No fewer than 30 Journalists and Film Makers have been shortlisted by the Empower Women Media USA at the end of Completion of 2024 Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Media Fellowship for Nigerian Filmmakers.
Mr Filex Samari Media Contact for made this known in Yola in a statement, Thursday.
Samari said organization have also shortlisted 30 Nigerian professionals in the film production and media industry.
He said the initiative aimed to promote the principles of freedom of religion or belief as articulated in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, both of which affirm the right of individuals to practice and choose their religion freely.
Throughout the fellowship, which concluded in May 2024, the 30 fellows underwent rigorous online training in media and film production. They were also introduced to the fundamental concepts of FoRB, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for these freedoms through their creative work.
As part of the fellowship’s culmination, participants were invited to enter the 2024 Religious Freedom Short Film Competition Tagged: “2024 Nigeria FoRB Film Competition”. Empower Women Media CEO, Shirin Taber, announced with enthusiasm that 11 fellows successfully submitted their short films.
“Congratulations! We collected 11 films from our Nigerian media fellows and FoRB network. We are very excited to share the films with our expert judges and announce the results later in July.”
The competition promises substantial rewards for the top entries: the best film will receive a cash prize of $3,000, the second-place winner will be awarded $1,500, and the third-place winner will receive $500.
Expert judges will evaluate the films and submit their rankings in early July, with the results to be shared publicly by mid-July.
In addition to the competition, Empower Women Media plans to promote the fellows’ work by creating a sizzle reel of the films, which will be showcased during the FoRB Film Festival at the end of July and in the fall.
The winning films will also be uploaded to Empower Women Media’s YouTube channel and website. Samari added.
By Hussaini Hammangabdo Yola
