. This will give grants to existing Nigerian-owned private institutes that offer training courses, programmes and technical certification in the movie industry.

 

The minister of finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was quoted to have said that "the objective of ACT Nollywood is to help the industry make further progress on a more solid foundation. But more practitioners are needed to come forward and take advantage of the opportunity."

 

Those interested were advised to "go to the website and apply, apply, apply. That’s what we want. We need more qualified practitioners to apply from different parts of the country."

 

In a related development, another segment of Project ACT Nollywood, the Film Production Fund has been launched. Already the website, www.projectactnollywod.com.ng has been activated and is ready for applications.

 

The Film Production Fund (FPF) is a N700 million instrument which allocates grants to production companies and independent producers for the making of commercially viable films at any stage of production. This includes: Pre-production (scripting, budgeting, location, cast and crew); Production (shooting, film set); Post-production (editing, sound, and graphics); and Marketing/distribution/exhibition (selling the movie to audiences)

 

The FPF contributes to commercially viable film projects with grants of up to N10 million.  A number of medium budget film projects will be considered for a higher grant contribution.

 

Nwabuikwu noted that "the funds are used to subsidize pre- production, production or post-production costs of films, and in making these grants the initiative supports the further development of the Nollywood film industry and filmmaking talent."

 

Eligible formats include feature films, documentaries, animation, short films, tv formats. Movies may be in English or from any of the three main regional genres; a limited number of films in other indigenous languages may be considered. To qualify, movie projects must have national and international appeal.