That the African Film Festival in New York in April 2004 has decided to focus on the works of the celebrated African Filmmaker, Tunde Kelani with a special programme titled: "A Mid-Career Retrospective of Nigerian Filmmaker, Tunde Kelani" is no longer news. What is news is the filmmaker's and the industry's preparations to do Nigeria proud at the global event.

It was on the basis of this that major stakeholders in the film industry, particularly, the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) represented by its President, Femi Odugbemi and General Secretary, Francis Onwochei and the Audio-Visual Section represented by the Regional Audio-Visual Attache of the French Embassy to Nigeria, Pierre Barrot joined Kelani in briefing newsmen on preparations for the event in New York next year which is expected to feature past and present works of the cinematographer.

The French Embassy and ITPAN, both initiators of the ITPAN Film Fund, announced the commencement of the film funding initiative with a revolving loan facility in support of Kelani's plans to produce three new films in respect of the festival.

According to French Embassy's Pierre Barrot, "This is a landmark achievement for Nigerian, in fact, African films. The New York African Film Festival is a big festival in the class of the popular Cannes Film Festival in France and Venice in Italy and FESPACO in Ouagoudou, Burkina Faso. It is a project worth supporting by every Nigerian."

For him, the choice of Tunde Kelani for focus by the organisers of the festival next year is a welcome development for the growing film industry. "It is a demonstration of the fact that the Nigerian film industry is fast growing. Who knows, this may mark the beginning of the much touted Nollywood," he said.

On his part, Femi Odugbemi is meeting with the press for the first time after his administration successfully hosted the 3rd Lagos International Forum on Cinema, Video and Motion Picture in Africa in July, the African Film Festival in New York is easily the most celebrated festival of African films in the United States of America. According to him, "The program recognizes Tunde Kelani as the most 'highly regarded cinematographer on the African continent and references his efforts to sustain the Yoruba culture through motion picture production. It recognizes that Tunde Kelani has 'set a standard of filmmaking in terms of technical quality and cultural sensitivity.'"

In his words, this is undoubtedly a great honour not only for Tunde Kelani but for the ideal for which he stands. "I believe this accomplishment is a validation of TK's understanding of filmmaking as a powerful tool for social development and preservation of cultural identity. It is also a validation of what the last Lagos International Forum on Cinema, Video and Motion Picture in Africa hosted by ITPAN was all about - quality of content and a unique cultural perspective is what grows audiences and economic opportunity."

He explained that to empower the storyteller, "we society must pay urgent and serious attention to qualitative content. Content that delivers entertainment of recognizable value. Content that educates and informs. Content that inspires and motivates. Content that accurately documents our historical and cultural realities. And content that advances positive values to communities. Content that is an agent of change."

In the light of the above, he announced that ITPAN is poised to provide all necessary support to TK to ensure total success at the Festival. "As I said earlier, this honour devolves not only to TK but to all of us in Nigeria. Therefore we all have a responsibility to do everything humanly possible to assist.

"ITPAN on its part will contribute to the production of one of the new films that TK proposes to screen in New York. It will be the first project to be undertaken under a new ITPAN initiative called the ITPAN Film Fund," he said.

He added that ITPAN recognizes that finance remains one of the biggest problems retarding creative expression in our environment. "Inadequate finance is responsible for poor quality choices that a lot of professionals make in production. It is a mute argument that in a developing country like Nigeria, especially one in dire need of a more positive international profile, our government ought to create funding structures for cultural and creative projects," he said adding that "This is the case in many countries of the world, even in Africa. However, given the political climate and the lack of recognition of the economic potentials of the motion picture industry by our government at the moment, government support seems a long shot."

Continuing, he expressed that the private sector as well seems not particularly, culturally-friendly or ready to fully support our industry at the moment. "So practically speaking, producers will probably be left to fend for themselves for some time to come."

He explained that the ITPAN Film Fund seeks to pool funding from donors and willing partners as well as private funds from Producers itself to create a revolving loan scheme for producing projects. "In due course, we will announce formally the mechanics of the structure. Meanwhile, given the urgency of the support required for Tunde Kelani's presentation at the African Film Festival New York, we have sourced some funding with which we will partner TK in producing at least one new film for showing at the festival."

He announced that the cultural section of the Embassy of France in Nigeria represented by the Regional Audio Visual Attache are pioneer contributors to the ITPAN Film Fund. "We are immensely grateful for their support."

Welcoming newsmen to the event which held inside the Steve Rhodes Hall of ITPAN at its headquarters in Gbagada, Lagos, Kelani said that the New York African Film Festival, scheduled to hold from April 3 - 15, next year will showcase the latest and best films from Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the letter informing Kelani of the organisers intent for next year's edition of the popular festival, "the festival, Will feature your major works of the past and some new works currently in production."

Kelani who echoed Odugbemi's submission that the African Film Festival in New York is easily the most celebrated festival and a rallying point for the best African films in the U.S.A. added that "It has in times past focused on the works of great African filmmakers including Sembene Ousmane, Raoul Peck, Abderrahmane Sisssako and many others."

Recalling his past dealings with the festival, he said that "In 2001, our film Thunderbolt and another Nigerian film 'Out of Bounds' by Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) were selected to take part in a one-day program in Harlem entitled Video Awudjo and our celebrated actor Richard Mofe-Damijo and I took part in a panel discussion titled 'Distribution the Bane of African Cinema'" he recalled adding that "The new invitation therefore constitutes recognition of the success of Nigerian Video Film industry primarily by capturing its own market and its contribution to the growth and development of African cinema.

"While we are basking in the euphoria of our success and between the back-slapping and arrogant posturing, we must be ready to accept and face the challenges thrown at us. Our actors and actresses are now celebrities, jetting in and out of the country, rubbing shoulders with politicians, kings and queens which is certainly not bad considering the fact that a few years ago; they were generally believed to be dropouts. However, how do we continue to make good films? How do we rescue our industry sometimes polarised along market forces and lacking creativity from mediocrity?" he asked.

He added that the festival has specifically asked for some of his old films and is also looking forward to new works from him. Hence, he said, "I plan to present three new films already in various stages of pre-production, that will show the true potentials of Nigerian filmmaking to justify the recognition that the festival is according me."

The first of the flicks, The Campus Queen, which he conducted auditions for last weekend, (Saturday and Sunday to be precise) at the University of Lagos Auditorium, is mainly a musical. It is a youthful university campus story, lots of music and entertainment but looks at the social and political activities of leaders of tomorrow. The Campus Queen story and screenplay is by Prof. Akinwumi Isola, a great Nigerian scholar. The most interesting thing about The Campus Queen is that the filmmaker is fully involving the Department of Creative Arts in the production process of the film. According to Kelani, "This is to give the students of the Department, most of whom will be coming into the industry upon graduation, practical knowledge in filmmaking." Already, The Campus Queen soundtrack prepared by the rave music act, Sound Sultan is ready and was used during the auditioning at the University of Lagos.

The second film, Aja To Nlepa Ekun, (Leopard on a Dog's Trail) is an adaptation of Kola Akinlade's Yoruba detective novel of the same title. Femi Kayode's screenplay is written across Nigerian/Benin Border and looks at Nigeria's relationship with her francophone brothers.

The third film project with which Kelani hopes to storm New York in April is titled Ire Olokun. Ire Olokun is a film adaptation of late Hubert Ogunde's original story already popular on stage. Working in association with Hubert Ogunde Production, Kelani plan to celebrate and pay a befitting tribute to the doyen of the Nigerian travelling theatre at the festival when the film shall screen to worldwide audiences on April 4, 2004, which co-incidentally, is Ogunde's anniversary.

"From the foregoing, it is clear that this project is a Nigerian one. I plan to involve experienced Nigerian film technicians, production houses, university students and creative talents, musicians, dancers, choreographers, designers, actors, actresses both formally trained and traditional theatre practitioners.

"The build-up towards the festival and the after effects will provide great potentials for local and international media reach and leverage. I am therefore appealing to investors, sponsors, advertisers to support the project financially to contribute to the success of the festival. I must acknowledge the encouraging response from Africa Independent Television (AIT) for technical and marketing support and I hereby call on other organisation to join hands with us in our bid to take our film video industry to the next level."

While acknowledging that he has written many proposals and awaiting favourable response, he expressed that "I am proud to be the first recipient of 'The ITPAN Film Fund' supported by the French Embassy in Lagos. I must commend the foresight of the executive and members of ITPAN for an attempt to tackle the greatest problem confronting the filmmaker in our society today. Mr. Femi Odugbemi, the ITPAN president will throw more light on the initiative which I believe is a foundation for the solid development of out industry."