With two weeks to the kick -off of the 21st edition of FESPACO, the biennial Pan African film fiesta in the West African sub-region, five Nigerian films have been selected for screening during the festival which begins on February 28 to March 7, 2009.

The films are "Changing Faces" by Farouk Lasaki (Production supported by Nigerian Film Corporation), "Trapped Dream" by Ubaka Joseph Ugochwuku, "Oluronbi" by Buariu Adebayo Ogundimu. Others are "Arugba" and "Life in Slow Motion" both by Tunde Kelani.

The films which have been accepted and certified to have met international standards by the organisers of FESPACO, will be screened in the African video format category according to a statement from FESPACO.

Screening of the five films will further boost the development of the Nigerian motion picture whose producers have risen to the challenges of making films that can be globally accepted and screened at international film festivals.

The producers of the five films have also been commended for their works which has further upped the rating of African films.While all other films will be screened in the Panorama African TV-Video category, "Arugba", by Tunde Kelani has been selected for competition in the Features video/TV film category.

Meanwhile, the French dubbed version of Faruk Lasaki's "Changing Faces" is expected to debut at the festival.

The acceptable format for the Pan African film festival and Television festival are; the DV-Cam-Pal, DVD-Pal and the 35mm print.With the convergence of film makers in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital for one week, and with the five Nigerian film makers/ films slated for both the competitive and non-competitive sections of the festival; (an appearance unprecedented in the history of FESPACO), it is hoped that Nigeria's participation will further draw the world's attention to the nation's budding motion picture industry and encourage other film makers from around the African continent and beyond to partner film makers from Nigeria in developing production and co-production relationships that would promote world class excellence in motion picture.

Al-Amin Ciroma, Abuja