A Filmmaker and Director, David Royal Ogbonna has urged the Federal Government at all levels to create a film commission for the industry to strive and contribute more to the country’s GDP.
David Royal who graduated from the prestigious Federal University of Calabar, UNICAL in 2017 with 4.3 Grade Point Average [GPA] in the Department of Theatre & Media Studies made the appeal in an Interview with Vanguard on Wednesday.
According to David Royal, all the states in the USA, have a film commission, which makes production convenient for filmmakers in such climes.
“It is only Lagos that has a film commission. The absence in other states makes it a bit difficult to expand film production across the country.
“So, it is pertinent for government at all levels to create a stable and enabling environment for film production to thrive,” he said.
David further said the enabling environment could also be in the provision of loans at a low-interest rate to encourage more investment in the sector.
He said that Nigeria’s film industry had been projected to be worth $6.4 billion, producing about 2,500 films on a yearly basis.
David listed budget, quality, Africanis and the environment where the film was produced, as some of the determinants of a good movie.
According to him, many streaming platforms are coming to Africa because they have seen the potential in Africa, but budget remains a big determinant for the success of any production.
He harped on the need for filmmakers to add African culture to their production.
David Royal said standards must be met for any film to travel far and wide and should not be compromised.
“The story around Ibeji (Twins) can be made to have elements, for example, God creates twins, Africans kill them, sort of contradiction.
“Such stories will fly far, or look at the story of Sango, the god of thunder, they will fly highest.
“Our focus should be to concentrate on our struggles and how we are overcoming them,” he said.
He said the quality of work from Africa should be able to match any other from other parts of the world, adding that this was the best time to be creative because people are looking for films from this part of the world.
David has written and produced a couple of short films over the years and hopes that one day, his art will be international.
His short films include; A Murderer’s Confession, Within 168 hours, Searching In My Ruins, Behind Every Pain, Nobody Knows, She’s Never Lost Faith In Me, and Dominant. All can be found on his YouTube Channel, [Spine Image Media, SIM TV]