The first ever Africa Film Summit (ACS) aimed at projecting African cinemas on a global pedestal will take place in Ghana.
The event, organized by the Ghana National Film Authority in association with FilmOne and Silverbird Cinema, is scheduled for November 14-16.
The two-day summit would take place at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel and Silverbird Cinema in Accra.
During a press conference in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Film Authority, Juliet Asante, who convened the summit, explained the rationale for the summit.
Ms. Asante recognized the importance of film, particularly as a means for filmmakers to earn income.
She said: “We think that in order to take a bold step, it is important that Africa as a continent addresses the issues that challenge the film sector.
“That is why we reached out to partners in Nigeria and Ghana to join us on this journey of offering solutions.”
The convener noted that the concept of the summit goes beyond the shores of Nigeria and Ghana.
“Ghana is just a gateway. Africa is the destination. The peoples of Africa have the right to the cinema. Cinema energizes society. The cinema cannot be dead”.
Meanwhile, he also recognized Nigeria’s efforts to be at the forefront of the film industry, saying, “Africa recognizes that.”
streaming platforms
In response to a question during the press conference, Film House Cinemas co-founder and CEO Moses Babatope sprayed claims that streaming platforms threaten cinemas in Africa.
He said: “We are not here to talk about streaming platforms. However, we do not feel threatened at all. We recognize its impacts. Particularly, in 2021, streamers positively impacted the cinema.
He also noted that they love the streaming platforms and what they are doing, but they know that the streamers would not have penetrated the industry if it wasn’t for the advancements in the Nigerian film scene.
“We are community people, and this summit is a way of saying that there are people who drive the business and that investors can participate,” he added.
The Filmhouse co-founder further hinted at some of the highlights that would be screened at the upcoming summit.
According to him, the summit would promote local content in African cinemas and would also specifically address the problems and peculiarities of the film sector.
A Cinema Auditorium Africa Cinema Summit
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report, Africa, with 1,653 screens across the continent serving 1.3 billion people, is the most neglected continent in terms of film distribution.
The summit, with its inaugural edition, hopes to address the bottlenecks of African cinema and also offer solutions.
It promises to feature some highlights such as a vibrant showcase of African films along with celebrating the richness and diversity of the continent’s film art.
It would also offer a showcase area, business matchmaking sessions, targeted connections, panel discussions and collaborations, among many others.
Speaking about the importance of the summit, Babatope said it would attract investment to double the number of screens in Africa.
He said: “It’s time we stopped crossing our hands and nothing happens. We say we have a track record and we are ready for collaboration, investors and conversations.”
In addition, he noted that the summit is a moment of impact to present a uniformity of purpose, particularly regarding opportunities in the film sector.
The organizers unanimously echoed that the summit marks a pivotal moment in the history of the African film industry.
With the collective goal of fostering growth, innovation and collaboration, they said the summit seeks to unite film stakeholders from around the world, offering a platform for insightful industry business dialogues, opportunity exchanges and strategic partnerships.
They said the initiative represents the first gathering on the African continent, with the aim of pushing the African film ecosystem to greater heights.
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