Telling unique stories with film, music, dance as WIFTI holds summit

February 25, 2022 Village Reporter

Ahead of the maiden bi-annual summit by Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), a global network dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, video and other screen-based media, the Swedish government and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ọjájá II), have expressed support for the empowerment of women in the entertainment industry. The summit, themed; ‘Telling Unique Stories with Film, Music and Dance,’ is organised with Ascend Studios Foundation (ASF), as implementing partner for the WIFTI, and is billed to hold later this year in Nigeria.

They stated this when representatives of WIFTI from Europe visited the palace. Speaking during the visit, the Swedish envoy in Nigeria, Mr. Carl Michael, said that they are planning for a big summit this year to empower women in film and television industry, adding that it is; “one of the priorities that we have as Swedish embassy in Nigeria. It’s really about general policy trying to boost women and girls to do the same things as men always do.

“In Nigeria, you really have a huge film industry which is very well known in Europe and Sweden, at least Nollywood is the arts and artistic filmmaking. This is a great opportunity to get back after the pandemic, to recover economically and make Nigeria artistic progress in time. “Economically, countries struggled with the pandemic and lots of women lost their businesses. This is a great opportunity for those in Nollywood to solve some logistics concerns while they journey through the path of recovery from the pandemic economically.” Also speaking, the President of WIFTI, Helene Granqvist, said that the partnership with ASF as a local chapter forum for women in film and television in Nigeria; “is to be part of a strong global voice.

“We have three important pillars; connection to connect all members worldwide; knowledge to share and to build knowledge, create knowledge and make visibility on screen behind the camera.” She explained further that: “The start for women in film and television in Nigeria and with Africa as a big symbolic importance on global level, our support will be there all the time to encourage capacity building, encourage visibility and encourage empowerment of the women in Nigeria film industry.

“We work with global sisterhood, and the thing is, what help do you need to achieve a career, you need space, you believe people that are leading you, you need those that are cleaning the floor for you and you need trust.” While the Ooni of Ife, expressed delight and excitement after the representatives of WIFTI, in company of the tour guides with the interpreters, had visited some of the historical sites. The Ooni’s palace was agog with cultural dance, display of the talking drums, even as artworks were presented to all the members of WIFTI.

“Representative of another sovereign nation in the European structure all the way from Sweden, thank you very much for your support and thank you for coming all the way to the Kingdom of Ife, the cradle of civilisation, where we uphold our heritage and our culture of several thousands of years,” the Ooni said.