Dr. Ali Nuhu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), has announced the return of the Decasia Heritage Film Festival to Lagos for its 2025 edition, scheduled to take place from 27 July to 30 July.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Brian Etuk, Director of Public Affairs at the NFC.
The 2025 edition of Decasia marks a collaborative effort between the Nigerian Film Corporation, the Lagos Film Society, and several German institutions, including the Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art (Berlin), Deutsche Filminstitut and Filmmuseum (Frankfurt), Goethe University Frankfurt, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and Goethe-Institut.
According to Dr. Nuhu, the festival will serve as a landmark convergence of filmmakers, archivists, historians, academics, and cultural advocates, all committed to the rediscovery, preservation, and creative re-imagining of Africa’s cinematic legacy.
He assured attendees of a rich and engaging experience, featuring:
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Screenings of rare archival films
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Panel discussions focused on strategies for archiving and preservation, challenges in the sector, and national development
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Networking sessions emphasizing the role of cultural memory in shaping the future of Nigeria’s creative industry
Dr. Nuhu further explained that Decasia aims to stimulate global conversations on the influence of digital technologies, the synergy between archives and film festivals, and the cultural significance of audio-visual preservation.
“Decasia creates a critical platform to unlock the vast creative potential embedded in archival materials, positioning them as tools for sustainable development and cultural continuity,” Nuhu said.
He also highlighted the festival’s role in strengthening ties between the National Film, Video and Sound Archive (NFVSA) Nigeria’s national audio-visual repository and:
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The general public
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Content creators
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The Master’s Degree Programme in Film Culture & Archiving Studies (run jointly by the National Film Institute (NFI) and the University of Jos)
Also Read: AFRIFF Launches Strategy to Reposition African Film
The NFC chief emphasized the importance of raising awareness among government bodies, private sector stakeholders, and media professionals about the preservation, protection, and responsible use of audio-visual materials.
“The NFVSA, as Nigeria’s national archive, is at the heart of our strategy to build meaningful partnerships and drive affirmative actions. Decasia 2025 is an expression of that commitment,” he added.
The festival will promote film diplomacy, cultural heritage preservation, and capacity building in the areas of archival management and film documentation.
The four-day event will be held at the NFC office in Ikoyi, Lagos, with additional sessions also planned to take place in Berlin, Germany.
The inaugural edition of Decasia was held in Lagos in October 2019, under the theme “1st Berlin–Lagos Archival Film Festival”. The 2020 edition took place in Berlin, themed “Reclaiming History, Unveiling Memory.”
