Benin Film Academy comes on stream

In a bid to boost the nation’s growing film industry and help train young talents, one of the premiere universities in Nigeria, the Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, has partnered Lancelot Imasuen’s Project 101 to set up a new film school in the city dubbed Benin Film School.

The academy, according to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Eghosa .E. Osaghae, is being set up to strengthen the professional capacity and deliverability of the country’s blossoming film industry.

At a brief ceremony preceding the signing of the memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the institution and the popular film director, which incidentally collided with the 48th Matriculation ceremony of the institution, Prof. Osaghae boasted that through the academy, the institution will take Nollywood and indeed, African film sector to the rest of the world.

“In the coming days, you will hear of a film festival you have never dreamt of, you will hear of a film village, you will also behold distinguished fellows of the Academy and of course, you will know that something great has happened to our film industry.”

The academy, located along the Airport Road, Benin City, will be offering practical training in across all key areas of filmmaking including acting, directing, cinematography, scriptwriting and screening among others. It also hopes to actualize these goals through tuition and practical exposure, leading to the award of professional Diplomas and certificates, summer institutes, film festivals and collaboration with leading film academies and institutions across the world.

Commenting on the new initiative, veteran actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, who was appointed as a member of the Board of Fellows of the Academy, described the initiative as a laudable project, adding that the academy will be one of the avenues through which they will train and retrain practitioners in the movie industry.

“By this initiative, the Igbinedion University has embarked on something dedicated to providing intellectual capacity for those in the entertainment industry,” KOK remarked.

Other Nollywood stars and stakeholders appointed by the institution’s authorities as members of the Board of Fellows of the Academy, which will be coordinated by Imasuen include Hon. Desmond Elliot, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Jos-based filmmaker, Sani Mu’ azu, Dr Victor Okhai among others.