For the third year in a row, the French Embassy in Nigeria, in collaboration with StoryMi Academy, on Monday trained a new group of young Nigerian documentary filmmakers.
The program offers an intensive four to six-month training, production, and mentorship experience, focusing on storytelling, production, and editing.
The initiative, spearheaded by StoryMi Academy and led by award-winning French journalist, Sophie Bouillon, is supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria.
The aim of the training and mentorship program is to promote high-quality documentary production in Nigeria, assist young Nigerian directors and journalists in earning a sustainable living from their craft, and foster cultural and creative exchanges between French and Nigerian filmmakers.
On Saturday, January 10, the five selected fellows from the StoryMi Academy documentary program showcased their short films at Ebony Life.
Filmmakers, producers, and enthusiasts of Nigerian storytelling gathered to celebrate these emerging voices in the documentary film scene.
After months of research, filming, rewriting, and refining their work, the films were finally ready for an audience.
The stories were chosen from over 150 submissions, with the fellows dedicating the past six months to their projects.
Each film offers insight into the questions, contradictions, and subtle truths that the filmmakers explored, serving as a glimpse into Nigeria.
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The five young filmmakers received six months of training and mentorship in documentary filmmaking from both Nigerian and French professionals.
Their instructors, including Ike Nnaebue, Chika Oduah, Marjolaine Grappe, and Joel Kachi Benson (the first Nigerian to win an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary category), provided active coaching throughout the production of their short films.
As part of the mentorship program, these five filmmakers will present their projects to an international audience at the FIPADOC event, a prestigious documentary festival in Biarritz, France, from January 26 to 29, with the hope of attracting co-producers, creative partners, and distribution opportunities.
