The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has unveiled its jury members for the 12th edition of the showpiece event scheduled for November 5 to 11 in Lagos.
After receiving over 2,000 films from more than 100 countries across five continents during its call for submission, the jury has selected over 100 films.
It is now tasked with issuing their choice of finalists for the AFRIFF Globe Awards.
Head of PR & Media for AFRIFF 2023, Latasha Ngwube, in a statement, described the jury composition as ”a study in excellence in global filmmaking and expertise in the African film business”.
The jury includes Stephen ‘Dr.’ Love, producer of one of Netflix’s most viewed movies of the year, “They Cloned Tyrone”.
Emmy-nominated Nigerian-British writer-producer Abby Ajayi joins him; Nigerian film producer Greg Otudayo; Zimbabwean award-winning author and winner of the 2023 African Peace Prize, Tsitsi Dangarembga; and Lebanese-French actress and director Wafa’a Céline Halawi.
Others include Entertainment and technology expert and SVP of Scripted Development at Dentsu, Geneva Wasserman; the Japanese media juggernaut, Cuban-American film producer and Afro-Latino voices in film mentor, Ranada Shepard; and renowned Hollywood producer and Head of Inventions Studios, Nicholas Weinstock.
Also on the jury are multi-talented film acquisition expert and Head of content at MultiChoice, Busola Tejumola; Nollywood royalty and seasoned actress Kate Henshaw, and Nigerian actor and filmmaker Desmond Elliott.
The international jury will award 14 Globe Awards to the most outstanding artistry and maestro in visual storytelling.
AFRIFF, conceived by Ms. Chioma Ude, is a world-class showcase celebrating Cinema and filmmaking talent from Africa and the diaspora.
It consistently delivers a rich programme to foster invaluable exchanges of ideas, production connections, and business relationships.
It creates an energetic and exciting hub for entertainment industry professionals to make rewarding connections and has gradually gained a reputation for delivering Africa’s most vibrant film festival experience.
Its objectives are to develop the film industry to a level where the products compete favourably with their contemporaries all over the world; provide a growth opportunity for these film industry professionals to eventually export their products to the world; facilitate access to investors, equipment, technical and skill acquisition through Festival organised fora and several capacity development workshops.