October 22, (THEWILL) – Ahead of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) International Festival scheduled for Maimi, Florida from November 16 to 18, 2023, prominent Nollywood actors have graced the public presentation of the guild’s online magazine, ‘On-Screen’. The event, which held last weekend in Lagos, had the likes of Osita Iheme and Chinedu Ikedieze, Victor Oswagwu, Kate Henshaw, Segun Arinze and Charles Inojie in attendance. Others include comedian-turned-actor, Bovi Ugbomma, Jenefer Eliogu, Ronnie Dikko, Maleke Idowu, Pascaline Alex and Funky Mallam. The actors’ cocktail night and unveiling of the ‘On-Screen Magazine’ is a build-up to the guild’s International Festival. Nollywood actress, Nancy Isime and Joseph Benjamin are hosts of the International Festival.
Speaking on the International Festival, AGN president, Emeka Rollas, said the magazine would educate the public on the roles actors play in the industry.
“On-screen magazine is for actors; we have just unveiled the cover page and we intend to reveal the leading magazine in Miami. It will be an online publication, which will be published quarterly.
“It will be capturing the activities of actors in Nigeria. We are trying to create visual awareness for actors. We know that in recent times, many actors have worked so well, but they have nothing to show for it because we have not been able to work on branding and rebranding our craft nationally and internationally. I don’t want the Nollywood industry to look like that of football in Nigeria,” Rollas said.
He also said the festival was organised to promote Nigerian actors and expose them to international casting agencies. He said that through this, actors would gain access to well-remunerated jobs with international actors, film directors and producers. He noted that the festival would engage casting directors and members of the Script Actors Guild of America in different workshops, and Artificial intelligence (AI) would also be touched on.
“The only way the industry will improve the welfare of its members, in terms of reasonable remuneration is when they are involved in productions with massive budgets.
“So, we are advocating that we must go and sell ourselves out there. This will create cross-cultural relationships between Nigerian actors and foreign ones. We will continue the festival next year until we can strengthen our body; we need to see actors engage in bigger projects outside here.”
The festival will be held at DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport and Convention Center, 711 N.W 72nd Avenue, Miami Florida, United State.
The theme of the three-day festival is ‘The Future of Nollywood Actors in the Global Economy.’
Some of the highlights of the event are red carpet gala and awards, film screenings, panel discussions, city tours, workshops and seminars, where actors, filmmakers and other creative professionals can network and learn from each other, as well as meet and engage with their fans and supporters in the Diaspora. The festival is expected to assemble some of the brightest stars in the Nigerian movie industry, including the official hosts and a lineup of over 70 Nollywood stars.
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