By Martha Agas
Jos – The Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) has earmarked N420,000 as prizes to be won by the best three entries at the forthcoming Biennial Zuma Festival essay competition.
Mr Brian Etuk, the Head of Public Affairs of NFC, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos, Plateau.
He said that the theme of the film competition which would hold in December is, “Film as an alternative to oil in Wealth Creation and Employment”.
Etuk said that those expected to participate in the competition must be Nigerians aged between 19 years and 24 years who are expected to develop and promote writing as a profession.
According to him, the best entry will receive a N250,000 prize, second place will get a N100,000 prize while the third place entry will go home with a N70,000 prize.
“This will be in addition to their rights of publishing the winning essays in journals as they deemed necessary.’’
Etuk added that the topic for the essay was chosen as part of efforts to reduce the nation’s over dependence on oil as a source of revenue.
“It is also to engage youths as agents to re-position the film sector so that it can continue to attract foreign and local partnerships,” he said.
Etuk said that the festival was designed to explore the economic and audio-visual potential of Africa’s largest motion industry while networking with its counterparts from other parts of the world.
He said it would also serve as a platform to facilitate co-production and financing opportunities; reward for cinematic excellence, promotion of audio-visual services and cultural products.
NAN reports that entries for the competition are to be submitted in either hard or soft copies, and addressed to the Managing Director (MD), NFC Jos through the e-mail address: essaycomp2017@nigerianfilms.gov.ng.
The NFC said that the annual film essay competition made its debut in 2005.
