The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has announced the jury members for its 12th edition, scheduled for November 5 to 11, 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria.
After receiving over 2,000 films from more than 100 countries across five continents during its call for submission, the festival has selected over 100 films, and has now tasked the jury with issuing their choice of finalists for AFRIFF Globe Awards.
The jury composition, a study in excellence in global filmmaking and expertise in the African film business is headlined by Stephen Dr Love, producer of one of Netflix most-viewed movies of the year, ‘They Cloned Tyrone’, with Nigerian-British actor, John Boyega, in the lead, as well as veteran US actor Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) and Julliard-graduate, and Teyonah Parish (Chi-Raq, Candyman).
Stephen ‘Dr.’ Love is joined by Emmy-nominated Nigerian-British writer-producer Abby Ajayi (How to get Away with Murder, Inventing Anna); Nigerian film producer Greg Otudayo; Zimbabwean award-winning author and winner of 2023 African Peace Prize, Tsitsi Dangaremgba; and Lebanese-French actress and director Wafa’a Céline Halawi.
Others include Geneva Wasserman, Entertainment and technology expert and SVP of Scripted Development at Dentsu, the Japanese media juggernaut, Cuban-American film producer and Afro-Latino voices in film mentor, Ranada Shepard; renowned Hollywood producer and Head of Inventions Studios, Nicholas Weinstock; multi-talented film acquisition expert and Head of content at MultiChoice, Busola Tejumola; Nollywood5 royalty and seasoned actress Kate Henshaw, and Nigerian lawmaker and filmmaker, Desmond Elliott.
Organisers say this edition will be significant after the 2022 edition, where Disney’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Amazon’s Nanny, Sundance Grand Jury Prize, opened the festival. Paramount, Amazon, Disney, Netflix, Showmax, Mediawan, DStv, Dentsu, the African Union, Canal Plus, Afreximbank and a host of global industry stakeholders attended to offer further opportunities to sustain the growth of the African creative industry.
The international jury will award 14 Globe Awards to the most outstanding artistry and maestro in visual storytelling.
ABOUT AFRICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AFRIFF)
The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), conceived by Ms. Chioma Ude, is a world-class showcase that celebrates Cinema and filmmaking talent from Africa and the diaspora. It consistently delivers a rich program 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 film6 festival experience. Its objectives are to develop the film industry to a level where the products compete favorably 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 organized fora and several capacity development workshops. www.afriff.com
