By Ayo Onikoyi
One-time Glo Ambassador, actor, and film-maker, Kunle Afolayan and Nollywood's damsel, Stephanie Linus don't exactly run in the same crowd but the two top Nollywood faces share one thing in common- film making and the duo have been pitched side by side just by that reason in a short film competition that was launched to the public on Thursday at the Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Both Kunle and Stephanie are billed to add the values they have garnered over the years in film-making to driving the competition which parades other notable names in the local and international film industry. These other people are to act as judges and they include Tunde Kelani, Femi Odugbemi, Tolu Ogunlesi, Franklin Leonard, Obi Emelonye, Emem Isong, Carol Kathurima, Mahen Bonetti, Bongiwe Selane and a host of others.
The 'Short Film Competition' is a video based initiative created by Afrinolly and powered by telecoms giant, MTN Nigeria and it is targeted at budding film-makers and documentary/animation content creators. Candidates are expected to submit a sub-15 minutes film that can be easily assessed on mobile devices.
The competition is expected to run for three months and submissions are to be made online through the Afrinolly website.
According to Chike Maduegbuna, the CEO, FansConnectOnline Limited who developed Afrinolly and creator of the concept " with this competition, we aim at showcasing African talent online, and providing a platform to foster the creation of new online content produced by Africans
The competition will target over 1,000 film makers across Africa and ultimately provide the right push to some of the most talented creators in the continent. Winners will be rewarded with prizes worth $100,000 in cash and kind while top participants will be offered the opportunity to sign online distribution and content deals with Afrinolly" he said.
