By Eva Irewole
Africa had a seat at the table and Nigeria was firmly represented at the inaugural Lumière Summit held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, with the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) bringing African cinema into a high-level global conversation on the future of film.
Nigeria’s delegation included the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, alongside Chioma Ude, founder of AFRIFF, whose presence positioned the continent’s film industry within one of the most influential gatherings of global cinema stakeholders.
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Convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, the summit brought together more than 200 leading figures from across the international film and entertainment ecosystem.
Described as the “Davos of the film industry,” the event gathered filmmakers, policymakers, cultural leaders, studio executives and representatives of major global platforms to examine the future of the moving-image industry.
Among the high-profile attendees were Hollywood actor and filmmaker George Clooney, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, and senior executives from Disney and Sony Pictures, alongside other influential figures shaping the global screen industry.
For Nigeria and the wider African film sector, the participation of Musa-Musawa and Ude carried significant weight.
AFRIFF’s presence brought an African perspective into discussions often dominated by Western and Asian markets, reinforcing the continent’s growing influence in global storytelling.
Founded by Ude, AFRIFF has become one of Africa’s leading film festivals, connecting filmmakers with international audiences, institutions and industry leaders.
Its inclusion at the summit provided a strategic platform to amplify African narratives and creative potential on the global stage.
Photographs from the summit captured Musa-Musawa and Ude engaging with global leaders, including President Macron, George Clooney and senior Netflix executives moments that underscored Africa’s increasing visibility within international film circles.
Beyond high-level interactions, the summit focused on critical issues shaping the future of cinema, including the rise of artificial intelligence, the dominance of streaming platforms, shifting audience behaviours, the sustainability of theatrical releases, and emerging models for global collaboration and financing.
A key outcome of the summit was the launch of the Lumière Partnership, a joint €1 billion ($1.16 billion) investment initiative by France and South Korea aimed at supporting the film, audiovisual and broader moving-image industries between 2027 and 2031.
Each country will contribute €500 million, with France’s funding channelled through Bpifrance and South Korea providing a matching investment.
The initiative is designed to strengthen industry growth while promoting human creativity, copyright protection and cultural diversity.
Held at the Fondation Maeght, a renowned contemporary art institution, the summit convened representatives from more than 60 countries and international organisations, reflecting its global reach and ambition.
For Nigeria, the significance of the summit extended beyond attendance.
With Musa-Musawa representing the nation’s creative economy and Ude amplifying AFRIFF’s voice, the country positioned itself within a critical global dialogue about the future of cinema.
From engagements with President Macron and George Clooney to interactions with Netflix and other major industry players, AFRIFF’s participation underscored the rising importance of African cinema within the global film ecosystem.
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At its core, the Lumière Summit posed a defining question: what will the future of cinema look like and who gets to shape it? For Africa, the answer is becoming increasingly clear: the continent intends to be part of that future.
