Catherine Ruelle, cinema guru, to storm IONIFF

To further raise the bar of film festivals in Nigeria and make it compete favourably with others globally, the organizers of IONIFF, holding in Port Harcourt, has concluded plans to fly in one of the world’s most celebrated cinema experts based in Paris, France, Catherine Ruelle, as Artistic Director. Ruelle, producer of “Golden Camera” a programme on Cannes Festival TV, which portrays and interviews young filmmakers from all over the world, is billed to bring her wealth of experience to IONIFF, Port Harcourt 09, holding in the Rivers State capital from December 9 to 12, 2009.
Ruelle, who has been working in various capacities as President, Organizer or Committee Member of International Film Festivals in Paris, Cannes, Milan, and Geneva since 1979, has expressed her delight to be part of a festival that celebrates Nollywood which is a film industry she considers to be phenomenal given its growth over the years.
According to the organizers of IONIFF Port Harcourt 09, she’s coming to Nigeria with her wealth of experience at the international level to share with participants particularly Nollywood while at the same time learning from Nollywood on how best to tell the Nigerian story.
Valentine Charles, one of the organizers of the festival, said she was chosen because of her experience in film festivals especially as it pertains to the Black films. This deduction she said was drawn from the fact that in 1980, Ruelle, co-organized the first ever festival in Europe to celebrate Independent Black American Filmmakers and in 1984, founded the Association Racines, which produced its first edition of Racines International Film Festival at Centre Georges Pompidou, the most prestigious cultural centre in the French capital.
“As a result of her interest in black filmmaking, she became a part of the organization of Noir, Black, Negra, an artistic composition of film screenings, tales, music events and creation of an African village at Cannes Festival. In line with her black cinema knowledge, she created a special category called Raices Negras/ Black Roots at the French cinema festival in Cuba in 1999 and 2000.”
Valentine said Ruelle, also co-founded in partnership with the renowned Senegalese director Mahama Traore the special Djibril Diop Mambety prize at Cannes Festival and in 2008, was appointed Artistic Director of a Midsummer’s Night Dream Digital Film Festival in Paris till date. “This lady of creativity has also co-authored some great works such as UNESCO report about African cinema, a book about Brazilian Cinema, Cuban Cinema to name a few.”