Winifred O. A.’s Post

Idris Elba is right: The creative power of Africa is mostly untapped. Which is interesting given its population size and its long history of story-telling. Not just in filmmaking but also in developing new creative tech, in communication and in the arts, there is a history to tap into and to draw from. Once we can move away from a US-centric creative culture (not cancel it but add to it), we will hear and see stories that we never thought possible. What it needs to make this a reality? Collaboration between African markets. Government support (at first) to build the industry. Creative jobs that pay. Schools that help prepare for those. I can't wait.

Interesting opinion by Idris Elba  🌍"The growing global interest in the continent’s music, art and fashion is a testament to its creative potential. Now, it’s time for the film industry to take centre stage. Just as K-pop and K-cinema have reshaped views of Korea, Africa’s film industry can become a potent tool for economic development and cultural diplomacy." 🌍 #growth #development #culture #economy  https://lnkd.in/d-HXHXGP

This is a very bold statement of ambition from the actor/producer Idris Elba. Many will welcome it. #SouthKorea however, which has invested heavily into its tech and creative sectors for over 20 years and is referenced here as an exemplar, is a #unitary #state. Africa is not. #Film #tax #credit regimes are intensely competitive by their nature: there are more than 100 competing regimes worldwide. 'Africa' does not exist for such fiscally enabled purposes. This is not in any way to disparage the scope for transcontinental media #investment, #distribution and other collaborations, but tax incentives on existing models cannot apply by definition: outside the USA they are typically based on national #cultural #tests and national tax authority inward investment agendas. A pool of interlocking incentive regimes designed to simulate a single film industry investment market for participating African countries is theoretically possible, but the political challenges to delivery - from the Maghreb to the Cape - would be immense. Idris Elba may, however, be the man to catalyse and champion new forms, or broker the necessary deal-making. He seems to have powerful friends! #filmindustry #Africa #fiscal #incentives #Africanstories Olsberg•SPI BOP Consulting #creativeeconomy

What can replace exile? What is left when everyone leaves, and what remains? (Trails of #Migration Series #041) …… “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦, ~ 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, ~ 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺, ~ 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦, ~ 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦, ~ 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦, ~ 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 ~ 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯." • 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗵 (𝟭𝟵𝟰𝟱-𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟭) ****************************************** The film poses the central question: What can replace exile? What is left when everyone leaves, and what remains? Keita marries drama and thriller so as to show the dark face of a Dakar left alone, abandoned by its promising sons and daughters: a Dakar underground, surviving on easy money, where individuals themselves are abandoned as families disinte- grate through exiles and absences. William Nadylam’s crude, unsentimental, and even harsh performance in the role of Adama holds the film altogether. Keita himself has acknowl- edged a certain chaos in the scenario (see his interview with Olivier Barlet, “L’Absence: Une Métaphore de l’Etat de l’Afrique,” May 2009, www.africultures. com), explaining that the shooting conditions had been so difficult and constraining that he thought this would be his last film. L’Absence was shot in five weeks with a low budget. It is only after many, though award-filled, years that the film has made its way to cinemas in 2014. (It was selected for the Rotterdam Festival and received the Best Screenplay Award at Fespaco 2009.) In the film’s tragic critique of postcolonialism one might find echoes of Cheikh Amidou Kane’s novel L’Aventure Ambigüe (1961), in which a young man returns from a promising exile at university in Paris only to find himself feeling suicidally lost and alienated at home. Such a comparison, however, risks reducing Adama’s impossible return to a situation of cultural incom- patibility. There is much more than that here. Adama is never accused of being either too assimilated or decultured. Instead, the film hints at the violence of his departure—with the moral violence of his absence mirrored and replaced by the physical violence now pulsing through Dakar. The question is not simply whether one can return after exile, but what does leaving mean? The film presents absence through its moral and social implications, and exposes its inherent contradictions, opposing the irresistible attraction of an international, “extroverted” success (see Jean-François Bayart’s The Politics of the Belly [Polity, 2009]) with a continent that has been left orphaned. Anaïs Angelo European University Institute Florence, Italy doi:10.1017/asr.2014.125 anais.angelo@eui.eu ….

This right here 🙌🏽 Elba, who played South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic Long Walk to Freedom, believes that it is vital for Africans to be centre-stage in the entire film-making process. That is in front of the camera, behind the camera and also in financing, distribution, marketing and showing the final product. He imagines that just as movie audiences around the world know the differences between the US cities of New York and Los Angeles without necessarily ever having visited them, they will one day have a more nuanced understanding of the continent. “This sector is a soft power, not just across Ghana but across Africa. “If you watch any film or anything that has got to do with Africa, all you’re going to see is trauma, how we were slaves, how we were colonised, how it’s just war and when you come to Africa, you will realise that it’s not true. “So, it’s really important that we own those stories of our tradition, of our culture, of our languages, of the differences between one language and another. The world doesn’t know that.” With Nigeria’s Nollywood producing hundreds of movies a year, films are arguably one of the country’s most successful exports. There is also a tradition, especially in parts of Francophone Africa, of making high-quality films. Elba has previously recognised the talent in Africa’s film industry, but said the facilities were “lacking”. The UN’s cultural agency said that despite “significant growth in production”, the business of film-making across the continent was hindered by issues such as piracy, insubstantial training opportunities and a lack of official film institutions. Elba believes with the right momentum and involvement of governments willing to create an enabling environment, a virtuous circle can be established. “We have to invest in our story-telling because when you see me, you see a little version of yourself and that encourages us.” We can’t wait for the movies that will come out! #representationmatters

"Filmmakers from 42 countries in Africa can apply for the Open Doors programme, which is backed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Submissions for the 2025 edition of Open Doors’ three main programmes - Open Doors Projects, Open Doors Producers and Open Doors Directors - are open from November 28 to January 16." https://lnkd.in/eCydFK8t

The 30 for 30 series, developed by the Imigani Project in collaboration with IGIHE and featuring 30 Rwandan artists from different generations, marks the 30th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi. Each narrative probes the deep-seated impact of the Genocide, highlighting how the arts offer a depth of insight and emotional resonance beyond what traditional forms of reporting and documentation, such as news articles, history books, and documentaries, can provide. As such, the arts are portrayed as a powerful tool for understanding and processing the emotional aftermath of genocide, offering perspectives that are more nuanced and emotionally impactful than those found in more conventional sources of information. This episode features Jean-Luc Mitana, a Rwandan filmmaker in the film industry and the founder of Inzu Films, a production company that serves as a hub for his filmmaking endeavours and a platform for developing local filmmaking talent. In this episode, Jean-Luc shares his profound understanding of the role storytelling plays in shaping Rwanda's country identity and its representation globally. He emphasises the importance of expanding the narratives explored in Rwandan cinema beyond the predominant themes of Genocide against the Tutsi. By advocating for films that delve into science fiction, pre-colonial history, and other diverse topics, Jean-Luc argues for a richer cultural dialogue that transcends Genocide against the Tutsi. His call for better funding and support for local filmmakers is not just about fostering creativity but also about building a sustainable film industry that empowers Rwandans to tell their own stories. This development is crucial for cultural autonomy and for presenting Rwanda through multiple lenses on the world stage. #Kwibuka30 cc: Cynthia Butare

Cultural policy isn’t just about funding—it’s about values. And when governments start shaping artistic expression, it’s worth paying attention. Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg is calling out Sweden’s cultural minister for taking an increasingly political approach to film funding, prioritizing projects that align with government-defined “Swedish values.” His concern? That art will become a tool for national identity-building rather than a space for creative risk, critical engagement, and international dialogue. This isn’t just a Scandinavian issue. We’ve seen similar rhetoric elsewhere—governments trying to dictate which stories get told and which don’t, often under the guise of cultural preservation or national pride. But when funding bodies impose ideological guardrails, they don’t protect culture—they narrow it. If the role of the arts is to challenge, to provoke, to complicate rather than simplify, then policymakers need to understand that culture thrives on openness, not restriction. And if filmmakers, artists, and cultural leaders don’t push back when these lines are drawn, they’ll only get tighter. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWVjbvn4 #ArtsPolicy #FreedomOfExpression #Film #CulturalLeadership #CreativeFreedom

Perhaps after The Gods Must Be Crazy and Shaka Zulu, no other South African storyline has captivated African audiences like Queen Modjadji. In fact, many have ranked it right behind Shaka Zulu and as one of Africa’s best productions in recent times – a benchmark for African producers to tell African stories in the ‘most African’ way without disregarding quality or the African heritage and culture. Right from the props and elements, characters, storyline, lighting, camera shots and angles, sound, editing, etc, Queen Modjadji ticks all the boxes of what a quality production should be like. Renowned producer and writer, Duma Ndlovu, who is soon hitting 70 years, is behind this groundbreaking DStv series which he says he first wrote more than 30 years ago before shelving it after he got frustrated by South African broadcasters.On the issue of funding, often cited as a challenge for African filmmakers, Ndlovu advises aspiring producers not to let budget constraints hinder their creativity. Well- researched and well-produced works using any available equipment, he says, will always attract the next investments. Multi-award winner Uzair Merchant during the MultiChoice Talent Factory masterclass in production design emphasized just as much. Shot framing for the different screen sizes, panning and even the choice and colors of the actors’ costumes contribute immensely to the scene and theme that a producer is trying to portray on screen. Props and elements are also not just placed to fill up space; they must have a purpose why they are there. For Ndlovu, the essence of African cinema lies in telling authentic stories, no matter the budget. “In the movie space, if you do a film and it sets itself apart, it will help you to raise money for the next project...Africans should tell African stories.” . . . . . #SudenPR #Client #PublicRelations #Press #bKREATIVProductions #TheKreativLab #ProductionDesigner #Uzair Merchant #UziMerchant #SupermanAndLois #Director #Producer #StardustNFT #FastAndFurious #Skyfall #MergingRealities #AJourneyIntoSystemicRacism #QueenModjadji #DumaNdlovu #SouthAfrican

Kenya and China have solidified their commitment to cultural exchange and film industry collaboration with a Memorandum of Understanding signing. This partnership aims to elevate Kenya as a prime filming destination and facilitate the production and showcasing of Chinese films. Last year’s agreement to bring Hollywood Invention Studios to Kenya underscores the nation’s growing role in global filmmaking. The themed ceremony, 'Kenya, China TV Theatre,' highlighted various Chinese TV programs, emphasizing cultural enrichment and bilateral cooperation. Jimmy Carter Luo, CEO of StarTimes Kenya, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, foreseeing joint productions, content sharing, and professional exchanges between Kenyan and Chinese media entities. Key figures from both nations attended the event, including Dong Xin from China’s National Radio and Television Administration and Timothy Owase, CEO of Kenya Film Commission. Deputy Minister Dong Xin affirmed optimism about future collaboration, envisioning strengthened ties in media and entertainment to foster mutual development. Kenya Film Commission's CEO Timothy Owase lauded the partnership’s potential to transform Kenya’s film industry, promising continued government support for youth engagement and talent development. This collaboration opens doors for cultural integration and economic growth in the vibrant realm of global media. #KenyaChinaFilmCollaboration #CulturalExchange #FilmIndustryPartnership #GlobalMediaRelations #KenyaFilmCommission #StarTimesMedia #FilmProduction #CulturalDiplomacy To read more: https://zurl.co/y6x8