The Figurine (Araromire) To Grace International Film Festivals

The continued absence of Nigerian films at major international film festivals has been posited in several quarters as an indication of a weak and failing film industry. This impression might have changed in some quarters internationally, with the many invitations producer and director, Kunle Afolayan is getting to show his new film to a foreign audience.
On the 28 of January, Afolayan’s multi linguistic film, The Figurine (Araromire), will be screened at the Rotterdam film festival in the Netherlands. The festival, International Film Festival of Rotterdam, is one of the five biggest film festivals in the entire Europe and this is about the first time that a Nigerian film has been invited. Most Nigerian films are screened in festivals at the instance of Nigerian film agencies who nominate Nigerians films for special appearances categories.
“The film made it there purely on merit. It was by official selection and not nominated by an agency,” said Afolayan. “The entries had even closed before they called me. They want the film at all costs and they are excited to see The Figurine (Araromire).”
Afolayan says the film has managed to come so far without any government support. Asked if the Nigerian Film Corporation is at least giving them a measure of support since they are going to project the country’s image positively at such a crucial period in the nation’s history, Afolayan says all efforts to get the government to see it as part of their rebranding efforts have not succeeded. For many years, Nigerian films have not been invited to foreign film festivals solely on merit.
The Rotterdam film festival also has a history of being favourable to independent film makers,  a category in which Afolayan falls. At the festival, film buyers, distributors, producers and others convoke, providing an opportunity for networking among filmmakers. There are also chances for industry screenings at the festival.
In the second week of February, Afolayan will also be at the Berlinale Film Festival, Berlin, Germany, to show The Figurine (Araromire). The Berlinale festival is one of the biggest in Europe and it brings together film directors, producers, actors, journalists, screen writers and other professionals of the film industry. It is an annual event and Afolayan will be sitting on a panel with two other notable film makers in Africa: Oliver Hermanus of South Africa and Caroline Kamya of Uganda. The panel will be expected to discuss the state of African cinema. The session will be moderated by Dorothy Wemmer.
On February 25, the film will be showing at the Smithsonian National Musuem of Arts in Washington. The Smithsonian Institute is a very prestigious one in Washington and after the museum directors saw the film, they were expectedly impressed with the quality of film coming from Nigeria. At the museum on the said date, the film will be shown to a select audience of people who matter in the film industry. Afterwards, Afolayan will give a talk on the African film industry to the audience.
 In April, he will be at the African Film Festival in New York for a premiere of his film. The New York premiere is coming after the London premiere, an occasion that witnessed huge turn out of people when it held recently.
For now, Afolayan is keeping the rest of his engagements close to his chest but he gives a hint of a romantic comedy he is going to shoot for an international telecommunications company.
Since the release of The Figurine (Araromire), the film has been shown only in the cinemas. During Christmas and the New Year festive periods, the film was taken round major cities in Nigeria. At the first appearance at the Silverbird cinemas, the film had a turnover of N15 million naira, a sum unprecedented for any Nigerian film ever shown at the cinema. Afolayan hinted that during the Valentine and Easter seasons, the film will go round Nigeria all over again.
 “The challenge is to stay creative and make good films. It is not getting into my head yet. With all the success Irapada achieved, it didn’t get into my head.”
For now, there is little likelihood that the film will be released on VCDs and DVDs.
“There is a collection of academic essays on The Figurine (Araromire) being written by some professors in Nigeria and abroad,” Afolayan hints. “Maybe when it is done, we will release the DVD along with the collection.”