No less than 500 movies across the world have been nominated to be premiered at the maiden Enugu Film festival also known as Coal City Film Festival.
Executive Director of the festival, Mr Uche Agbo, made the disclosure in a press briefing to announce the commencement of the festival from March 25th to 27th in Enugu.
Agbo said that the three days event will feature screenings, symposiums, tour trip, training and gala/award nite, adding that the festival would celebrate both indigenous and foreign filmmakers as well as already made films.
According to him, the festival will open the doors of South-East, Nigeria through cultural exchange and cinematic experience as renowned Nollywood personalities such as Zack Orji, Segun Arinze, Patience Ozokwor, Lancelot Imaseun and others will in the festival.
He said that many film festival enthusiasts and industry practitioners understand the global economical, brand advantage film festivals give to the localities to which they originate especially Enugu as the cradle of the film industry in Nigeria.
He noted that the festival like its contemporaries all over the world will serve as a convergence between practising and independent filmmakers, industry leaders and practitioners within the South-East and the country.
“It is estimated that over 500 films have been cleared from over a thousand submissions from over 50 countries for screening at the Coal City Film Festival and a film, ‘Oluedo’ will be premiering in its first time at the festival, Agbo disclosed.
He said that the opening ceremony of the festival would hold in the evening hours of March 25; with a red carpet between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and the actual opening by 6 p.m. at Diamond Cinema, Enugu.
He said that for three-day running, there would be training for budding filmmakers at the National Museum; while there would also be seminars, symposia, a tour of tourist sites in the state.
Agbo said that registered participants will receive free and unlimited access to the activities, stating that registration was still open and free-of-charge.
