About 172 countries across the globe have submitted 2230 films for Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) slated to hold between 24th and 27th October, 2024 in Port Harcourt.
The Festival Director of Rivers International Film Festival, RIFF, Mrs Kate Ezeigbo, told journalists in Port Harcourt that United States of America and India top list of countries that submitted films for the festival.
Mrs Ezeigbo said the festival, which was birthed in October 2023, is the first indigenous film festival held in Rivers.
Mrs Ezeigbo said in the maiden edition, 582 entries from 82 countries while this year, 2230 films were recieved from 172 countries.
She said RIFF, which is an annual event, is a humanity based film festival with the vision to educate and empower the next generation of film makers.
She said the milestone achieved in the event explains the possible socio-cultural relationship that can exist between Rivers, by extension Nigeria and all the countries that submitted films for the event.
“In the maiden edition, five hundred and eighty two, (582) films were submitted from eighty-two (82) countries. This year , two thousand two hundred and thirty films (2230) were submitted from one hundred and seventy-two countries, (172) having United States of America and India with the highest submissions respectively.
“This milestone achieved explains the possible socio-cultural relationship that can exist between Rivers State by extension Nigeria and all these countries. It was so difficult to select movies to contest in the forth coming festival taking place in October in Port Harcourt because they were too many beautiful and competitive movies.
“The requirements for this year’s film submission were cultural analysis addressing any gender inequality, sexuality, power dynamics, security and racism. Issues on social justice at the national or regional level, stories addressing indigenous and cultural or racial groups that are usually marginalized, disabled and a wide variety of other cultures and communities who make up the diversity of human life. Stories that tell the realms of technology, psychology, medicine and spirituality as it intersects with human believes and practices.”
