Nollywood Igbo filmmakers on Thursday unveiled Igbo biggest art, culture and film festival in Enugu as a way to promote Igbo culture and bring the people of the region together.
Speaking at the event, the President, Igbo Movie Producers Association of Nigeria (IMPAN), Mr JohnPaul Nwanganga said festival was aimed at reawaken the consciousness of Ndigbo towards the beauty of their culture.
Igbo Art, culture and film festival, he said would re-establish and revive dwindling Igbo culture especially Igbo language by creating awareness in the minds of the Igbos
According to him, the festival will showcase movies, music and dance produced using Igbo language and lifestyle of the people of the region.
“So with this project are bringing the five states of the South-East together and made them to understand that in spite their diversity in their various culture, language and tradition, they are one.
“There is that tradition that binds Igbo people together which we are trying to bring alive through this wonderful project.
“We are going to have movies, production 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,” Nwanganga said.
The president added that the festival would be extended to Delta-Igbo and Igbo speaking region in Rivers State
According to him, IMPAN has a lot of personalities who are noted for their film production and acting like Pete Edochie, Patience Ozokwor, Ebelle Okaro, Nkem Owo, Yul Edochie, Chika Okpala alias Zeburudaya.
Others are Diewait Ikpechukwu, Stev Ebo, Stan Amado, Kingsley Nweke , Nkem ALU, Raymond Agu, Rita Okonkwo, Paulize Ibe, Brown Ene, Kingsley Amadi, Pat Ani among others that were present at unveiling, pledged their support for the festival.
Nwanganga said there would be awareness campaign across the states in the South-East starting from Enugu being the headquarters of the region.
He said, “We will be working with the governors from the region through their Culture and Tourism ministries and the festival will kick off early March, 2023”.
The movie producer added that the festival would be annual event that would be a unifying factor for all Igbo.
Unveiling the Project, Patience Ozokwor who is the Matron to the Organising Committee blessed the project, stressing that the festival would be one in town.
She said that coming together of Igbo film producers to organise festival that would unite all the Igbo speaking race was a welcome idea.
Ozokwor lauded Nwanganga for initialing the idea and urged everyone to support the project.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr Stanley Nwataetogo said the festival was going to be a massive project that glue Ndigbo together.
“This is going to be a kind of festival Igbo had not had and I want every Igbo sons and daughters to support it,” he said.