In an interesting development, the French movie industry (I’m tempted to say Follywood) has signed a mutual agreement with Nollywood, which will help in movie distribution between Nigeria and France. The French movie industry is known as the Cinema of France and according to Pulse, the agreement gives both industry representatives from both countries to showcase movies through the “French-Nigerian Film Distribution Conference.”

At the agreement, Nollywood was represented by the National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, while the Cinema of France was represented by the Alliance Francaise. The relationship between Nollywood and the Cinema of France isn’t exactly a new one: the 2018 African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) which held in November, had the French Embassy Showcase and French film professionals hosted  a full day panel discussing financing and distribution opportunities, in the hope that it will help the Nigerian movie industry.

With over 5,000 screens catering for French cinematic audience, Nollywood stands a better chance to reach a wider audience. Reciprocating the gesture, Nigeria’s 200 cinema screens will also be showcasing some of the best productions to come out of Cinema of France. This is an excellent exchange agreement that would be symbiotically favourable for both industries, creating an opportunity for practitioners to interchange ideas, talents, and stories.