The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has trained 50 emerging filmmakers on the basic know-how for Over-The-Top (OTT) film streaming.

The filmmakers were also installed as ambassadors against unclassified films and harmful video contents.

The youths were trained at a workshop with the theme:” Understanding the Modules for OTT Streaming and its Components” organised by NFVCB on November 29 -30 at Ikeja, Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OTT is a means of providing television and film content directly to viewers over the internet to suit the requirements of the individual consumer.

Participants at the event include young script writers, cinematographers, actors, producers, among others.

They were trained by seasoned filmmakers and top media entrepreneurs on basic technical and entrepreneurial skills needed to be successful digital content creators in a competitive business environment.

Resource persons at the workshop include Patrick Lee, President, Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), Mrs Ijeoma Onah, CEO of Super TV, Yemi Amodu, National Secretary of Theater Arts and Motion Picture Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN).

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Others are veteran Nollywood actor Keppi Ekpeyong and Peace Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR) , National President Association of Movie Producers(AMP) and founder of Africa Movie Academic Awards (AMAA).

Alhaji  Adedayo Thomas, the Executive Director/CEO of NFVCB, said the training was part of the board’s various capacity building initiatives for both the young and the established industry players.

According to him, the workshop is to bridge the gap between the conventional and the digital era of filmmaking and distribution to ensure that Nigerian contents contribute more to national economy.

He therefore urged participants to maximize the take-homes from the workshop as a springboard into their dream career in the film industry.

“I am pleased to bring together youths who have found a gap in the film industry and are championing a new and competitive direction for self-sustenance.

“Regardless of daunting social and economic challenges, these youths have continued to show resilience and push for self-sustenance, some of whom have found succour in the digital content space, deploying innovation, technology and resilience.

“This is our motivation for setting outside these two days for the training of these 50 selected emerging young talents and entrepreneurs in understanding the modules for OTT streaming and its components.

“This is an initiative driven by the need to attract young minds into the industry to significantly drive employment, economic growth and create an avenue for interaction between the young and the old in the digital film ecosystem.

“The digital film ecosystem offers a whole lot of opportunities for youth empowerment, job creation, investment and socio-economic development, which are part of key concerns in the Federal Government’s National Development Plan 2021-2025.

“We therefore select these youths for training because we believe they have the potential to cause a huge transformation and further export Nigeria as a nation of talents and quality to the world,” he said.

He added that the training was apt and timely in their quest for becoming celebrated filmmakers.

Mark Iyere, a producer of Short Films, said: “This training has offered me the opportunity to know what it takes to create contents for digital consumption profitably.

“It is no longer business as usual as the digital space is available to showcase my work, and I sincerely thank the NFVCB for putting this together for us.”

Omo’ba Jayesimi, a Broadcast Journalist and Content Creator, said: “ I have just realised that I can really make money from showcasing my creativity online.

“There are stories I had wanted to give other people to produce, but with this training I have realised that I can actually do it.

“ I am very grateful because I can now go out there to teach others what I have learnt from this event,

The highpoint of the event was the presentation of certificates and startup packs to participants by the organisers.