… warns owners of venues where the movie will be exhibited
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has kicked against plans by the producers of ‘Living in Colours’ to hold a media and film premiere in Lagos.
It said the movie had not been vetted by the board, adding that investigations revealed that the trailer for the film depicted explicit pornography and actively promoted same-sex relationships.
“The attention of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has been drawn to a promotional poster and trailer circulating across media channels regarding an event titled ‘Media Press Call and Movie Premiere of ‘Living in Colours,’ scheduled for this weekend at a cinema facility in Lagos.
Preliminary investigations and reports confirmed that the trailer for this film depicts explicit pornography and actively promotes same-sex relationships,” the statement read in part.
Continuing, the Board also stated that the film had been neither submitted, vetted nor classified by the NFVCB, in accordance with the Nigerian laws guiding every film release.
“The Board states categorically that this film has neither been submitted, vetted, nor classified by the NFVCB, rendering any public exhibition or promotion completely illegal. Consequently, the Board is collaborating with federal and state security agencies to track down, disrupt, and halt the planned press call and premiere event at the designated venue.
“Similarly, the Board has contacted the management of the exhibition centre and venue providers, and they are hereby warned that hosting an unclassified film is a direct breach of digital and theatrical content laws, which will result in the immediate sealing of the facility and revocation of operational licenses.
“Importantly, legal proceedings are being initiated against the production company, alongside the individual producers and promoters involved,” the NFVCB said in its statement.
The board further stressed that under the NFVCB Act and the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, it remains a severe criminal offense to make a public show or distribution of unclassified or legally prohibited content.
