The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, has reiterated the U.S. Mission’s support of Nigeria’s growing creative sector and cultural ties with America. 

Ms Leonard made her comments while delivering remarks on Tuesday at a reception for representatives from the Nigerian and American entertainment industries. 

“I am proud of the U.S. Mission’s contributions to this year’s Africa International Film Festival,” Ms Leonard said. “Our goal is to build the capacity of emerging filmmakers on animation and post-production, two areas that could lead to tremendous growth in Nigeria’s film industry.”

In her comments, Ms Leonard noted two masterclasses sponsored by the U.S. Mission in partnership with American Film Showcase and Global Media Makers, as well as representatives from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. 

The American envoy also noted the participation of American companies such as Amazon, Macro and Paramount whose representatives are attending the ongoing AFRIFF festival. 

The ongoing 10th annual Africa International Film Festival showcases the filmmaking industry, with participation from local and international actors, directors, film critics, buyers, distributors, visual artists, film students, and equipment manufacturers. The event, which kicked off on November 7, will run until November 13.

The Founder/Executive Director of AFRIFF, Chioma Ude, appreciated the U.S. Mission for its being one of the festival’s major sponsors over the last five years.