By Agatha Emeadi
Nollywood actors under the aegis of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) have announced their upcoming first international festival billed to hold in Miami, Florida, United States of America between November 9 and 11, 2023.
The national President of the Guild, Emeka Rollas Ejezie, announced this during a press conference that held recently in Lagos. He said the international festival would afford actors, filmmakers and other creative professionals in the industry the opportunity to network, learn from one other and interact with their Hollywood counterparts.
“The festival will afford the Nollywood industry (members) the opportunity to network, learn from one another and interact with their Hollywood counterparts.”
The president who was re-elected into office in November 2022, informed that the AGN wanted to move closer to Hollywood to create more collaboration for the international casting directors to see the profile of Nigerian actors, noting that, that was why some actors who relocated to the States did not appear in any of their films. He also stressed that before those actors left the shores of Nigeria, they did not create a good profile that could land them some jobs in the Diaspora, and hence the need for the festival and collaboration in November.
He added that based on that, the highlights of the event would include red carpet gala and awards, screening, panel discussions, city tours including workshops and seminars.
Ejezie also mentioned that the festival was a game-notch because in the last 25 years, film festivals that had been produced by Nigerians or with foreign collaborators, more or less showcased the business side of the industry which expressed the extent the international collaborators could hire a Nollywood actor.
He highlighted that for the purpose of the event, reality TV star Nancy Isime and United States-based actor Joseph Benjamin, would host the 3-day festival which was expected to showcase over 70 Nollywood actors.
In the same vein, Dr. Alex Okoroji, actor and chairman, organising committee of the AGN, noted the mileage the event had brought to their industry already. He, therefore, thanked the Travel Film Festival for partnering them.
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