A few months ago, Kunle Afolayan was announced as the judge of ‘Grooming Film Extrapreneurs with Kunle Afolayan’ by Sahara Group. In this interview, he talks how the competition will be a game changer in the film industry. Excerpt:
Why did you go into this partnership with Sahara group and what expectations do you have?
Sahara Group recently pledged to impact the lives of 12million beneficiaries using an extrapreneurship framework which seeks to create a platform that finds, creates and connects young people with business interests in emerging markets through skills training, mentoring and access to a network of committed stakeholders.
The Grooming Film Extrapreneurs with Kunle Afolayan is a spin off this framework. Being an expert in the filmmaking industry and my desire to impact the next generation of filmmakers, it was a natural thing to do.
I expect to use this platform to pass down necessary values and skills to the next generation of filmmakers.
What has been the response of young film makers to the grooming film extrapreneurs project?
Interestingly, we have had an incredible number of responses. This is indicative of the level of creativity we have in the country and also corroborated the fact that as long as you have the right platforms, anything is possible. In fact, creativity becomes unlimited. This has been proven by the entries and we keep receiving mails from young film makers seeking to know how they can be part of the project. I am so excited to be part of the project.
How will you describe some of the stories of entrepreneurs featured on the submitted entries?
Words can really not convey some of the interpretation of the main reason for the project and this is very good for the industry and the nation. Nigerian youths have risen to the challenge to produce an excellent narrative that celebrates entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Most entries tell stories that I believe will redefine the perception of Nigeria as a country around the globe.
With the theme- ‘My Nigeria, My Platform…Nigeria through an entrepreneur’s eyes’, I believe captivating and inspiring truths about Nigeria will be documented for the whole world to know the truth about our resilience, excellence, versatility and creativity. In fact, I can confidently say we should look out for the top 20 entries and the overall winner.
How does the extrapreneurship platform work?
The extrapreneurship platform is very user friendly. Filmmakers can log on to the platform, fill in the necessary information on the form and paste the YouTube link generated from their upload (All filmmakers should ensure they upload their docu-film on YouTube in the following formats- MOV, MP4 (MPEG4), AVI, WMV, FLV and 3GP).
Is there still time for Young filmmakers to send in their entries? What’s the best way to send the links of their documentaries?
Budding filmmakers who are desirous of emerging as leading professionals in the industry can still turn in their entries in line with the rules of the competition. The deadline for submission is 28th of August, 2016. Rules for participating in this competition can be viewed on the Extrapreneurship portal – www.saharaextrapreneurs.org.
We understand 20 people will be shortlisted before an overall winner is selected. What will you be looking out for?
We would be looking at the filmmaker’s ability to interpret the theme, the production value and creativity. I am confident that this will inspire my colleagues to embark on similar projects that will empower young film makers. I am excited about this partnership with the Sahara Group as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations activities and get even more excited that the process of creative value through shared thinking in the sector will continue even after the project through the extrapreneurship hub Sahara is about to unveil.
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