it was an epoch-making event as the first set of students enrolled at Mainframe Film and Media Institute (MFMI), Abeokuta, Ogun State, graduated last Friday.
In a keynote address delivered by Femi Odugbemi, a filmmaker and CEO of DVWorx Studios & Zuri24 Media Lagos, at the event, he urged the graduates to apply passion to their works.
“Filmmaking is serious business,” said Odugbemi.
“It is a socially conscious re-interpretation of reality. It is birthed in a context, it is relatable to its environment, it bears the distinct sounds and sights of its origination. Films are cultural artifacts which reflect the cultures, and, in turn, affect them. So your work as filmmakers must be culturally relevant or it loses its point.
“If you got nothing else from your time at this institute, I pray and hope this important point stays with you regardless of whether you choose to be a director, a cameraman or a scriptwriter going forward.
Odugbemi who is also the co-founder/director of I-Rep Documentary Forum Film Festival urged the students to embrace technology as they go about their various endeavours.
“Africa today is largely a consumer of technology and is yet to join the league of countries that are primary producers,” he said.
“So while African cinema is constantly evolving and trying to catch up with Western cinema, in terms of technology we continue to face important challenges. Creating certain genres of stories especially ones that explicate the mysteries of African mythologies, for instance, require existing technology to be customised for the filmmaker to successfully tell his story.”
Odugbemi also emphasized the place of education for film makers.
“The ugly reality continues to be that we have more practitioners driven by interest rather than equipped with knowledge,” he said.
“It explains why the majority of our films still look like stage drama captured on video.
“We need to begin to create filmmakers who understand the visual arts, filmmakers who understand the impact of colour and lighting, literature and poetry, sound and music, yes filmmakers with strong filmic storytelling intelligence.
Mainframe Film and Media Institute which was founded by legendary filmmaker Tunde Kelani kicked off some weeks ago. At inauguration, Kelani described setting up the school as the highlight of his career. Courses the school offers include Storytelling and scripting, Production Design: Props, Costume and Make-up, Digital Photography and Cinematography and Location Sound Recording.
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