The Cross River State Government has unveiled plans to produce up to 10 entertaining and educative movies by December and create 15 employment opportunities under its Callywood initiative, as part of efforts to strengthen the creative economy and empower young people.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Callywood, Mr. Eric Iso Anderson, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of a three-day filmmaking masterclass organised by the Cross River State Youth Empowerment Scheme (CRS-YES) in partnership with the Callywood Department.
Anderson said the planned movie productions were aimed at projecting Cross River State, its culture and creative talents to the outside world. He also disclosed plans to strengthen partnerships with churches, universities and other organisations to create more opportunities within the creative sector.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor (Hon.) Ekpenyong Ene Cobham, described the masterclass as a strategic capacity-building initiative aimed at transforming the lives of young people and strengthening the state’s creative industry.
Cobham urged participants and stakeholders to channel more energy into reorienting the people of Cross River through creative content that promotes positive values, stressing that the knowledge acquired during the training must be translated into practical results.
Declaring the masterclass officially closed, Cobham commended the organisers for the initiative and urged the participants to put the skills and knowledge acquired into practice, noting that the creative industry could contribute significantly to youth empowerment and economic development.
The three-day masterclass brought together filmmakers, resource persons, government officials and other stakeholders for intensive training and knowledge-sharing sessions designed to strengthen professional skills and position Cross River State as a hub for film production and cultural storytelling.
Speaking at the ceremony, veteran actor, Charles Inojie, commended the resource persons for making time to share their knowledge and expertise with participants.
Inojie described the programme as well organised, noting that the intentionality of the organisers and quality of knowledge delivered demonstrated a strong commitment to developing the state’s creative industry. He also commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for supporting initiatives aimed at empowering young people through the creative sector.
The Chairman of CRS-YES, Dr. Kalita Aruku, commended the participants for their commitment throughout the training and encouraged them to put the skills acquired during the masterclass into practice.
Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Cross River State Next Star Initiative, Prince Godswill Edward, stressed the enormous value and potential of the creative industry, urging participants to critically engage with the knowledge acquired and apply it meaningfully in their various areas of practice.
Edward said strong collaboration among stakeholders would be essential to sustaining the momentum generated by the programme and translating the training into tangible opportunities for young creatives.
Certificates were presented to participants by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Obi Ayuk, while the resource persons were appreciated for their contributions to the success of the programme.
By Gift Otudor
