France has brought together film, audiovisual and creative-industry leaders from more than 55 countries for the first Lumière Summit, with Nigeria represented as discussions focus on the future of cinema, artificial intelligence and the industry’s economic sustainability.
The summit was held on September 7 in Saint-Paul de Vence and co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, according to the French Embassy in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, was among about 200 high-level participants at the meeting, which brought together policymakers, industry leaders and creative professionals from the film, audiovisual and video-game sectors.
The summit focused on challenges and opportunities facing the moving-image industry, including the impact of artificial intelligence, media literacy from an early age and the economic model of the creative industry.
The meeting was also designed to facilitate international partnerships and identify concrete actions around the future of cinema and other forms of moving-image content.
France said the summit reflects its continued focus on the development of visual and electronic arts, including cinema, television series, animation and video games.
The country already has several areas of cooperation with Nigeria’s creative sector.
In film, France supports Nollywood Week in Paris, an annual festival showcasing Nigerian films and documentaries, while its partnership with the Storymi Academy focuses on strengthening the skills of young documentary filmmakers.
Nigerian animators have also participated in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, one of the major international events dedicated to animation.
Cooperation extends to Nigeria’s emerging video-game industry. France has supported Lagos Games Week, including training and workshops involving local industry experts from companies such as Ubisoft and Virtuos.
The partnership has also included support for pan-African esports tournaments, digital-skills boot camps with local game studios and opportunities for Nigerian studios to participate in international events, including the Gamers Assembly in France and Gamescom in Germany.
The Lumière Summit therefore comes as Nigeria’s creative industry engages with international partners on both traditional film production and newer areas such as animation, gaming and digital content.
