Nigeria film corporation introduces masters degree in film culture

Nigeria’s National Film Corporation has introduced a Masters of Art programme in Film Culture and Archival Studies.

The corporation said the programme began in October 2019.

The programme was introduced to meet trajectory necessities of providing in-depth knowledge and skills for the management of creative works and audio visuals, NFC’s Managing Director, Chidia Madueke, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Jos.

Mr Maduekwe said the training module would be a combination of classroom lectures, tutorials, workshops, personal field studies, and exchange programs for both staff and students.

With the objective of bringing a paradigm shift to Nigeria’s cinematography, the programmes, he said, would turn Nigeria from a non-record keeping nation to a country where historic, culture and vintage films were recorded and archived appropriately.

“The key objective of the introduction of the Masters program, which amongst others, is designed to meet the trajectory necessities of providing in-depth knowledge and skills for the management of creative works and audio visuals.

“The training module is a combination of classroom lectures, tutorials, workshops and others that would boost the attainment of specialised knowledge and skills in restoration, digitisation, preservation, codification and classification,” he said.

Mr Maduekwe added that in the build-up of the commencement of the program, key film equipment, research materials and books were sourced.

He said the corporation, through the support of the German government, acquired a film scanner, one of the few in the country, which he said, would serve as a critical input for the successful implementation of the program.

The NFC boss disclosed that 25 Nigerians out of several applicants, were admitted into the program, and scholarships and exchange programs had been secured for them.

“For the transfer of knowledge and teaching, staff drawn from the corporation and the University of Jos have undergone train the trainer program in Germany.

“Four have returned and five will leave on Feb. 24. More will still go; this will strengthen the program as when they come back, they will train others in archive keeping,” he said.

Expressing gratitude to the German government and other partners for investing 400 million Euros for funding the Masters programs taking place in Germany, he said he was optimistic the investment in scholarship would better the education system and change the outlook of Nigeria’s cinematography.

Meanwhile, he urged beneficiaries to use the opportunity judiciously for enhanced archival knowledge of the country.

Enhancing film literacy

Recently, the corporation, in a bid to enhance ‘film literacy,’ signed a ‘cooperation agreement with France’s Centre National du Cinema (CNC) and the Moving Image for film production.

The parties agreed that film studies will provide effective means of promoting cultural diversity in a sustained manner, with CNC contributing its expertise in the training of teachers and the planning of educational solutions in conjunction with NFC officials.