It has now been confirmed that the Nigerian feature film, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) will be shown at this year’s Geneva Black International Film Festival. This happens after the film was pre-selected in the Panorama of the World section of the 51st largest festival in India – International Film Festival India (IFFI) 2021.

The jury of international film critics, set to start January 22 and run through January 31, 2021, will choose their favorite film from a selection of the most innovative films shown at the festival for a Critics’ Award. The award-winning film wins a prize of 5,000 francs from Geneva.

There is also a youth jury where young people from all Geneva students choose their favorite movie from a selection of films suitable for their ages (17-19 years). The award-winning film will receive a prize of 1,000 Swiss francs.

The Black Film Festival was born in 1991 out of a desire to showcase films made in Africa, a multidisciplinary art event until 1998, and in 1999 it moved to a new management team.

In line with its primary mission, which is to promote films shaped by fictional facts other than those known in the Western world, and following the multicultural character of Geneva, the festival expands its horizons with films from three so-called continents: Africa, Asia and Latin America. Managed by a new administration.

When choosing movies, Black Movie is preferred by the author’s cinema as well as independent or unusual format films which are rarely or not shown in Swiss cinemas. The goal is to harmonize with contemporary cinematography, rooted in today’s social and aesthetic realities, and to create hitherto unpublished and innovative programs.

The Black Film Festival is committed to advocating for Asian, African, Middle Eastern and Southern films, and offers film enthusiasts in Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland the opportunity to discover Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jia Zhangke, Carlos Reygadas, Wang Bing, Hong Sangsoo, Takashi Miike, Tsai Ming-Liang, Joao Pedro Rodriguez – for the first time. Most of the directors who have now won awards at the most prestigious film festivals in the world (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Busan, Toronto, Rotterdam …) were in person when their films were shown in Black Movie.

Achille Valdata Award winning Eyimofe is set at Turin International Film Festival in Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria and consists of two chapters. He tells the stories of Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), a factory technician and Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams). Hairstylist, looking for what they think will be the best life on the foreign coast.

The production was introduced by GDN Studios, directed by twin brothers Ari and Choco Esery, and produced by Melissa Adeymo. Fully funded in Nigeria, the film was shot in 16mm and filmed at 48 locations in Lagos. Executive producers are Maiden Alex Ibru, Toke Alex Ibru, Olorogun Oskar Ibru, Kayode Akindele and Ifeoma Esiri.

Since its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival last year, the film has been selected in several international festivals, including the Indie Lisboa International Film Festival in Portugal, the BFI London Film Festival in the United Kingdom and the Mostra Sao Paolo International Film Festival in Brazil, Cinecitta International. Film Festival (CIFF) in the Netherlands, Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain, Fennel Festival in Austria, Sharjah Film Festival in the United Arab Emirates, Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada, AFI Film Festival in the USA, and Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece , New Horizons International Film Festival in Poland, Turin Film Festival in Italy, Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIFF) in China, and Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in Egypt.

Thanks to recent festival selections in France, India and Geneva, Eyimofe is now presented to festival audiences in 18 countries – and represents Nigeria wherever you go. More information can be found at: www.eyimofe.film / www.gdnstudios.ng