By PRISCILLA OSAJE

The maiden edition of the Youth Educational Film Festival (YEFF), a film fiesta to showcase films for value re-orientation and empowerment of youths, will hold in Abuja in July.

Emeka Rollas, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), disclosed this at a pre-event news conference and audition for the show at the Abuja Film Village on Sunday in Abuja.

He said the audition tagged “Born Talent Audition” will help discover budding talents who will feature in some of the films for premiere at the YEFF.

He said the show billed for July 27 and July 28 is organised by the AGN in collaboration with the Abuja Film Village (AFV) and the group “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative”.

The group is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which seeks to facilitate the education of children, out-of-school youths and adults.

“In a bid to contribute our quota towards nation-building, we are having this collaboration to provide media and film-based literacy awareness content to sensitise, educate and empower our youths.

“We hope to create a platform for the teeming youths of Nigeria in the entertainment industry through the Born Talent Audition for the Educational Films, YEFF and the Talent to Enterprise initiatives.

“We strongly believe that this initiative is a viable journey into the transformation that will help reduce some vices in our society.

“We are calling on Nigerians with special interest in youth education to support us in making films with educational plots which can influence our youths positively,” Rollas said.

The AGN President also explained that films that would be produced from the project would focus on addressing disturbing national issues.

These are issues such as illegal migration, drug abuse, domestic violence, child and sexual abuse, among others.

He therefore called on government at all levels to support the initiative and ensure that their youths participate in it.

Dr Francisca Ibezim, Managing Director/CEO of AFV, said the film village was a Public Private Partnership initiative of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

“It is with the vision of making Nigeria a centre for film and entertainment excellence.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion had in attendance Mrs Noni Okocha, Chief Executive Officer of “I am the Future of Nigeria Youth Initiative”.

There were also several seasoned Nollywood filmmakers and actors. (NAN)

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