Eze, Izu. Daniel is a Multiple award-winning short Filmmaker from Nigeria. He loves telling compelling African stories aesthetically embellished for edutainment.
A graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a degree in Theatre and Film Studies, has Written, Produced, and Directed Two Short films with Multiple Festival Nominations and Awards.
Currently, he is developing a Web series, and a short film, which is slated to be shot before the end of 2020.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival?
I had an amazing time at the Hip-hop Film festival West Africa. I had a rare opportunity to see other fantastic films alongside mine, across West Africa and it made my time here a great learning experience. Oftentimes one gets to make films and not have or know the right channel to get to the desired audience, so being selected for this festival was exciting. It made me scream for joy.
It was refreshing to find out that my film Wasted, made it to the top three finalists in West Africa, it was such an honor and privilege.
Why are stories from the culture important?
Culture is a way of life and it's equally dynamic. It is important that we constantly keep in touch with our culture as often as possible. A generation without knowledge of their culture is considered lost. As filmmakers, the onus is on us to constantly visit and retell our stories which are a reflection of our culture. These stories ingrain in us the knowledge of who we are, what we have been through, and also serves as a yardstick to measure our progress as a people.
What projects are you working on now?
Presently I am working on a couple of projects, a web series, a Feature film, and a short film, most are still in development stages. But the script for the feature film is ready and we are working on how to raise funds for it. The web series idea is in development, my team and I are working to give birth to the stories in the series,
Why do you think the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival is important?
The Harlem Film House and Hip-hop film festival do a lot to burden filmmakers. It gives us a platform to own a voice, to express our talents and skills, I mean if not for festivals like this, who would know that I have made a film called Wasted.
It is a platform, a very strong platform and I am grateful that my film was selected.
It was an amazing time during the festival and I would love to always be part of this experience.
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