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Arrangements are in full steam toward the staging of this year’s edition of the iRepresent international documentary film festival.
The organisers are navigating the challenges of holding an event with a global interest in the week after the Nigerian elections.
Since its 2010 debut, the festival, innovative and pioneering at the time of take-off, has been held 11 times, (the missing edition being the 2020 show, which was cancelled because of the pandemic).
While each edition has had its own theme, the overarching subject running through all editions over the years is that of Africa in Self-Conversation. This flows from the founding idea behind the iRep festival, which is for the festival to serve as a platform of expression for filmmakers working in the documentary genre and also for projecting the importance capacity of the genre in bringing about socio-cultural change on the continent as well as globally.
Last year’s edition, with the theme ‘Unfiltered: African Stories. Stories from Africa’, particularly reflected the essence of the parley. Featuring 80 films from 28 countries across four continents, the event addressed the global media’s representations of Africa and their role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Attendees and stakeholders described the cultural carnival as an unforgettable experience for the quality of the film offerings and the insightful conversations they generated.
The 12th iteration of the festival, which kicks off in March, is expected to follow the same format of a 4-day fiesta with multiple events across multiple locations in Lagos.
With a programme list featuring screenings, presentations, panel discussions, and a training workshop for aspiring filmmakers, the iRep film festival appeals to seasoned veterans and industry newbies alike. In keeping with the organizers’ commitment to enhancing participation and expanding social and cultural education, the iRep festival is free to attend.
As the foremost festival of its kind in Nigeria and indeed Africa, the iRep film festival provides unprecedented networking opportunities for attendees. This is an exciting prospect for all involved, but particularly so for the volunteer corps which usually consists of emerging filmmaking talent and sundry artists.
The 2023 iRep international documentary film festival will hold from March 16 – 19 with the theme ‘Documenting the Underserved’. More information on the festival schedule, selected films, and registration can be found at irepfilmfestival.com
