Come October 31, 2012, the people of the Eastern part of Nigeria, would showcase their culture in a film festival, solely in Igbo language.
The Igbo Premier Film Festival will last for five days and would be held at Dubar International Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking with enthusiasm about the festival, Igwe Peter Ifeanyi, an accomplished Director who is fervently preparing a play, “Maka Nwanyi,” for the festival in Port Harcourt, said “Ibo Film Forum is all about the gathering of Ibos and some other people from other tribes who are so passionate about Ibo language, culture and tradition. We are people who have the same goal, working mutually to achieve what we want and we say it is good to bring Ibo language back”.
He said nowadays, many resort to the English language instead of having a mastery of their mother tongue. Infact, he stated that many even speak Hausa and Yoruba fluently but could not be eloquent in their native Ibo language.
“So we are the group that said we should come back home and go back to the drawing board and begin to inculcate the culture of speaking the language in our children, youths and parents”, Ifeanyi stated.
He went on to say, “Ibo film forum is a national organization registered and incorporated in chambers of Commerce and Industry and Corporate Affairs Commission and a legal association whose founder is Mr. Harris Chuma, Lagos based member of ANCORPS and a Nollywood producer.
He said the festival would feature several presentations from Ibos all over Nigeria and that many groups are registering.
“Not all can speak Ibo, but anybody who is passionate about culture and tradition is free to get involved. The elderly man you saw there is not an Ibo, he is from Okrika, but because he is so passionate about what we are doing, he joined us. Through his involvement in Ibo Film Forum, he can speak Ibo language fluently. We are mixed. We have the Hausas, Yorubas and other tribes.
“We are inviting other people to join us as it is not a tribal thing,” he enthused as he was asked about the composition of his group.
Advising the youths, he said, “the advice I have for the youths is, search for your talent on time. Know what to do and when you know it develop it, go into it, for the Bible says, “A man’s gift maketh a way for him”.
The festival which is popularly known as Igbonolly Cultural week is expected to attract dozens of national and international reporters and delegates from all the states of the federation including embassies.
Also expected are Senator Chris Ngige, Senator, Mrs. Okadigbo, scholars, top politicians, traditional rulers and other prominent sons and daughters of Ndigbo form all walks of life.
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