Tony Okuyeme 
The stage is set for the 2024 edition of Zuma Film Festival (ZUFF), Nigeria’s foremost national film festival.
Themed “Digital Renaissance: Embracing the Future”, ZUFF 2024, the 14th in the series, will take place December 1st – 5th in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and the official host city.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja, and signed by Brian Etuk, spokesperson for Zuma Film Festival, and Public Affairs Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC).
The festival has continued to shape the trajectory of film festivals and markets in Nigeria, including impressive domestic, continental and global participation as well as attendance over the years especially since it got being held annually from year 2017 till date.
This year’s edition, according to the statement, “vividly captures and will project the vibrant and transformative imperativeness of the digital age in upscaling motion picture practice that support the growth of creative economies of nations of the world, Nigeria, inclusive. Furthermore, ZUFF 2024 will be celebrating the fusion of creativity and innovation, with emphasis on the role of digital platforms in revolutionizing the film industry.”
Equally, ZUFF 2024 will highlight the impeccable capabilities of digital platforms as well as inherent opportunities thereof for job creation and wealth generation through the effective utilisation of digital tools for storytelling, content production, monetization, exhibition and distribution.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Dr. Ali Nuhu, on behalf of the Corporation and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said that efforts in mounting Zuma Film Festival 2024 have since commenced, given the national and global importance as well as its short, medium and long term positive impact on the nations creative sector. Dr. Nuhu assured that both the FCTA and the NFC are committed to mounting ZUFF 2024, whose preparations, including invitations to potential sponsors and partners are being sustained. He equally assured that ZUFF will continue to provide opportunities and empower filmmakers to embrace the digital renaissance movement, by positioning them at the forefront of global cinematic conversation and narratives, while at the same time sustaining Nigeria’s dominance within the regional and continental creative economy.
ZUFF 2024, will among others, provide a platform for the recognition of Nigerian film makers who have or are adding the needed value to the development of the art and business of filmmaking. “We must leverage on all opportunities that support the growth of Nigeria’s film sector. We must continue to create opportunities through platforms such as Zuma film festival, to deploy our energy and resources to harness the rich diverse national and continental, yet beautiful cultures with our impressive and unique storytelling skills,” Nuhu said.
Programme bouquet of the festival include daily film screening, film master classes, symposia, film and television market, content creation and exhibition fora, film project pitching sessions, co-production engagements, states and foreign nations (Embassy/High Commission) special days; special lifetime tributes, and the prestigious ZUMA Awards with winners emerging from the various feature film/video; animation/cartoon, documentary film, student film, short film, music video, artistic films/art house and the recently innovative indigenous films category for Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and any other local Nigerian language film as well as children film entry submissions; for best Picture, Sound, Costumes Actor, Actress Director, Short Film, Music video, Skit, and Foreign film, among others.
“Given the festival bouquet which has consistently been enhanced to address all sectors of the film production value chain; the five-day gathering of film and television industry as well as other stakeholders from across Nigeria, and beyond the continent, will once more offer an opportunity to present the best of Nigeria’s arts, creative, film and entertainment industry to the world,” Etuk said, adding that ZUMA Film Festival is being jointly hosted by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC).
