The President of the Igbo Movie Producers Association of Nigeria (IMPAN), JohnPaul Nwanganga, said that the Igbo Art, Culture and Film Festival would promote the beauty of The organisers say the festival aims to reawaken the consciousness of Ndigbo toward the beauty of their culture, Igbo culture.
Mr Nwanganga said this at the unveiling of the Igbo Biggest Art, Culture and Film Festival in Enugu.
He said the festival was also a way to promote Igbo culture and bring the region’s people together.
According to him, the festival aims to reawaken the consciousness of Ndigbo toward the beauty of their culture.
The IMPAN President said the festival would re-establish and revive dwindling Igbo culture, especially the Igbo language, by creating awareness in their minds.
He said the festival would showcase movies, music and dance produced using the language and lifestyle of the region’s people.
“So with this project, we are bringing the five states of the South-east together and making them understand that despite the diversity in their various cultures, languages and traditions, they are one.
“There is that tradition that binds Igbo people together, which we are trying to bring alive through this beautiful project.
“We are going to have movies produced in Igbo dialect, Igbo music like “Igbo Amaka” by Flavour and stuff like that, which will go a long way to promote Igbo identity and heritage.
“Igbo Art Exhibition will be used to showcase creativity by Ndigbo,” he said.
Mr Nwanganga said the festival would be extended to Delta-Igbo and Igbo-speaking people in Rivers State.
Patrons
He said that IMPAN had many personalities renowned for their filmmaking abilities and acting.
They include Pete Edochie, Patience Ozokwor, Ebelle Okaro, Nkem Owoh, Yul Edochie, and Chika Okpala alias Zebrudaya.
Others were Diewait Ikpechukwu, Steve Ebo, Stan Amado, Kingsley Nweke, Nkem ALU, Raymond Agu, Rita Okonkwo, Paul Ibe, Brown Ene, Kingsley Amadi and Pat Ani, among others present at the unveiling.
They also pledged their support for the festival.
Mr Nwanganga said there would be an awareness campaign across the states in the South-east, starting from Enugu being the region’s headquarters.
He said, “We will be working with the regional governors through their Culture and Tourism Ministries, and the festival will kick off in early March 2023.”
Mr Nwanganga added that the festival would be held annually and serve as a unifying factor for all Igbo.
Unveiling the project, Patience Ozokwor, who was Matron to the Organising Committee, blessed the project, saying that the festival would be one in town.
She said that coming together of Igbo film producers to organise a festival that would unite all the Igbo-speaking races was a welcome idea.
Ms Ozokwor lauded Nwanganga for initiating the idea and urged everyone to support the project.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Stanley Nwataetogo, said the festival would be a massive project that glued Ndigbo together.
“This is going to be a kind of festival Igbos have not had, and I want every Igbo son and daughter to support it,” he said.