By Prisca Sam-Duru & Vera Anyagafu
Nollywood is set to get a massive tech and glamour boost following the recent visit of a delegation of German film industry heavyweights, who came to explore a collaboration that could turn the global spotlight fully on both film sectors.
The outreach, which began with a visit to the African Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos, saw German movie companies making their first major move into the Nigerian market. The goal is simple but huge: to forge partnerships in production, technology, and intellectual property that could be the game-changer Nollywood needs for superior output.
The excitement was palpable at the German Consulate on Monday, where Nollywood’s finest met their German counterparts for robust networking. Veteran actress and National Vice President of the Association of Movie Producers in Nigeria, Shan George, could barely contain her enthusiasm.
”Expectations are very high,” she said, beaming all through. “I’m expecting superb movies, I mean, movie collaborations, between Nigeria and Germany. This affiliation, hopefully, will give birth to very beautiful movies. So, watch out!”
Shan George was particularly impressed by the equipment showcased by the German delegation. “I’ve seen the equipment they brought, and I think it is superb. It’s like one piece of equipment that has actually eradicated like three or four other equipment. We are trying to see how making movies will be easier for us.”
The German delegation isn’t just bringing high-tech into Nigeria film industry. They’re looking for our unique magic.
Sandrina Koppitz, a German producer and CEO of Evolution film, confessed that the collaboration is a big chance for her industry to expand its global reach. She showered praise on Nigerian cinema, noting, “The West African film industry, particularly Nigeria, is very creative in storytelling. The stories are also appealing to German audiences.”
Koppitz also dropped a crucial piece of news: “We are having a very strong funding system that we can also support the Nigerian film industry with.” And for those worrying about communication, she had this to say. “Language barrier, I don’t think so. We are all in an international world, and we are all speaking English,” she clarified.
On his part, the new German Consul General in Lagos, Mr. Daniel Krull, who hosted the event, is all geared up for a maximum robust relationship. He expressed optimism that the cooperation would significantly enhance production quality and equipment.
The delegation’s presence at AFRIFF, followed by the screening of existing collaborative work like ỌKPẸN-ẸZẸ (By the Riverside), a project with deep cultural content which birthed at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Nollywood workshop in 2023, sets the perfect stage for a future where German technology meets Nollywood’s unmatched creative fire.
Nigerians are expecting super-tech, exciting new stories, and even more blockbuster hits on the way, out of the collaboration between the two countries’ movie industry.
