DEL YORK ENDS TRAINING

The second Del York/New York Film Academy training programme for aspiring filmmakers closed with a colourful gala night on Saturday, September 10 at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

250 students participated in the one-month intensive programme on filmmaking and media production which started on August 15. Facilitators from the New York Film Academy with which Del York has a five- year relationship, took various courses during the hands-on training.

Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia; former chair, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chibuzo Ugwoha; member, Federal House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele and United States Senator Kent Williams from South Carolina were among the guests at the ceremony. Actresses Stephanie Okereke, Genevieve Nnaji, Monalisa Chinda and movie producer Emem Isong also attended the event anchored by Eku Edewor of M-Net Africa and Sulaiman Aledeh of Channels Television.

Formidable ambassadors

One of the three co-chairs of the night, Ajumogobia, kick-started proceedings after the opening formalities had been observed. He commended the 26 trainers from the New York Film Academy in New York and Los Angeles, calling them "formidable ambassadors." According to him, "Your being here is a huge statement that Nigeria is a place to do business."

The lawyer also touched on Nollywood, noting that, "We have a remarkable industry that is growing. Our films are watched all over the world but we can do much more in terms of the quality. The entire world is out there waiting for films from Nigeria that will break records across the world."

Co-chair Tonye Prince will said the initiative was akin to killing two birds with one stone as it encourages youth interested in the creative industry and addresses the issue of unemployment in the country. The chief executive officer of Riverdrill Group also disclosed why he supports the training. "For me, it is a passion. I sponsored a couple of students but I am worried about what happens to them afterwards. I am keen to see that beyond training, they can actually get engaged in meaningful endeavours."

The highpoint of the event was the screening of the top-ten films made by the students. Among the films were commercials commissioned by Arik Air, Ibis and Pepsi.

Spending too much on consultancy

Oshiomhole, who spoke after the screening, disclosed his initial reservation when the Edo State Government was requested to sponsor some students. "In this country we spend so much money on consultancy, all kinds of training programmes. Everybody is a trainer and I have seen people with bad voice like me training musicians," he said to laughter from the audience.

"So my first reaction," he continued, "was that I wasn't sure this was something we could use our tax payers money to support." However, having seen the student's work, he was convinced that any investment his government had made in the training programme was "well considered". Oshiomhole also commended Linus Idahosa, founder of Del York, adding that he "doesn't need to spend much on phone cards" to get his government to invest in future training programmes.

Ten students were later presented with awards. Tonye Faloughi was recognised for filmmaking; Success Ojo for screenwriting; Toyin Fajusigbe for broadcast journalism and Rone Oristejolomi for producing. Nnadi Martin got a prize for editing, Yugbovwre Eguvwe for 3D animation while Tamara Eteimo emerged best student in acting. Tonye Faloughi was honoured for coming up with the best final project; Yomi Otaigbe got the Prince Tonye Princewill Award for Future Voice of Nigeria while the CEO Award for Commitment went to Flora Bassey.

Tributes to veteran actor Sam Loco Efe, who died in August, were also taken during the ceremony. Candles were lit in his honour as some of his colleagues from Nollywood came on stage to relive shared times with the fallen star. A video montage created by the students based on clips from some of the late actor's movies was also shown.

Creative and passionate

Amaka Okpechukwu, who trained in acting, disclosed what she benefitted from the programme after the ceremony. "I learnt that as part of acting, you have to train your voice. I now know what to do when a scene calls for tears. But the most wonderful experience I had is how to get auditions, prepare for them and what to do before you go on one." She also praised her teachers on the way they encouraged the students and provided constructive criticism.

Derek Griesbach, a teaching assistant in editing, also expressed admiration for the students. "I had never met students who are more creative, passionate or driven," he said. "It was unbelievable to see the speed at which they work and it is clear that when given the opportunity, Nigerian students dedicate themselves a hundred percent."

Director of media and communications at Del York, Chinaka Iwunze, spoke about the cost of tuition and boarding. She disclosed that each student paid $5000, which is approximately N780,000. "It is one of the least expensive around the world compared to other places where the New York Film School hold one month programmes," Iwunze said. "We understand that many Nigerians cannot afford the cost and that is why we brought in sponsors to provide scholarships for the students. 98 percent of our students were sponsored by organisations like the Edo State Government, the NDDC, NAFDAC, Riverdrill Group and even well-meaning individuals. The students just needed to register, pay N3,000 application fees and then apply for scholarship."

Iwunze however disclosed that there were certain criteria for receiving the scholarships. "For the NDDC scholarship, you had to be from the Niger Delta. That is why we want to encourage more organisations and government bodies to sponsor these programmes so that people from the North can come in knowing that scholarships are available for them."