The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) on Saturday urged leaders of creative industry guilds and associations to be more organised in clamping down on illegal operators.Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director of NFVCB, made the call at the end of a two-day stakeholders’ forum held in Lagos.
Thomas said that the need to identify illegal operators in the industry was necessary to further profesionalise and advance the creative industry.
He said it was disheartening to have actors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, producers and directors who were not registered in any professional guild or association still operating in the creative space.
This, he said would not let the industry grow as it ought to.
He said the NFVCB had been trying to seive the illegal operators over the years and it was high time the guilds and associations collaborated with the board in actualising this.
“It is not enough to solely wait on NFVCB, we need your cooperation as well, we have been trying our best but you are in the best position to ensure illegal operators are coarsed to be legal by ensuring that they are registered.
“This can be done when an illegal actor features in a film and such actor is not paid until he is made to be registered with the Actors Guild of Nigeria, this is applicable to other guilds and associations.
“The unregistered operators could be easily identified at various movie shooting locations.
“We must collectively ensure that the industry is profesionalised by removing quacks, there is need to clean the system,” he said.
Adedayo also urged the creative industry practitioners to assist the board in identifying defiants fond of distributing uncensored works.
He said to be able to do this, they must ensure well organised guilds and associations.
In response, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, National President, Federation of Nollywood Guilds and Associations (FRENGAN), said that there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which would ensure a clampdown on all illegal operators in due course.
According to her, this MoU will be signed by leaders of guilds and associations.
Earlier, Torty Joseph, a movie producer, urged the NFVCB to wade into issues of unregistered actors who feature in movies censored by the board.
Joseph said NFVCB could put a stop to the dubious behaviour by rejecting such films for censorship.
Also, Solomon Arusi, Coordinator, Association of Movie Practitioners (AMPRAC), South-East zone, identified the challenges in the industry which NFVCB could address.
Arusi said in view of the high production cost of movies, investors usually did not break even on their investments anymore.
He, however, urged the NFVCB to engage Nollywood practitioners in conferences to revamp the industry.
(NAN)
