Igbo Film Producers Association of Nigeria (IMPAN) chairman JohnPaul Nwanganga said on Thursday that the Igbo Film, Culture and Art Festival would promote the beauty of. Organizers say the festival aims to raise awareness of Ndigbo towards the beauty of their culture, igbo culture.
Mr. Nwanganga said this at the opening of the largest Igbo Arts, Culture and Film Festival in Enugu.
He said the festival was also a way to promote Igbo culture and bring the people of the region together.
According to him, the festival aims to raise Ndigbo’s awareness towards the beauty of their culture.
The president of IMPAN said that the festival would restore and revive the waning Igbo culture, especially the Igbo language, by raising awareness in their minds.
He said the festival will showcase movies, music and dance produced using the language and lifestyle of the people of the region.
“So, with this project, we are bringing together the five states of the southeast and making them understand that despite the diversity in their various cultures, languages and traditions, they are one.
“There is this tradition that unites the Igbo, which we are trying to revive through this beautiful project.
“We are going to have movies produced in Igbo dialect, Igbo music like Flavor’s “Igbo Amaka” and things like that, which will go a long way in promoting Igbo identity and heritage.
Attendees at the opening of the largest Igbo arts, culture and film festival in Enugu
“The Igbo Art Exhibition will be used to showcase Ndigbo creativity,” he said.
Nwanganga said the festival would be extended to Delta-Igbo and Igbo-speaking people in Rivers State.
Patron
He said that IMPAN had many personalities recognized for their acting and film skills.
They include Pete Edochie, Patience Ozokwor, Ebelle Okaro, Nkem Owoh, Yul Edochie, and Chika Okpala aka Zebrdaya.
Others included Diewait Ikpechukwu, Steve Ebo, Stan Amado, Kingsley Nweke, Nkem ALU, Raymond Agu, Rita Okonkwo, Paul Ibe, Brown Ene, Kingsley Amadi and Pat Ani, among others present at the opening.
They also pledged their support for the festival.
Mr. Nwanganga said there would be an awareness campaign in the southeastern states, starting with Enugu as the regional headquarters.
He said: “We will work with the regional governors through their Ministries of Culture and Tourism, and the festival will start in early March 2023.”
Mr Nwanganga added that the festival would be held annually and would serve as a unifying factor for all Igbo.
Introducing the project, Patience Ozokwor, who was the director of the organizing committee, blessed the project and said that the festival would be one in the city.
He said that bringing Igbo film producers together to organize a festival that would unite all Igbo-speaking races was a good idea.
Ms. Ozokwor praised Nwanganga for initiating the idea and urged everyone to support the project.
Earlier, Organizing Committee Chairman Stanley Nwataetogo said the festival would be a massive project bringing Ndigbo together.
“This is going to be a kind of festival that the Igbo have not had, and I want all Igbo sons and daughters to support it,” he said.
(YAYA)
