Fidelis Duker is
one of the founding members of Nollywood, Nigeria’s movie industry, founder and
director of the ABUJA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AIFF), he is a foremost
filmmaker, and he was a two-time President the Directors Guild of Nigeria(DGN).
Three months ago he was elevated as the President of African Festival Network
(AFRIFESNET), a continental network. Fidelix has vastly contributed to the
metamorphosis and development of the Nollywood across the world. In this chat
with OREDOLA ADEOLA, he opened up on a whole range of issues on the industry and
personal experience.
You helped to
discover actors like Uche Jombo, Desmond Elliot, Bukky Wright to mention but
few, would you you are fulfilled?
Fulfillment is a
period when one ceases to exist. Every man has to learn how to improve on what
he has done. As regards discovery of
talents, I have been in the past eighteen years as far as 1995. For me it goes
beyond that to a point where I can discover as much talent as possible. I don’t
feel I am fulfilled, I must be able to leave a legacy behind for posterity.
Have you been able to achieve what you planned for the
industry?
To an extent, I would
say yes, in the sense that I have contributed significantly to the development
of Nollywood, I was once a two-time President of the Director Guild of Nigeria,
I have served as a member of governing committee, regulatory agencies, and I
have also been a member of several international bodies.
What impact did you
made as the former President of the Director’s Guild of Nigeria (DGN)?
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Fidelix Duker |
When I came into
office as the DGN President, we really didn’t have a secretariat, this I
managed to institutionalize, I was also credited to have created the harmony
between the other guilds, and calmed the tensions that Yoruba actors are not
part of Nollywood, I worked to the extent of uniting all the various ethnic and
sectional guilds together as a member of a general body of actors and
directors. I was able to bridge the gap where most practitioners regardless of
tribes became the members of the guild, some of them include, Anta Laniyan,
Lanre Olanrewaju, Abe Lanre Olaolu Richard, Ebun Olaiya, Lekan Ayinde who were
into Yoruba movie production.
I was able to bring
Hausa movie producers into the Guild too. It is also on record that during my
tenure, we were able to create a synergy with international guilds and
directors. We had affiliation and partnership with them. During my tenure, were
able to increase our membership strength and also to establish a functional
website for the Guild. We registered over 40 Nigerian film makers. I went to
American to sell the film industry to create the awareness which people are
enjoying today. We were in about five states in American.
Are your legacies
being sustained by successive leadership of the guild?
Yes, things are revolving. Infact assess we had then was not
as much as what obtains today. Then we relate with the ministers and today the
guild relates with the President frequently. What we were able to do was to lay
the foundation for successive leadership. During our time we were fighting for
funds from government. We also tried to
register Nigeria as a member of Cannes Film Festival in France, today Nigeria
has a stand at the annual festival. To a large extent, every leadership has
made substantial effort aimed at building and it is continuous.
What is your take on
Nollywood morally and commercially?
I believe that culture should be promoted. We believe that
Nollywood producer is a commercial producer who raised funds on his own, and
must plan out a strategy to making returns. Being commercial does not mean you
should not add creativity to your movies, we must realize when making
commercial gains and moral impartation that the end result is not profit. We
should realize that the population of over one hundred and eighty million
people in the country is a good opportunity to thrive. We do not need any other
market in the world to succeed.
For a lady Ibinabado
Fiberisma, to have brought peace to the guild, does it make her batter than
men?
The most important
part of leadership is not about the sex of the leadership. Ofcourse , it is
possible for women to have more opportunities as mothers , but the industry is
an evolving industry , Ibinabo Fiberesima the current President of the guild,
could possibly be capacitated to stabilize the guild, she met a different environment unlike others. During
my tenure, the amount we had was less than N20 thousand, but we left millions;
this has been replicated by successive government. She has tried to bring peace
to the guild, and she deserves our commendation. She has done creditably well
considering the way she came. She needs to engage our members and members
should try and return the gesture. The guild should be a networking environment
for people to exchange ideas
How effective has
Abuja Film Festival been in the past nine years?
Interestingly, the festival will be 10 next year, in 2014.
It is one of the foremost festivals in Nigeria and in Africa, especially in all
Anglophone countries in Africa. It is the longest running festival in West
African countries. It is competing with FESTACO that has long been in
existence. We have done very well in view of our limited resources. This year
will be different as we shall be engaging more agencies of government as well
as corporate organizations for support.
What should we be
expecting this year?
Abuja Film Festival, will holds in September in the city of
Abuja at the Silverbird Galleria, and we shall be focusing on several factors,
which include, reflection of our success in the last ten years. We shall also
honour those who have supported the festival in the last few years. It is a
celebration of films business in Africa. The theme will be: “Using Motion
Pictures as a Medium for Security” inview of the security challenges in the
country since independence. When the country is not secure, there can’t be
peace and we practitioners can’t survive. We shall be seeing to how we can
engender peace keeping with our jobs
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