The future of Nigeria’s movie sector promises to be excellent given the quality documentaries received in the ongoing Sahara Group film competition, ace film maker has said. Speaking with Entertainment and Society Editors on the progress of the competition, Afolayan stated that he had seen outstanding documentaries and urged more young film makers to send in their entries. Kunle Afolayan “When Sahara Group provided this platform, I was certain we would see diversity and creativity in another dimension. I’m very impressed with the entries we have received; the movie sector in Nigeria truly has a bright future,” the producer of the already trending new movie, The CEO said. Afolayan described the stories of entrepreneurs featured in the documentaries as “compelling”, adding that they showcase the enterprising nature of Nigerians. “You’d be amazed at the creativity, tenacity and never-say-die spirit of every day Nigerians as presented in these documentaries.
This is the narrative of Nigeria that we need to highlight. That’s exactly what Sahara Group and Kunle Afolayan intend to do with this project.” Afolayan who will lead the screening of the entries advised participants to focus on telling their stories in a creative and coordinated manner. “Nigeria is replete with entrepreneurs whose stories would engage and thrill any audience. Young filmmakers need to avoid the band wagon effect and tell their stories in a unique way. We will be looking out for unique entries.” He said interested participants can access more information about the competition from the website: www.saharaextrapreneurs.org Unveiled about a month ago, Sahara Group’s “Grooming Film Extrapreneurs with Kunle Afolayan was designed to provide a hub for budding film makers to express their skills under the tutelage of Kunle Afolayan. Young film makers in Nigeria can join the competition by channeling their creativity into celebrating entrepreneurship in Nigeria by shooting a 15-minute documentary that captures entrepreneurs at work across the nation. The theme of the documentary should focus on: “My Nigeria, My Platform…Nigeria through an entrepreneur’s eyes.’ The competition is open to film makers not older than 35 years. All submitted documentaries will be screened by the multiple award-winning Kunle Afolayan and the overall winner will undergo a mentorship programme with the leading film producer and director for six months. “The overall winner will emerge from a shortlist of 20 top entries. I have so much faith in this project and I believe that Sahara Group has through this competition established a sustainable platform and I see these 20 young film makers forming the nucleus of future experts in the sector through collaboration and shared thinking,” added ‘The CEO’.