Consul General at the US Consulate in Lagos Will Stevens has commended Nollywood’s “originality,” highlighting its unique role in the global film industry.
Stevens shared his thoughts while addressing audience at the KAP Film and Television Academy workshop in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday.
The workshop, a collaboration between Kunle Afolayan’s KAP Academy and the United States Embassy drew notable figures from the entertainment and arts community.
Among those in attendance were veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani, KAP Academy director Seun Soyinka, visual artist and cinematographer Erin Wesley, and award-winning American director Angel Williams.
Stevens served as the special guest.
The program kicked off with the third edition of the academy’s Reel Circle.
Before his address Mr Stevens toured the academy, exploring the KAP Hub including its classrooms and the Afefeye restaurant.
Addressing the audience, he praised Nollywood’s authentic storytelling.
“To me the power of Nollywood is that it is real. It is telling real stories. I was sitting in Cape Town in South Africa where I worked closely with film industry, I had my American producers coming, sitting in the sound stage and recording shows that had nothing to do with Africa.
“I would watch Nollywood movie and say, ‘that’s real, that’s a story that is changing the world and changing people’s perspectives about the film industry’
He continued, “As an American diplomat, I feel deeply the power of our culture and how the United States has benefitted for many decades, from the power of culture and that has helped how people perceive the United States for better and for worse but it also led to increased interest in visiting and doing business in the United States.
“Kunle and some of his colleagues are churning out content that is being watched across the globe in partnership with the United States via platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and they are investing because they know people want to hear these stories.
“I believe that we are at the very beginning of what I call the second half of the 21st which is the African century. By 2050, Nigeria will be the third-largest country in the world and second largest democracy city in the world and Africa will have over a billion people.
“We have to get ready and you are doing that by shaping how people perceive your culture, country and content and I am just really glad that as the US mission, we can really support that and we can create this partnership with the American storytellers and film industry to tap into the next generation of people that are going to be here.”
He added that initiatives like the KAP workshop are vital in preparing the next generation to shape global perceptions of African culture.
The event marked the third edition of the academy’s Reel Circle, an initiative aimed at empowering young Nigerian filmmakers through a four-day workshop focused on directing and cinematography.
Kunle Afolayan, speaking at the ceremony, noted that the collaboration with the US Embassy was initiated during his recent visit to the United States.
