By DESMOND EJIBAS

Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Ltd. (NLNG) has opened entries for the 2027 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, offering 20,000 dollars (N28.5 million) award to young Nigerian filmmakers.

The competition, themed “Nigeria Unseen”, invites documentary films highlighting lesser-known stories and overlooked perspectives of Nigerian life.

The NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs Sophia Horsfall, announced the competition in a statement by Mrs Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, the company’s Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs on Monday in Port Harcourt.

Horsfall said the competition was part of NLNG’s efforts to recognise Nigerian creative talent and promote filmmaking that broadens understanding of the country.

She expressed confidence that the initiative would encourage filmmakers to produce well-researched documentaries that brought overlooked stories to wider audiences.

“With ‘Nigeria Unseen’, we are encouraging filmmakers to pursue stories that deserve closer attention and tell them with care,” she said.

Horsfall revealed that the competition was open to Nigerian filmmakers aged 18 to 35, irrespective of their country of residence.

She said the company had appointed a three-member Advisory Board to guide the competition and uphold its standards.

The NLNG general manager said the board would be chaired by award-winning filmmaker and producer, Mr Femi Odugbemi, with journalist and broadcaster Kadaria Ahmed and documentary filmmaker Joel Benson as members.

According to her, the submission portal will open on Feb. 1, 2027, while entries will close at 11; 59 p.m., on April 30, 2027.

“Eligible films must have been produced between January 2026 and April 2027 and must not exceed 20 minutes,” she said.

Horsfall said interested filmmakers were required to submit their entries through www.filmfreeway.com, while the full eligibility criteria, film specifications and submission requirements were available at www.thenigeriaprizes.org.

Also speaking, Odugbemi said the competition’s theme offered filmmakers opportunities to explore familiar subjects from fresh perspectives and examine stories that had received little attention.

He urged entrants to conduct thorough research, build trust with their subjects and portray their experiences with accuracy and sensitivity.

Odugbemi assured that the board would promote originality, artistic quality and compelling storytelling while ensuring a transparent and independent adjudication process.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria prize for creative arts recognises Nigerian filmmaking talent and the role of documentary films in preserving the country’s stories.

The prize is part of NLNG’s broader recognition programmes, alongside The Nigeria Prize for Literature and the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation. (NAN)