Organisers of the Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) have named the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, as one of the three Special Recognition Awardees in the 16th edition of the festival in Abuja.
Abuja International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in Anglophone West Africa.
The festival aims to celebrate outstanding work in video film in Nigeria and promote growth in the film industry in particular and the creative industry in general.
According to the Festival Director, Mrs Temitope Duker, Ayade was selected for the Award based on his strides in developing the creative economy in the state, his industrialisation strides as well as support for growth of tourism.
Ayade is presently serving his second term as Governor of Cross River State having won his reelection in the 2019 election.
He is a Professor of Environmental Sciences and recently returned to the university for his Master’s degree in Law.
Ayade has supported the development of the creative economy in Cross River State during his term and recently rewarded outstanding creative industry players in the state.
These are winners of the Linda Ayade Literary Art and Afi Ekong Visual Art Competitions, who got one thousand pounds prize money each.
He also supported and invested in the production of several nollywood films within the state.
Some of Ayade’s industrialisation projects include the Cross River Garment Factory, the Rice Seeds and Seedlings Factory, the ultra modern Vitaminized Rice Mill, the Cocoa Processing Factory, the Frozen Chicken Plant, the Toothpicks Factory, the Feedmill and the Pharmaceutical Company to mention a few.
In the area of tourism, the governor has brought innovation to the Carnival Calabar and Festivals with the introduction of the international carnival and the bikers’ carnival.
He also introduced the exotic cars show, the Miss Africa pageant and the latest, the Black Africa Music Festival.
Also awarded alongside the governor were the Managing Director of Air Peace Airlines, Mr. Allen Onyema, for the patriotic and humanitarian gesture in the evacuation of stranded Nigerians in South Africa, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, the Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board for his enviable contributions to developing the industry and Mr Charles Okpaleke of the Play Network Group for his investment in the movie industry.
The award was presented to the governor at the closing ceremony of the 16th Abuja International Film Festival which held at the Silverbird Cinema in Abuja on Friday.
He was represented at the event.
The governor thanked the organisers and promised to continue to support the development of the creative industry, redouble his efforts in industrialisation and further grow tourism in the state which are pillars of its growth.
Past winners of the award include former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Musa Kwankwaso, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, the late Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi and the late Ambassador Segun Olusola, amongst several eminent Nigerians in the last 16 years.
LIST OF WINNERS
1. Outstanding Feature Film
Nominee[NIGERIA)
The family – Judith Audu
2. Outstanding feature FIm
nominee (foreign)
The great wall – Zhang Yimou –
China
3. Outstanding Music Score
Ignored – Nigeria
4. OUTSTANDING documentary film
Far from home – Charlie Dee …Italy
5. Outsatnding Animation Film
Is written – Aldivan Torres – Italy
6. Outstanding student film
Born in the evening -Finest uwaoma-
Nigeria
7. Outstanding First time director
Snatched – Sagacious Osarunwese – Nigeria
8. Outstanding short Film (Nigeria)
And The Winner is – Adebola Ogunsina
9. Outstanding Film In Directing
The Great Wall – Zhang Yimou – china
10. Outstanding Experimental Film
Hatred – Saheed Adebayo
11. Outstanding Actor
Gabriel Afolayan – Gold Statue – Nigeria
12. Outstanding Actress
Arese Emokpae – Unbreakable – Nigeria
13. Outstanding Short Film Foreign
Apartment 24 – Nike Campbell – USA/Nig
14. Golden Jury Award
Heart of Africa – Congo DRC
15. Audience Choice Award
Winner – Gold Statue
16. Best Film Narrative
Winner – Foreign Love
17. Festival’ Special Mention Award –
1. LOCKED
2. BLING LAGOSIANS
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDEES
1. PROF BENEDICT AYADE GOVERNOR OF CROSS RIVER
2. Alhaji Adedayo Thomas – DG National Film and Video Censors Board
3. Mr. Allen Onyeama- MD/CEO AIR PEACE AIRLINES
4. MR. CHARLES OKPALEKE – MD/CEO PLAY GROUP NETWORK