Those who thronged the Film House, viewing centre, in Calabar to see the screen adaptation of the award winning novel by Nigerian born author, Chimamanda Adichie, which was initially billed to make its African debut at AFRIFF, were disappointed when South Africa’s controversial film, “Of Good Report” was screened at the opening of the festival.

Before the festival kicked off, the executive producers had announced their decision to withdraw the film from showing at the festival. A decision that shocked the festival Directors.  But as expalined  by the founder and CEO of AFRIFF, Ms Chioma Ude,“Half of a Yellow Sun” was withdrawn from  the programme after she  saw the film at the Toronto Film festival, and felt that it wasn’t much of a war story as widely publicised.”

According to her, “We deliberated over three movies to screen at the festival. But I was very sentimental about “Half of  Yellow Sun” because my parents told me so much about the civil war.  So, when I attended the  Toronto Film Festival which held recently, I saw the film, and it wasn’t much of a war story, rather it was a love story. So, when I returned to the country and I replaced the film with South Africa’s film, “Of Good Report.”

AFRIFF boss, however, put the record straight, explaining  that the film was withdrawn not because of the inability of the organisers to meet the demands of the producers. “Yewande said to me, I have three sponsors that want to give me N50 million to do an exclusive viewing. I said go ahead.”