Artistry Media wins Lagos Film Academy's $5,000 grant

Artistry Media, which consists of Baridakara Nwilene, Alfa Faruk Umar, and Joshua Tostso, has won the $5,000 film project grant from the Lagos Film Academy.

In a recent statement, the three young and aspiring filmmaker were selected by the Lagos Film Academy for the grant in the third Film for Life competition.

The three members of Artistry Media will have the opportunity to make a short film directed at impacting social change with focus on the upcoming 2019 general elections in Nigeria.

Artistry Media defeated two other teams, Pantheon and Nu’Afriqan, after they all pitched stories for the Film for Life project.

From over 600 applications received, nine finalist were shortlisted and trained by movie producers Emma Uduma and Grace Babasola, alongside LFA founder Chris Ihidero on an all-expenses paid three-day boot camp.

Artistry Media has Nwilene as the team producer, Umar as the team writer, and Tostso as the team director.

Commending the winners, Ihidero said, “Artistry Media was selected because they had the most compelling storyline. We had a great time at boot camp and heard an array of ideas during the pitching sessions. The shooting for the short film begins immediately.

“It is also important for us to make animpact with the short film that will be made, with the grant gotten from Global Philanthropy Alliance. The upcoming election is a major social happening inNigeria, hence the need to play our parts with the story that will be told.”

The short film, which Artistry Media will write, direct and produce themselves will encourage citizen involvement in the electoral processes and the upcoming Nigerian general elections in February 2019.