The Invocation and Eternal close the 2nd Eko International Film Festival

The international award winning film Eternal closed the second Eko
International Film Festival in Lagos on Thursday July 14, 2011.

Thursday July 14, 2011.

The Invocation and Eternal close
the 2nd Eko International Film Festival

Emmanuel Itier’s dialectical
spiritual documentaryThe Invocation and Chike Ibekwe’s melodramatic
metaphysical drama Eternal closed the second edition of the
annual Eko International Film Festival(EKOIFF)
Thursday morning at the Silverbird Cinemas of the Silverbird Galleria on
Victoria Island, Lagos.

International award winning
documentaries, features and short films from Nigeria, Europe and the U.S. were
screened from the opening last Saturday July 9 to the closing day on Thursday
July 14. The free event attracted leading stakeholders in Nollywood, including
top filmmakers, journalists, film critics and the public who had to come to the
venue even in the downpour and flood of a very wet season in the coastal mega
city of Nigeria, the hub of Africa’s first film industry rated as the second
largest in the world by UNESCO.

The President of Eko International
Film Festival, Mr. Hope Obioma Opara thanked the Silverbird Group for providing
a very conducive venue at the Silverbird Galleria and promoting the event on
Silverbird TV, Rhythm FM 93.7 and supporting his company Supple Communications
Limited to organize a successful film festival. He also appreciated the morale
support of the Nigerian press for the highly commendable news coverage of the
event and promises that the third edition next year will be better with the
cooperation and support of more participants and sponsors.

“Hopefully, we are going to have
corporate sponsors for the third edition in 2012. In fact the preparation for
the next one has already begun,” said Mr. Opara. He reemphasized that the mission
of Eko International Film Festival is to promote the best interests of
Nollywood and use the film festival to make Lagos State a major tourist
destination in the world as the famous Cannes Film Festival is doing for
France.

The Founder/Festival Director
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima appreciated the outstanding quality of the
submitted films from both local and international filmmakers; notably Faruk
Lasaki’s romantic thrillerChanging Faces, Iara Lee’s socio-political
documentary Cultures of Resistance, Emmanuel Itier’s intellectual and
spiritual documentary The Invocation, Chike Ibekwe’s metaphysical
drama Eternal,Joseph Ugochukwu Ubaka’s engaging urban crime
thriller Lilies of the Ghetto and Kayode Ibisankale’s well researched
documentary on the Yoruba’s Talking Drum Dundun.

“The enthusiasm of filmmakers to
participate in Eko International Film Festival is our greatest encouragement,
because what makes a successful film festival is the quality of the films. But,
with corporate sponsors we would be able to screen more international award
winning films next year and host the filmmakers,” said Michael Chima.