FILM RATS CAMP 1.0

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The maiden edition of the Film Rats Club camp successfully started on Saturday 21st of September, 2019 and came to a thrilling close at the wee hours on Monday morning 22nd of September 2019 . The camp hosted over 40 filmmakers, critics, enthusiasts and students at the New Culture Studio, Ibadan.

With Guests and attendees coming in from Lagos, Kwara and Ibadan environs it was indeed a film reunion. The campers had  fun and educating engagements with the panelists. Each session was moderator by Taiwo Egunjobi (Creative Director, Content Docks), one of our most prominent Rats. His eloquent engagement with the panelists led us into several layers of film scholarship and experiences. Our grand patron Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi; former Director of the National Film Institute, Jos, the prodigious Theatre director Dr. Tunde Awosanmi, Prof. Chuks Okoye; Dance and Costume/Production design specialist, Mr. Yinka Smart Babalola; Director and Founder of the Smart Image Film and Theatre Studies Institute, the prolific Nigerian film director Seun Olaiya, and the admirable Leye Fabusoro, Executive Director of Rare Edge Media and the amazing MC Babatunde Ojobaro (Mister Rain) CEO Theatre Hub Africa were the guests present at the event.

A few Rats at the session with Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi

The discussion delved into understanding Film Criticism with Prof Hyginus holding the forte to Leye Fabusoro and Seun Olaiya holding talks on Film Business and Financial considerations for Indie-Filmmakers. Theatre and Film collaborations and the heavy production investment filmmakers append to their art for commercial or artistic recognition were areas that Dr. Awosanmi, Prof. Chuks Okoye, Mr. Yinka Smart Babalola and Babatunde Ojobaro greased their wisdom on to the benefit of the campers.

L-R Leye Fabusoro and Seun Olaiya during their session
Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi

Each day of the camp ended with film screenings and game nights. For the Film screenings, we studied the origins of some admired filmmakers, from Abba Makama’s ‘Quack’, to Tope Oshin’s ‘The Young Smoker’ to Scorsese’s nerve-wracking ‘The Big Shave’, we were exposed to diverse stories, nascent ideologies of the respective filmmakers and then precepts learnt were also shared.

Campers also got the privilege of being the very first audience to witness the screening of the emotionally stirring films from Temitope Joshua’s ‘A LOVE STORY’ to Njoku Samuel’s ‘NANA’ produced by Calidad Studios. The films premiered to rousing applause, the audience reviewing and make contributions.

What do you get when you put film people in a space? Drama!

On both nights we got to unwind, bond and party as campers showed off their competitive spirits in the battle of wills, teams and colours with banging music alongside rib-cracking jokes on the first night by fast rising comedian MC Twinkle.

It was indeed a successful camping. Would you like to attend the NEXT EDITION of the FILM RATS CAMP?

L-R ‘Chukwu Martin (Founder, FIlm Rats Club), Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi and Taiwo Ejunjobi (Moderator)

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