Film Makers in Eastern Africa have launched a film producers Union. The Union was formed Friday 31st October at the Safari Club Hotel Nairob...
Film Makers in Eastern Africa have launched a film producers Union.
The Union was formed Friday 31st October at the Safari Club Hotel Nairobi where film makers in the region met for a two day forum to discuss issues affecting the region’s budding film industry.
The meeting was organized by Charles Asiba the Director of Kenya International Film Festival through the support of Alliance Francaise.
The Eastern Africa Film Makers Forum was born in 2004 to provide a platform where film makers in the region would meet, share experiences, discuss and forge a way to develop the young film industry.
Due to the lack of funding, film makers were largely unable to implement the resolutions agreed upon during the forum which mainly meets at Festivals.
Last year, during the East African Film Congress, Film makers frustrated with the failure to yield results from their discussions set up a committee for purposes of pursuing the implementation of the resolutions agreed upon. However, while the committee tries to set up the structures and work out mechanisms of developing the film industry in the region, the forum during the Kenya International Film Festival resolved to set up a union that would seek to address practical challenges affecting their work.
The forum’s member countries include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.
Kenya’s Patrick Kihara who runs a production and distribution company in Nairobi was appointed to head the union. The other countries are represented by: Taghreed Elsharhor for Sudan, Manyazewal Endeshaw for Ethiopia, Sarah Nsigaye for Uganda, Kururu Simon for Burundi and Laurian Kipeja for Tanzania.
The Union is the first one of its kind in the region. Its mandate is to represent Market / Economic, Legal and Regulatory interests which film producers in the region have in common. They include:
Lobbying for common policies Government Support Public and Private Sector partnerships / funding Common Markets, Joint Regional Productions and Networking Copyright and Piracy issues.
The union will also seek to coordinate film makers / producers with Film Festivals in the region and other players in the industry. With the lack of a film infrastructure in the region, small markets in most of the member states, copyright issues and lack of funding; the entire industry from production to distribution is almost inexistent a challenge that requires unified efforts and vision as well as coordinated action between all stakeholders particularly the producers of content regardless of which country they hail.
Against this back ground, all producers in the region including aspiring ones are invited to work together with the union so that it becomes the strong voice it is meant to be in order to tackle all issues hindering the development of the Film Industry in the region.
Sarah Kizza Nsigaye
Coordinator
The Union was formed Friday 31st October at the Safari Club Hotel Nairobi where film makers in the region met for a two day forum to discuss issues affecting the region’s budding film industry.
The meeting was organized by Charles Asiba the Director of Kenya International Film Festival through the support of Alliance Francaise.
The Eastern Africa Film Makers Forum was born in 2004 to provide a platform where film makers in the region would meet, share experiences, discuss and forge a way to develop the young film industry.
Due to the lack of funding, film makers were largely unable to implement the resolutions agreed upon during the forum which mainly meets at Festivals.
Last year, during the East African Film Congress, Film makers frustrated with the failure to yield results from their discussions set up a committee for purposes of pursuing the implementation of the resolutions agreed upon. However, while the committee tries to set up the structures and work out mechanisms of developing the film industry in the region, the forum during the Kenya International Film Festival resolved to set up a union that would seek to address practical challenges affecting their work.
The forum’s member countries include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.
Kenya’s Patrick Kihara who runs a production and distribution company in Nairobi was appointed to head the union. The other countries are represented by: Taghreed Elsharhor for Sudan, Manyazewal Endeshaw for Ethiopia, Sarah Nsigaye for Uganda, Kururu Simon for Burundi and Laurian Kipeja for Tanzania.
The Union is the first one of its kind in the region. Its mandate is to represent Market / Economic, Legal and Regulatory interests which film producers in the region have in common. They include:
Lobbying for common policies Government Support Public and Private Sector partnerships / funding Common Markets, Joint Regional Productions and Networking Copyright and Piracy issues.
The union will also seek to coordinate film makers / producers with Film Festivals in the region and other players in the industry. With the lack of a film infrastructure in the region, small markets in most of the member states, copyright issues and lack of funding; the entire industry from production to distribution is almost inexistent a challenge that requires unified efforts and vision as well as coordinated action between all stakeholders particularly the producers of content regardless of which country they hail.
Against this back ground, all producers in the region including aspiring ones are invited to work together with the union so that it becomes the strong voice it is meant to be in order to tackle all issues hindering the development of the Film Industry in the region.
Sarah Kizza Nsigaye
Coordinator
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