The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) is stepping up the corporation's engagement with South Africa in the area of Audio-Visual Cooperation
Both Countries had in December 2022 signed an – Audio-Visual Cooperation Agreement in Abuja.
The Audio-Visual Cooperation Agreement was part of the 10th Session of Nigeria – South Africa Bi-National Commission overall agreements jointly endorsed by former President Mohammadu Buhari (GCFR) and his South African Counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa when the later visited Nigeria.
As part of efforts to sustain and escalate activities towards the implementation of joint domestic and cross border film development, participants at the just concluded South Africa 29th Democracy & Bilateral Relations Anniversary with Nigeria have said that the Nigeria-South Africa Co-operation Forum should be encouraged.
This is contained in a communique released by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), the National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa, in collaboration with Nigeria and South African Film Stakeholders, and the South African (Consulate) High Commission.
According to the communique, the NFC has already constituted its Activation and Implementation Forum made up of film stakeholders.
This is also part of an outcome of the Jo’burg Film Festival held between January 31st and February 6th, 2023, this is to enhance its quest for robust industry stakeholders’ inclusive engagements and co-production opportunity take-ups with the assistance of the “Film Co-Production Procedure & Practice Handbook” which will be formally adopted and presented to film stakeholders at the Durban International Film Festival/ Durban Film Mart Institute in July, 2023.
The interface also agreed to the joint activation and implementation forum, to be known as; Nigeria-South Africa Co-operation Forum, comprising the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film & Video Foundation, and film stakeholders from both nations as constituted should be encouraged, to among others, sustain and escalate its activities towards the implementation of joint domestic and cross border film development and cooperation activities, programmes and projects.
The exploration of more platforms and windows of engagement between Nigerian & South African filmmakers participants agreed must be sustained through film co-production projects, film conferences, workshops, seminars, training and capacity building, etc
The forum also identified Nigeria, through Zuma Film Festival, coordinated by the Nigerian Film Corporation, to provide the platform for coordination of official inter-country film festival engagements with a distinct annual and alternate “Nigeria-South Africa Film Festival” scheduled for December 1-10, 2023, Abuja.
For South Africa, the National Film & Video Foundation (NFVF), shall coordinate the Durban International Film Festival/ Durban Film Mart Institute platform in South Africa, for the hosting of the South Africa- Nigeria-Film Festival scheduled for July 2023.
Given the improved intercountry bilateral & people to people relationships of both nations, a 10-year Visa plan for Nigerians visiting South Africa for business and leisure is to be emplaced, auspicated by the South African Consulate, Nigeria.
This will add up to the ease of doing business between filmmakers from both countries; hitherto being efforts by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film & Video Foundation in securing the cooperation and assistance of Embassy Consular Services of both nations, to ease intercountry film production engagements by film stakeholders.
While efforts are to be made to extract film location production incentives from across the Federating States in Nigeria, there exists, among others a 35% tax rebate on film location production/projects in South-Africa.