Industry veterans, investors and other relevant stakeholder are to be honoured at the 2024 edition of Inside Nollywood International Film Festival & Awards (INIFFAA), its organisers have said.

Muoma Obinna, ace filmmaker and founder of Inside Nollywood told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the annual fiesta is dedicated to recognising the achievements of African creative minds in the entertainment industry.

The festival aims to foster collaboration, celebrate cultural diversity, and promote the advancement of African cinema on the global stage.

It provides a vibrant space for filmmakers from around the world, particularly those of African descent, to showcase their talent and connect with industry professionals.

According to him, the 2024 edition of the annual film fiesta is scheduled to hold from Feb 15 to 17 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center, Abuja.

Obinna explained that Nollywood veterans and other industry players and watchers would be recognised and celebrated for their contributions to the progressive story of the nation’s film industry.

He said filmmakers, actors, executive producers were among those to be honoured at the festival alongside the festival competitive awards.

“INIFFAA 2024 is a testament to the growth and creativity of Nollywood over the past decades.

“It is is celebration of how Inside Nollywood has evolved and how the narratives of Nollywood over these years has shape our society as we honour those that have made these possible.

“We are proud to announce that key stakeholders and investors are coming in from US, Germany, South Africa to come and listen to our producers who have great ideas that for investment opportunities.

“We have attracted a lot of investors that are willing to sponsor Nollywood projects to the next level and that is the message we have been preaching and we will keep preaching.

“INIFFAA 2024 promises to be a celebration of outstanding Nollywood films, providing a coveted platform for filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals to gain recognition for their remarkable contributions.

“We are not only celebrating our achievements but also embracing our cultural roots by partnering with Indigenous Sports Week Abuja to showcase the dynamic and traditional sport of Dambe.

“The festival will feature live Dambe fights, offering attendees a one-of-a-kind blend of entertainment and tradition.,” he said.

He added that some of the competitive award categories for selected films include Best Short Film,Best Short Film ( Foreign), Best actor, Best Feature and Best Documentary, among others.

In his remark, Nonso Diobi, award-winning Nollywood actor and Ambassador of INIFFAA, said the festival was geared towards showcasing business opportunities that abound in Nigerian film industry.

“ I can say that the entertainment industry, directly and indirectly has provided employment to a lot of people, myself included, and it is time we got into the business of entertainment properly.

“This festival will present a lot of conversations concerning the creative economy and I implore the public and anybody that is interested in entertainment business to come join us at this event.,” he said.