NFVCB Moves To Stop Premiere Of ‘Living in Colors’ Over Unclassified Content

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) says it is working with security agencies to stop the planned media event and premiere of the film Living in Colors in Lagos, describing the production as unclassified and illegal for public exhibition.

The Board said its attention was drawn to a promotional poster and trailer circulating online for an event titled “Media Press Call and Movie Premiere of ‘Living in Colors’”, scheduled to take place this weekend at a cinema facility in Lagos.

In a statement, the NFVCB said preliminary investigations indicated that the film’s trailer contains what it described as “explicit pornography” and promotes same-sex relationships.

It said the film had neither been submitted to nor vetted and classified by the Board, making its public exhibition or promotion unlawful under applicable Nigerian laws.

“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,” the statement said.

The NFVCB also said it had contacted the management of the cinema and other venue providers, warning them against hosting the event.

According to the Board, any venue that hosts the unclassified film risks being sealed and having its operational licence revoked.

The Board further disclosed that legal proceedings were being initiated against the production company, producers and promoters involved in the project.

It said the action was being pursued under the NFVCB Act and the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, which the Board said criminalise the public exhibition or distribution of unclassified or prohibited content.

The NFVCB reiterated its commitment to what it described as the protection of Nigeria’s “moral, cultural, and constitutional values.”

It also warned filmmakers, cinema operators and media distribution platforms against promoting or facilitating the exhibition of the film, urging them to desist or face legal action.