Issue no 82 23 June 2010
top story
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The 1st African Broadcast and Film Conference attracted over 200 participants from across the continent, There was a real buzz in the air as many people within Africa’s broadcast industry met for the first time. This 2nd African Broadcast and Film Conference will take place over two days (28-29 July 2010) in Kenya at the Kenyatta Centre in Nairobi. Key topics include a session on Africa’s newest generation of Free-to-Air and Pay TV Challengers, a look at how broadcasters can generate local content and a look at multi-platform strategies with social networking and blogs.
Chaired by Cathy Fogler of CAfrica Sports, the Conference’s first session will look at the wave of new entrants into the broadcast market in both the Free-To-Air and Pay TV sectors. On the Pay TV side, Joe Frans, CEO and President of NGB Africa, one of Africa’s newest entrants in the Pay TV market will look at the potential the continent offers and how his company will seek to carve itself out a market share. From the Free-To-Air side, eTV’s Group Executive: Regulatory Lara Kantor will look at the policy and regulatory obstacles that broadcasters face as business in different markets. Robert Grant, Head of Media Investment at FCMB will discuss the kinds of business models that will allow broadcasters to succeed. (A full list of confirmed speakers is available at the end of this article.)
Everyone now acknowledges that local content is important in getting audiences but the disparity between the cost of bought-in material and locally commissioned programmes doesn’t make it easy. But with Africa’s policy makers and regulators increasing imposing local content quotas on broadcasters, local content is something that broadcasters will need to get to grips with.
This panel session takes the problem from several different perspectives: what does the programme producer need; what are advertisers looking for; what does research tell us that audiences want; what does the Free-To-Air broadcaster need in terms of ideas; how can film-makers produce local films; and budgets to commit to local production and how are Pay TV stations contributing to local content.
Cherise Barsell of DISCOP, Africa’s leading content market will look at how broadcasters can best exploit secondary rights on programmes they’ve made and the opportunities that may exist for co-production, Nigeria’s Nneke Isaac Moses, CEO of Goge Africa will talk about her experience in getting programmes sponsored.
Other sessions will cover: Delivering broadcast output in new ways (including DTH satellite, fibre and IP-TV); the Digital Transition and how Africa can make this work for both broadcasters and audiences; whether broadcasting regulation is currently holding the industry back or spurring it on; how FM radio stations can compete in a crowded market; In the Danger Zone – what should broadcasters say or not say; After Nollywood, what next – Getting African film seen across the continent; and Multi-Platform strategies – Creating something that is more than words.
If you would like to be a speaker or panellist, please contact Russell Southwood, Balancing Act on: editorial@balancingact-africa.com If you would like to be a participant, exhibitor or sponsor, please contact Helen Moroney, Aitec on: helenm@aitecafrica.com
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
2nd Africa Broadcast and Film Conference, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, 28-29 July 2010
The conference is aimed at senior and middle managers in:
• National television stations • National radio stations.
• Pay TV companies using cable, IP-TV or satellite.
• International Broadcasting Stations like CNN, BBC, NBC, VOA, China Radio, Al Jazeera, Radio Japan, Deutsche Welle and Radio Netherlands.
• Television and film production companies.
• Facilities providers including production equipment hire, post-production and outside broadcast.
• Organisations like donors and faith-based organisations that run their own broadcast organisations for development purposes.
• Television and film equipment vendors and satellite capacity suppliers.
• Advertising and marketing agencies.
• Mobile and fixed telephone operators looking at convergence opportunities.
• Library Facilities for music, commercials and programmes.
(* Invited but not yet confirmed)
Day One – 28 July 2010
Introductory overview session: Africa’s prospects over the next three years Russell Southwood, Balancing Act will look at the changes in the industry across the continent over the last two years and the changes affecting its future growth.
Session 1: Africa’s Free-To-Air and Pay TV challengers Chair: Cathy Fogler, CAfrica Sports; Speakers: Euan Fanell, CEO, Wananchi (Kenya); Lara Kantor, Group Executive: Regulatory, eTV (South Africa); Mactar Silla, Chairman of APPTA (Association of Private Producers and Televisions of Africa); George Twumasi, CEO, African Broadcast Networks; Joe Frans, CEO and President, NGB Africa; Robert Grant, Head of Media Investment, FCMB;
Session 2: Getting local content through advance sales, commissions, sponsorship and co-productions: the economic rules of the production game Chair: Salim Amin, CEO, A24 Speakers: Wachira Waruru, CEO, Citizen; Sarah Migwi, Regional Head, Ultima (Kenya); Lizzie Chingoti, CEO, Kenya Film Commission; Cherise Barsell, DISCOP; Charles Igwe, CEO, Bob TV; Nneka Isaac Moses, CEO, Goge Africa; Myke Rybar, CEO, Home Boyz Entertainment; Mike Dearham, Head M-Net Library Acquisition and Sales; George Lutta, Regional Director, Scan Group
Session 3: Delivering broadcast output in new ways Chair: Andrea Bohnstedt, Publisher of www.ratio-magazine.com Speakers: Steve Rich, Vice President and General Manager, SES Astra, Africa (South Africa); Eyal Coppitt, SVP Sales Africa, Amos Spacecom (Israel); Suhayl Esmailjee, COO, Wananchi (Kenya); George Lasry, Channelot; Ronnie Andrews, Consultant, Townsend Andrews Consultants.
Session 4: The Digital Transition – How can Africa make this work for broadcasters and audiences? Anton Lan, Business Development Director, Altech UEC (South Africa); Daniel Obam, Digital Task Force (Kenya); Jason Lobel, Regional Sales Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, NDS; Eng. Jared Baraza, Snr Telecoms Consultant, African Advanced Level Telecoms Institute (AFRALTI)
Day Two – 29 July 2010
Session 1: Broadcast regulation – Holding the industry back or spurring it on? Speakers: Francis Wangusi, Broadcasting, Communications Commission of Kenya; Bitange Ndemo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications; Lekan Ogunbanwo, Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation; Cherise Barsell, DISCOP on piracy; N.Habbi Gunze, Director, Department of Broadcasting, TCRA
Parallel session 2: FM radio stations – How to compete in a crowded market place Chair: Bill Torrey, Director of Operations, Office of Marketing and Program Placement, US International Broadcasting Bureau Speakers: Patrick Quarcoo, Kiss FM (Kenya); Joe Otin, Synovate (Kenya); Moses Nyama, Director, Q-FM, Zambia; Addis Alemayhou, Managing Director, Paconet Media; Samuel Attah-Mensah, Managing Director, Citi 97.3fm; Charles Ekanem, Director, ESJ Interactive on using the use of SMS by radio stations;
Parallel session 2: Programming – Getting the most out of themed channels Robyn Cox, Managing Director, IMG (South Africa); Lenny Nganga, Director, Saracen OMD; Michael Gyang, General Manager, African Film and Music Company (creators of the Homebase Channel); Nada Anderson, CEO, Sports Uganda; David Campbell, CEO, Mediae; George Kimani, CEO, Continental Content Distribution
Parallel session 3: In the danger zone – what should broadcasters say or not say Panellists include: Oscar Beauttah, (Kenya); George Apiyo, (To be confirmed); Wallace Kantai, Television Commentator in Kenya.Parallel session 3: After Nollywood, what next? – Getting African film seen across the continent Speakers: Keynote speaker: Imruh Bakari, Savannah Films (Tanzania); Lola Sanusi, Director of Operations, Continental TV; Trushna Buddhev Patel, General Manager – Africa, Pan-African Film Distributors (EA); Wanuri Kahiu, Film-maker; Professor Emevwo Biakolo, Dean, School of Media & Communications, Pan-African University (Nigeria) on capacity building and training; Mike Dearham, Head M-Net Library Acquisition and Sales.
Session 4: Multi-platform strategies – Creating something that is more than words Chair: Guillame Pierre, Director Africa and Indian Ocean, CFI Panelists include: Kelvin Karungu, CEO, Habari TV; Fidelis Ndege, D-G, ANN24.com (UK); Salim Amin, CEO, A24 Media; Daudi Were, Africhange (Kenya); Anton Lan, Business Development Director, Altech UEC (South Africa); David Lomosi, CEO, KenyaTV; Joe Mucheru, Regional Lead Sub-Saharan Africa, Google on social media
content
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African film distributor A24 media has compiled footage that showcases the football fever in four of the six African countries that participate in the June 11th South football African gala. Broadcasters can get these stories for as little as $150 each!
Cameroon World Cup Fever
http://a24media.com/index.php/sports-blog/1547-cameroon-world-cup-feverIvory Coast World Cup Fever
http://a24media.com/index.php/sports-blog/1504-ivory-coast-world-cup-feverNigeria World Cup Fever
http://a24media.com/index.php/sports-blog/1506-nigeria-world-cup-feverGhana World Cup Fever
http://a24media.com/index.php/sports-blog/1507-ghana-world-cup-feverThe FIFA Films team based in Zug, Switzerland is FIFA's partner responsible for the management, maintenance and commercialisation of the FIFA Films Archive. Since 1954, internationally renowned film-makers have been commissioned to produce a FIFA World Cup Official Film of each World Cup. These films cover each tournament in its entirety, with all of the goals and highlights shot from every conceivable angle with a depth and quality of coverage that is unsurpassed.
Among its FIFA World Cup Stories, FIFA Films also holds a production called “African Odyssey”. The FIFA Films Archive includes all televised FIFA World Cup matches from 1966-2006 and the FIFA World Cup™ Official Films 1954-2006 produced by some of the world's most talented independent producers together with event footage from FIFAs other unique and celebrated international events such as the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup.
More details can be obtained from http://www.fifafilms.com/programming/
2 title +story: Trace TV and TV5 scoop programme awards, Trace TV will launch Africa Music Channel
Trace TV and TV5 both scooped awards for programmes focused on Africa that they make. Trace TV has also announced that it will be putting together an African music channel.
On June 2nd, 2010, International urban music channel Trace was voted both Coolest TV Channel and Coolest TV Music Channel by the youth of South Africa at the sixth annual “Sunday Times” Generation Next 2010 Survey Awards in Johannesburg, at The Arena at Halfway Toyota in Fourways, Gauteng. Organised by “The Sunday Times”, the newspaper is South Africa’s largest weekly with more than 3 million readers.
Held Thursday, May 27, the yearly ceremony surveys a panel of 5,839 young South African urbanites — ages 8 to 22 — living in six major provinces.
The Coolest TV Channel award was granted to Trace, ahead of Disney Channel,
Cartoon Network, MTV Base, MNet, and SABC1. The Coolest TV Music Channel award went to Trace, ahead of Channel O, MTV Base and MTV this year.After only three years broadcasting in South Africa, on the DStv MultiChoice network, Trace has won the hearts of young viewers with a unique mix of international programming and urban trend-spotting from all around the globe, including South Africa.
In Africa, the channel is distributed by Canal +, Dstv and a few cable/MMDS companies. The channel is accessed by 3.5 million paid and legal African subscribers, and an approximate audience of 40 million illegal subscribers. Trace TV is planning to launch a new 100% African music channel.
Meanwhile TV5Monde received the Jury Prize for the "Web-news" category and a special "heart shot" for its new Web TV "TV5Monde Africa +" at the first Web-TV Festival in La Rochelle. The festival also awarded TV5Monde Africa + under a special "favourite" mention for its innovative and interactive web TV. Launched last May 25, the web TV is available free at www.tv5monde.com/afrique.
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The movie industry in Ethiopia recorded a record increase in production and audiences with 75 films produced in the last year alone, attracting over 600,000 viewers.
An international short film festival held in Addis Ababa (from 14 to 19 June 2010) where around 100 films across the world are being screened revealed that Ethiopian films have recorded growth over the past two years. The Ethiopian Film Producers Association (EFPA) said that some 75 films were produced and displayed for show in various cinema houses in 2009.
The EFPA Deputy President Tomas Getachew, said that the number of viewers of local movies has increased to an average from less than 200,000 to 2.7 million over the last seven years. Only last year, around 605, 454 viewers were recorded for various local films in two cinema houses in Addis Ababa, home to around five million people. According to EFPA, only 194 movies were produced in the last six years, with 75 of them produced last year alone.
“The movie industry has shown a rapid progress. However, the number is insignificant when compared to that of the number of films which a country like Nigeria produces,” added the association.
The festival being held under the theme, “Images That Matter”, at the National Theater in Addis Ababa, aims to use film as a “ personal, social, and economic tool and to facilitate an exchange between African filmmakers and the international community”. A competition among 25 East African filmmakers, with the first prize being an air ticket to France for training in film production was held at the final day of the festival.
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The belief in child witches is widespread throughout Nigeria and many other regions of the World. These beliefs have had a significantly negative impact on children who become victims of torture, violence and abuse.
Many Nollywood films have capitalised on the belief in child witchcraft, with some depicting children eating human flesh and using their power to wreak havoc over communities. These films have been widely distributed and Stepping Stones Nigeria (Steppingstonesnigeria.org) believes it has helped to spread the belief in child witches.
Sylvain Béletre of Balancing Act (BA) interviewed Gary Foxcroft (GF) from SSN on the making of The Fake Prophet, a new film which aims to counterbalance these films and expose the truth behind the so-called men and women of God who have made their wealth from branding children as witches and highlight the legal consequences of child witch stigmatisation and abuse. SSN believes that the medium of film will provide a different way of empowering and educating parents, families, and communities to think about the rights of their children and the important part they play in Nigeria’s and Africa’s future.
Furthermore, literacy is a basic human right in modern society, yet over 57 million adults in Nigeria only cannot read or write. One alternative to this is using audiovisual media as an alternative to improve education and awareness.
This film is aimed at all Nigerians but particularly those non-literate community members who may be unable to access mainstream media channels. Nollywood films are watched and talked about by millions of people from every ethnic group and social stratum in Nigeria. They are widely accessible and exert influence over Nigerian culture, and have the potential to pioneer change. Utilising film in this way will therefore create a powerful avenue to change attitudes, values and beliefs, and ultimately prevent the abuse of children.
Given the projected reach of ‘The Fake Prophet’ and the power of the Nollywood industry, producers believe that this film will stimulate a great deal of debate, and has the capacity to save and change many children’s lives.
The Director – SSN has collaborated with the leading Nollywood film producer -Teco Benson- on this ground-breaking project. Teco has made many films including the well known ‘End of the Wicked’.
BA: How much did the film cost and who paid for it?GF: Around GBP30,000 – financed by Stepping Stones Nigeria.
BA: How will you distribute the film?
GF: We will start by holding three premieres, one in London (July), one in Lagos (August) and one in New York (September). Following this we will release the film on DVD and later on television throughout Nigeria using our Nigerian distributer TFP Global Network, it will then be broadcast on various TV stations throughout the wider Africa Diaspora, the UK and the USA using our network of supporters.
BA: Have you done a French and Portuguese version for francophone and lusophone Africa?
GF: Yes, we would love to have it translated into French and Portuguese; However at the moment we do not have the funds to do this and are looking for sponsors. As you may know the problem of child witches is also in Angola, DRC, Central African Republic, etc. As such this film could potentially have a massive impact there as well as in Nigeria. If your readers know of a sponsor or a translator who could help us translate the film into French and Portuguese, they should contact us ASAP.
BA: How can broadcaster show your film?
GF: They can contact us and discuss terms. We will be very happy to hear from them.
BA: Are you interested in online VoD platforms to spread out the film globally?
GF: Yes, indeed, using online VoD will provide a powerful launch for the film, making it easily accessible worldwide.
BA: How much would you licence the film for?
GF: This is negotiable depending upon the specific country terms. However, as the film is primarily an advocacy tool we are able to offer very competitive rates.
BA: Will you give DVD copies to African schools?
GF: Yes, we hope to work with UNICEF and other agencies to do this.
BA: Have you put any anti-piracy measures in place in case the DVD gets copied?
GF: Unfortunately we could not afford this. As long as we break even on the film we will be happy. For us the most important thing is to get the film out there into the public domain, so once it has been distributed and we have got our investment back, the pirating of the film may ultimately help us get our message across to more people.
BA: Do you plan on producing other films/documentaries?
GF: Yes, we hope to produce other similar Nollywood movies to explore child rights issues in Africa such as child trafficking, Female Genital Mutilation, Forced labour, etc. This first film will hopefully be the start of something much bigger.
Contact: j.atkinson @ steppingstonesnigeria.org -
- DStv Compact campaign won silver at the APEX awards.
- The Secretariat of the ACP Group and its ACPFilms Programme announced that the
26th International North-South Media Forum will be held from 29 October to 3 November 2010 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This year's edition will focus on the problem of "The Global Food Crisis: causes, effects and solutions" and on the related themes of agriculture, climate change, trade, food and hunger.- Trace TV has launched the following Fifa WC content: the finest selection of the best music videos celebrating soccer such as «Wacka Wacka» (Shakira), «Un, Dos, Tres» (Ricky Martin) and many more in FOCUS. A 26’ docu with Christian Karembeu and one with Manchester United captain, Rio Ferdinand.
- Canal Overseas Africa has launched “Canal Foot Africa”, a 32 minute TV programme dedicated to FIFA WC and running for the duration of the Cup. The programme is presented by Luc Sonor (French), Youssouf Falikou Fofana (Ivory Coast) or Patrick M’Boma (Cameroon). More at www.canalplus-afrique.com
broadcast
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Worldspace, a US-based satellite radio provider, plans to relaunch its services in South Africa if a bid by former chairman Noah Samara to buy the company is approved.
WorldSpace filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008 after repeated failures to meet debt obligations. Its satellite radio broadcasts were available in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Hamza Farooqui, MD of WorldSpace Southern Africa, said last week if the sale to Mr Samara's Yazmi USA was approved, the company would relaunch in SA, but would first apply for a licence from the industry regulator. If WorldSpace returns, it will provide wider choices for consumers wanting access to regional and international radio stations. Unlike commercial radio, which depends heavily on advertising, satellite radio depends primarily on subscription income.
Mr Farooqui could not elaborate on the company's plans until the sale is finalised.
WorldSpace had 42 radio stations on its local platform, including Kagiso Media 's East Coast Radio and international stations such as Voice of America. WorldSpace opened its offices in SA five years ago and received permission to operate while the Independent Communications Authority of SA finalised the licensing process for subscription broadcasters.But WorldSpace pulled out of the process in 2007 because it contravened the Electronic Communications Act, which caps foreign ownership on local broadcasting companies at 20%.
There was also confusion as to whether WorldSpace was a broadcaster or an infrastructure provider and whether it would require a services licence, a network licence or both.
Last year, before it closed shop, the company was planning to sell 30% in its local entity to black investors to boost its chances of receiving a network licence rather than a broadcast services licence.
Avhasei Mukoma, a broadcasting and telecommunications lawyer at Mukoma Attorneys, said yesterday WorldSpace would probably need both a network and a services licence, and either way it would have to abide by the black empowerment rules.
"WorldSpace must ensure that it complies with the rules first. But my concern is about its business model." Mr Mukoma said the radio landscape had changed and there were now multiple platforms to receive services. "If they are going to position themselves as a niche provider and also bring something unique to the market, it might work," he said.
Mr Samara said that WorldSpace had been working in 2006 with car manufacturers to install satellite receivers in their vehicles. Analysts have previously said the key to growth in satellite radio was for the technology to be mobile, otherwise satellite radio would struggle.
In the US, satellite radio has taken off because two big operators, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius, are available on some cars.
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- Ideally packaged for the World Cup, Omedia and Repucom have launched a new media monitoring solution which tracks advertising and sponsorship media campaigns in Africa. More from www.omedia.ci
- Conceptualised and produced by specialist branded entertainment agency, 2.0 Media, Fresh Living TV, a unique lifestyle makeover reality TV show on e.tv, will launch during the channel's prime time slot on Monday 6 September 2010.
- Employees of Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) have threatened to go on strike over slow payment of wages.
- In Ethiopia, some regional administrations recently launched their own stations, and others are also preparing to do so. Ethiopia has only the state broadcaster, ETV.
- In South Africa, figures released by Fifa showed that the combined in-home television audience watching the two World Cup broadcast channels, SABC and SuperSport, was 10,146,793 South Africans - setting a new record in terms of television viewing - which was 39 percent higher than 7.35 million who watched last year's Confederation Cup final won by Brazil. For the opening match, SABC had a bigger audience of 8,895,965, representing a 76 percent market share with SuperSport bagging 11 percent of the market with 1,250,828 viewers.
distribution
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Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced on 7th June 2010 that it has secured numerous sales across multiple territories of its groundbreaking, new football documentary, How to Win the FIFA World Cup, which is produced in partnership with Castrol. The announcement was made by Mike Morley, chief creative officer and executive vice president, international production, SPT.
How to Win the FIFA World Cup has been licensed in Africa including to the World Cup host nation, South Africa (SABC1) and in Egypt (ERTU).
How To Win the FIFA World Cup includes footage from World Cup tournaments over the past 20 years, exclusively commissioned research from a leading Dutch university into the performances of national sides and is backed up by in-depth data from Castrol Performance Analysts including the Castrol Index which uses objective analysis of over 2,000 players and games to give deeper insight into winning performances of some of the world’s best footballers.
The partnership between SPT and Castrol on “How To Win the FIFA World Cup” was facilitated by branded entertainment sales agents, Krempelwood, working closely with Castrol’s media agency, Mindshare, and SPT.
As a sidenote, Sony Corporation has unveiled '3D world Created by Sony', a premium 3D experience pavilion featuring a 280 inch 3D LED screen and 240 seats, at Nelson Mandela Square (Sandton City) in South Africa in celebration of the first ever FIFA World Cup to be produced in 3D.
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The FIFA Football World Cup taking place in South Africa is a unique event for South Africans. It has the potential to unite South Africans as no other event since democracy was established in 1994. In the months before the championship it is vital that everyone feels part of this. One way to achieve this is to inspire South Africans by screening cinema on football.
Soccer Cinema is a travelling cinema, bringing some of the world’s best soccer documentaries to 50 small towns, villages and townships, spread across all 9 South African provinces.
Ahead of the FIFA WC, Soccer Cinema’s journey started on 6 April 2010 in Cape Town and ended there on 2 June 2010, followed by a Soccer Cinema Festival held at the Labia Cinema from 5 to 10 June.
The key objective of the project was to share a common passion and build unity in South Africa by inspiring South Africans through documentary cinema with insight into famous players, teams as well as incredible highlights and events from the game's colourful past. Soccer Cinema set up its mobile screen in small remote towns that will not be able to experience the World Cup live, towns with special histories.
The films screened were sourced from broadcasting commissioning editors and filmmakers from across the world to provide access to the best documentary films ever made about soccer. Soccer Cinema was made possible because of a passionate team with the backing of “Steps Southern Africa” and “The National Lottery”. Check out the map under their site’s screenings section:
More at the Soccer Cinema web site: http://soccercinema.co.za/ -
- 28 May 2010: The government of Malawi announced during the national budget that functions of the Malawi Television Limited (TVM) would be merged with the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).
- Ethiopia: The price of satellite dishes has risen by 45 percent in Addis Ababa markets over the last few weeks. A single receiver has increased by over 500 birr to 1,800 birr. A non-TV card receiver with accessories, which usually sells at around 1,200 birr, now sells at about 1,500 birr, according to traders, suggesting that the coming football World Cup, the new 24 hour satellite television station, ESAT, which launched its transmission from the US in Amharic last month (available on the freeview ArabSat service), and the launch of a new 90 centimetre dish by Multi Choice a few months which offers cheaper deals are some of the reasons.
- Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau theatres in South Africa has signed a three-year partnership agreement with the SAB Miller-owned brand Grolsch. As part of the deal, a 60-second Grolsch advertisement will be screened before all movies in Cinema Nouveau theatres, as well as a 15-second slot just before the main feature.
- Organisers of Discop Africa, the TV market in sub-Saharan Africa, announced on 14 June 2010 that more than 120 buyers have already registered for the fourth event which returns to Nairobi, Kenya in September.
- “Life, above All” from south African film maker Oliver Schmitz found a distributor. The German-South African documentary, which describes the tragedy and consequences of AIDS in Africa has now secured a deal with Sony Pictures Classics for North American distribution. The film is written by Vancouver-based writer Dennis Foon, based on the novel Chanda’s Secrets by Toronto author Allan Strattan. It had its world premiere at Cannes 2010, where it won an award and received good reviews.
investment
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South African and Australian film-makers will now have an opportunity to work together following the signing of a film co-production treaty between the governments of South Africa and Australia.
Arts and Culture Minister Lulu Xingwana signed the agreement on behalf of the South African government while Kate Ellis MP, Australian Minister for Sport, Youth, Early Childhood Education and Childcare, signed on behalf of the Australian government.
The agreement aims to encourage film co-productions between Australian and South African film-makers by streamlining some of the administrative and funding issues around cooperation in film-making.
Practical benefits for film-makers are that projects approved as official co-productions under the treaty will be granted 'national treatment' by both countries meaning co-producers can access a range of funding and tax benefits, simplified immigration requirements for the entry of skilled personnel, and duty free importation of equipment for use in co-productions the Australian High Commission said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, official co-productions will also be treated as 'local content' under domestic television broadcast quotas.
"This film co-production agreement is a further example of the growing bilateral relationship between Australia and South Africa.
"Our two countries have long competed and cooperated in the sporting arena and I am delighted to see our connections are expanding in the cultural sphere as well," said Ellis.
The agreement, once approved through each country's respective parliamentary processes, will provide opportunities for Australian and South African film-makers to pool their creative and financial resources, facilitate cultural and creative exchange between the countries and increase the output of high-quality productions.
Australian and South African film-makers already are working together to great effect.
An example of this is the Australian South African joint production, The Team that Never Played, a film about apartheid era football players that never participated in the FIFA World Cup owing to sporting sanctions.
The Team that Never Played will premiere in South Africa at the official opening of the Africa on Screen and Soccer Film festivals on Thursday 24 June.
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Mediacast (Maghreb), the leading independent broadcast content provider from the North Africa region has in June 2010 launched Africa’s first global web TV in Arabic. Using a proprietary development of concept, technology and operation, considered at the forefront of new media provision in the region, DABA TV is a dynamic online VoD platform of aspiring production quality.
With round the clock daily news and five weekly current affairs programmes, the web portal is targeted at the online community of Morocco and its global Diaspora.
Drawing from its unique network of bureaux it operates in North Africa, Mediacast has set to leverage Daba TV with native content whilst it continue to develop a network of international correspondents from more than 15 countries around the world providing access to worldwide events’ coverage.
Mediacast is planning to upscale Daba TV platform’s offering to the entire Maghreb audience in 2011. It will focus on offering unrivalled local reporting throughout the six countries while introducing a French version in addition to the existing Arabic language content.
More at: Daba TV www.daba.tv
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- BBC’s African office in Dakar is almost set up. The new office will have 20 staff and should kick off in July 2010 with “pilot” programmes. - Two donors, the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) and Jan Vrijman Fund (JVF) will kick off their “Cinema Mondial Tour” in July 2010. The film programme will tour film festivals in Africa until March 2011.
regulation & policy
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President Ernest Bai Koroma says there should be no discrimination in the use of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) facilities and equipments. He made this statement during the commissioning of the SLBC facilities and handing over of its equipments to the chairman Board of Trustees of the station, Prof. Septimus Kaikai.
According to Koroma, no political party, civil society, paramount chief or any other person or persons should be prevented from using the station's facilities and equipments.
He commended the United Nations Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) for donating the sum of US$800,000 in addition to the US$2 million that the government provided to ensure the broadcaster covers the entire country. "The former SLBS now SLBC was in a poor state," President Koroma pointed out, adding that it was his dream to see the station be the envy of the sub-region.
In his commissioning statement, Koroma said the event marked a milestone in the promotion of democracy in Africa. His administration, he maintained, was the only government in Africa that has transformed its only mouthpiece into a Corporation.
A transitional management team was set up to facilitate the transformation of the SLBS into a corporation. The president urged members of the Board of Trustees to be committed, as "no voice would be marginalized in the use of the facility. I believe this station is going to be used in all districts, towns and villages in a democratic manner," he said, but was quick to stress that fair play and accountability must be upheld.
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The main privately-owned radio station in the central city of Agadez, Sahara FM, was back on the air yesterday for the first time since it was shut down two years ago. It was able to resume broadcasting after obtaining a permit from the National Institute for Communication (ONC), the media’s new regulatory authority.
The station was closed “for an indefinite period” on 22 April 2008 by the Higher Council for Communication (CSC), the previous regulatory authority, after being accused by then President Mamadou Tandja’s government of being “a dangerous radio station broadcasting calls for ethnic hatred.”
The closure occurred after the station broadcast interviews with people who had been the victims of abuses by government soldiers. The CSC said it was closing it down for an “indefinite” period and “without prejudice to the possibility of criminal prosecutions.”
Sahara FM director Raliou Hamed-Assaleh was summoned to the capital Niamey on 18 April after the governor and police chief of Agadez accused the station of broadcasting “dangerous” statements by local inhabitants that “appeal to ethnic hate and undermine army morale.”
“All we did was broadcast an account of something that happened,” Hamed-Assaleh claimed. Moussa Kaka, the director of Niamey-based Radio Saraounia and the Niger correspondent of both “Radio France Internationale” and Reporters Without Borders, has been held since 20 September for being in phone contact with Tuareg rebels operating in the north. He has been charged with “complicity in an attack on state authority.”
Ibrahim Manzo Diallo, the editor of the Agadez-based fortnightly Aïr Info, was arrested for similar reasons on 20 October and later released.
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- At the start of June 2010, ICASA in South Africa issued a second invitation to apply for a potentially lucrative digital mobile television broadcasting licence.
- Ten Radio Fahazavana employees in Madagascar, including six journalists, were placed in pre-trial detention in a prison in the capital on 27 May 2010 on charges of threatening state security and inciting revolt. They had been held in police custody since a 20 May raid on the radio station, which has been closed reports NGO Reporters Without Borders.
- South Africa: A new Protection of Personal Information Bill is about to affect digital professionals.
technology & convergence
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At the football World Cup in South Africa, Alfacam has taken up a new technological challenge and started to make an important contribution to the biggest television project on the area of international football coverage this year.
Sylvain Béletre of Balancing Act interviewed Greg Nefdt director of Alfacam’s Africa who is passionate about the project.
Nefdt said “We have Alfacam NV, Alfacam Germany and Alfacam Africa all working together in Johannesburg to ensure that the logistics and planning happens smoothly. It is a lot of work and many people are involved behind the scenes to make Alfacam successful in this World Cup. And what about all the planning that was done and is still going on in Belgium – from Frederik Detollenaere and his team! This is a heck of an operation…The normally calm offices of Alfacam Africa in Johannesburg have been turned upside down into a hive of craziness, with the best engineers, technicians, drivers and planners all working around the clock to get those trucks ready and make this the best event yet…for Africa!”
“The German operation is wild! Speak to Rene Alles about what they have created in Pretoria….the studios, the people, the equipment. It really is something else as Alfacam will bring about 45% of all the matches as ‘world feed’ to the living rooms.
The company has not only deployed its mobile TV vans, but also a customized mobile setting in containers, developed by an in-house engineering team.”
Alfacam manages the world feed production at the WC venues in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Besides this production, Alfacam is responsible for the unilateral signal for ARD/ZDF, the German public broadcasting.
Therefore, Alfacam sent 8 OB vans, 130 cameras and 120 top technicians to South Africa! Signals from the most advanced cameras, microphones and broadcast gear come into the OB Vans (or what some call “live production trucks”) for processing and transmission. “We hired another warehouse of 2500m2 just to fit in the vehicles….it’s crazy seeing all of the trucks, equipment and people that go into making this happen.” mentioned Nefdt. Most of OB trucks are HDTV capable, have been adapted and tailored for the event.
Over the last few years, Alfacam has focused on special events, where quality, the number and size of the OB vehicles and the newest technology are important decision criteria. Since the mid-90s Alfacam has invested consistently in the newest technologies, several large OB trucks and a large pool of recording equipment.
The set of assignments in South Africa comes in two parts:
Part A: HBS and Grass Valley Group assigned 45% of the “Host Feeds” of the WC 2010 to Alfacam. HBS is the production company carrying the responsibility, by order of FIFA, to ensure that all the TV recordings are perfect. Grass Valley Group is providing cameras and other TV equipment.
Therefore Alfacam will not deploy mobile TV vans, but four customized fixed settings, built in a container village in each venue. Those were developed last year by the engineering team of Alfacam, in collaboration with HBS and GVG for the Confederations Cup. Besides that there will also be 90 extra cameras and 120 technicians.
Part B: Alfacam will provide unilateral signals specifically for the German public broadcasting companies ARD-ZDF and the Japanese consortium around TV Asahi, with eight TV vans, 80 cameras and about 35 top technicians. In total, 170 cameras and 155 technicians will be deployed.
Gabriel Fehervari, CEO Alfacam: “Thanks to our technology from Lint, the football matches can be seen in billions of living rooms worldwide. We are in charge of the “world feed” or the “main feed” of the matches in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg (Ellis Park) and Pretoria.”
Large broadcasting companies want to add own recordings of their commentator or studio. It concerns “unilateral” recordings, which Alfacam provides among others to ARD and ZDF. For the Germans, five vans will record all the interviews, reports and reviews from the venues. A sixth van will be deployed for ARD at the hotel where the German Mannschaft is staying. Two other vans will be deployed for the Japanese television.”
The matches of the World Championship are taking place in ten different venues, spread over the whole territory of South Africa. The distance between the different locations is too great and thus there’s not enough time to build up and break down all the television infrastructures each time, neither to move them.
On request of and in collaboration with HBS and GVG, Alfacam developed another way of working and for this World Cup it deploys production structures that will be installed in specially therefore designed containers forming ‘technical villages’. They also offer 300m² of space for nearly 100 operators.
The TV success of the Confederations Cup in 2009, where Alfacam already used such TV villages, played an important role in the assignment of the four structures to Alfacam. After all, the other six TV structures were only assigned per piece to Alfacam colleagues from England, France, Spain and Germany.
The settlement of Alfacam in Johannesburg since 2009 also played an important role: “Alfacam Africa Facilities” is busy with jobs in tennis, horse riding, rugby, football and cricket, for different South African broadcasting companies, such as M-NET, the main commercial broadcasting company in South Africa.
Before that we already received assignments on the African continent: the FIFA -17 World Cup in Nigeria (November 2009), Coupe Africaine des Nations (in 2004 in Tunis and in 2008 in Ghana we did nearly all the matches), World Championship Judo (Egypt, 2005), WC Handball (Tunisia, 2005), concerts in Egypt (by the pyramids of Gizeh, 2007) and Morocco (Jean Michel Jarre in the Moroccan Sahara), etc.”
“This is the biggest event that will ever happen in Africa! Most African people will not be able to go to the soccer matches, but thanks to Alfacam and other providers of the World feed, most of them will be able to see the games happen on TV right here in their own continent. To me as a South African, that is a very big deal!” Nefdt concluded.
More at http://www.alfacam.com/ -
Astra Platform Services (APS), one of Germany's foremost broadcasting and playout centers, has implemented Volicon's Observer Remote Program Monitor (RPM) 400 to provide remote quality monitoring for delivery of a range of TV services to the South African market, it was announced on June 2, 2010.
Astra Platform Services GmbH (APS) is a subsidiary of SES ASTRA and operates one of Europe's most modern broadcasting centres.
As Volicon's post-set-top-box (STB) video service assurance solution for cable, IPTV, mobile, and satellite video service providers, the Observer RPM 400 is enabling APS to proactively monitor and troubleshoot transmissions to ensure the highest quality of experience (QoE) for South African viewers.
"Since we would be delivering services outside the ASTRA European footprint, it was essential that we have a centralized means of quality monitoring for these remote international program offerings," said Stefan Vollmer, APS. "Since it is a post-STB solution, the Observer RPM 400 gives us an efficient and cost-effective way to verify exactly what viewers are seeing. Also, the system's easy-to-use and yet rich feature set for remote monitoring via Web browser was a big selling point for us."
APS broadcasts more than 200 channels from its main broadcasting facility in Munich. Installed at a remote location, the Observer RPM 400 system continuously scans all channels in the line-up and tests signal integrity. It issues alerts (via e-mail and SNMP) to NOC engineers when transmission quality falls below APS's preset thresholds. The system automatically detects such faults as missing/frozen/black video, low audio levels, and macro-blocking. APS enlisted German systems integrator ANEDIS for installation support.
More information about the Volicon Observer product family is available at www.volicon.com.
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- Avusa-owned cinema chain Nu Metro plans to bring the 2010 FIFA World Cup to South Africans in 3D.
- International broadcasters will be working with the Alchemist Ph.C – HD as they deliver 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. More details at www.snellgroup.com.
more
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11 June – 11 July 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
Venue: South AfricaMore at http://www.fifa.com
24-30 June 2010
Africa on Screen Festival
venue: South Africa, Johannesburg
http://www.filmcontact.com/south-africa/events/africa-screen-festival
5-7 July 2010
Highway Africa
venue: Rhodes University, Grahamstown, S.A.click for details: http://www.highwayafrica.com/
11-28 July 2010
RWANDA FILM FESTIVAL
venue: Kigali, Rwanda
click for details: http://www.africultures.com/php/index.php?nav=murmure&no=5472
10-18 July 2010
ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILMFESTIVAL (ZIFF)
venue: Zanzibar28-29 July 2010
2nd Africa Broadcast and Film ConferenceVenue: Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi
The African Broadcast & Film Conference is receiving strong local and international support from the broadcast and film industries, setting the scene for an event that is going to have a major impact in terms of promoting the sector.
http://aitecafrica.com/event/view/43
2-3 August 2010
The Internet Show Africa
Venue: Sandton Convention Centre - Johannesburg, SA.There are four seminar theatres themed around the following: Digital advertising and marketing, Web 2.0 and social networking, e-commerce and payments, Content management and streaming.
Click for details (http://www.terrapinn.com/2010/africa/)12 - 29 August 2010
12th ENCOUNTERS - SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 2010ENCOUNTERS, the annual South African International Documentary Festival - 12th edition of the festival, will show a selection of documentary films from around the world, with a particular focus on South African work.
Click for details (http://www.encounters.co.za/)
9-14 September 2010
IBC
Venue: Amsterdam, The NetherlandsEach year, IBC hosts 1,300+ exhibitors, 1,000+ journalists and 45,000+ attendees from around the world, making it the premier destination for the unveiling of new products and technologies within the electronic media and entertainment industry. Tailored networking opportunities and innovative new areas such as this year’s debut Connected World, make it the ideal venue for generating sales leads, raising corporate profiles, and developing efficient distribution channels.
http://www.ibc.org/27 September to 29 September 2010
Sacomm conference
University of Johannesburg - Johannesburg, South AfricaThis year, in co-operation with the North-South-South Exchange Programme, SACOMM’s Focus Group on Film will present an intensive short course in Ecological Broadcasting.
Contact details: Professor Nathalie Hyde-Clark at nhyde-clarke @ uj.ac.za and
Ayesha Lodewyk at ayesha @ afda.co.za
4-8 October 2010
MIPCOM
Venue: Cannes, FranceMIPCOM, the premier global TV programming market event.
Early rate registration until the 22th. July 2010.
SA agent: Screen Africa
Tel: +27(01)11 719 4380
http://www.mipworld.com/mipcom/
21 October to 5 November 2010
Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival 2010
Venue: Africa in Motion 2010 will take place at Filmhouse Cinema and other venues in Edinburgh, Scotland. UK's largest annual African film festival.This year, much longer than the usual ten days of festivities because it is the festival’s fifth birthday!
Organisers will not only screen the best films they have come across over the past year, but also organise lots of complementary events across Edinburgh, with each day of the festival dedicated to a different theme, including: independence, dance, music, fashion and design, children, poetry, sport, and the environment.
To watch trailers, clips, interviews, shorts and documentaries from the festival, check out the AiM TV channel: http://www.africa-in-motion.ethical.tv/
Click for further details:
http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/shortfilmcomp/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Africa-in-Motion-AiM-film-festival/1414116...
or at:
www.africa-in-motion.tv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AiMfilmfest
Contact: info @ africa-in-motion.org.uk
2-3 November 2010
IPTV MEA Forum 2010
Venue: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai.http://www.iptv-forum.com/
6-14 Nov. 2010
Lumières d'Afrique
Venue: Besançon, France.African film festival.
click for details (http://www.lumieresdafrique.com)
27-28 Nov. 2010
African Film in the Digital EraVenue: The Barbican, Cine Lumière, The Lexi Cinema, The Rich Mix and the University of Westminster. London, GB.
CONFERENCE: Filming Against the Odds; A Major 2 day Conference on African Cinema, jointly organised by the London African Film Festival and the Africa Media Centre University of Westminster Africa Media Centre (AMC) and in association with the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) and Communication Research in Arts and Media (CREAM). Details and call for papers will follow shortly at http://www.africaatthepictures.co.uk/london-african-film-festival/index.php
enquiries : keithshiri @ gmail.com
29 Nov – 1 Dec, 2010
3rd Dubai International Character & Licensing FairVenue: Hall 3, 4 & 5 of Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre - Dubai, UAE.
The first and only dedicated trade event in the Middle East for production, marketing and licensing of cartoon characters, animation, logos, films, brands, arts & designs.
30 Nov. - 9 Dec. 2010
Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF)
Venue: Cairo, EgyptCIFF is the oldest festival in the Middle East and has been an inspiration to several other budding festivals.
22nd - 24th March 2011
IPTV World Forum 2011
Venue: Olympia, London UK22md FESPACO 22nd
26 Février – 05 Mars 2011Festival Panafricain du Cinéma et de la Télévision de Ouagadougou (FESPACO)
In Engl. Panafrican Film and Television Festival of OuagadougouFounded in 1969 in Ouagadougou to promote African audiovisual productions, the international festival was founded by film fans and became an institution by governmental decree on January 7th, 1972. It is a large bi-annual event starting the last Saturday of February every odd year and gathering about 12 000 attendees.
Activities:
-projections and awards, events management, promotion, foundation, projection room and HQ set up
-content market - in Fr. "Marché International du Cinéma et de la télévision Africains" (MICA).
-grants for African audiovisuel projets (16mm, 35mm, TV et vidéo)
-african Cinématheque: film archives and mobile cinema
-Publications on African Cinema, newsletters
Partners include OIF, Pnud, Unesco, Unicef, Union Européenne, Africalia, Prince Claus Fund, Stichting Doen, etc.
http://www.fespaco.bf
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Oprah Winfrey is to introduce a documentary film club on her cable channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN has partnered with Ro*co prods., a division of documentary film distributor Ro*co Films International, to do a primetime monthly documentary film series on the cable channel. It is a co-venture between Winfrey's Harpo Prods and Discovery Communications, which is scheduled to premiere in January 2011. Additionally, exclusive footage from the films featured in the documentary film club will be put up on OWN.tv, and some of them will get US theatrical screenings.
OWN is planning to create communities that can screen the films together and participate in a live, moderated panel discussion.
American television host, producer, and philanthropist Oprah Gail Winfrey - ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and once the world's only black billionaire - and Discovery Communications announced plans to change Discovery Health Channel into a new channel called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah has announced that OWN will debut on January 1, 2011. It was scheduled to launch in 2009, but has since been delayed. It will be available in more than 70 million homes because of the present position of Discovery Health Channel. This was a non-cash deal with Winfrey turning control of her website Oprah.com to Discovery Communications. Throughout her show, Winfrey appealed to viewers to donate money to Oprah's Angel Network for poor and AIDS-affected children in Africa, and pledged that she personally would oversee where that money was spent. From that show alone, viewers around the world donated over $7,000,000. According to some US expert assessments, Oprah Winfrey has been recently been rated as “the most influential woman in the world”.
In South Africa, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba launched the 'Say No To Child Pornography' campaign at Ster-Kinekor Maponya Mall in Soweto on Friday 4 June 2010. Ster-Kinekor has partnered with the Film and Publication Board (FPB) to raise awareness around the sexual exploitation of children during the 2010 World Cup.
On a visit to the Angolan TV station, Mass Media Minister Carolina Cerqueira praised young people working at TVzimbo. According to AngolaPress mid-June 2010, the Minister was grateful to find young workers managing modern and advanced technological systems in TVzimbo (Media Nova Group). TVzimbo is providing almost 600 jobs. The minister added that the government will go on encouraging private initiative in the mass media, so that it may contribute to the national reconstruction process and the development of the society.
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CALL FOR PAPERS: SOUTH AFRICAN CINEMA, POST-1994.
Start of June 2010, the National Film & Video Foundation invites submissions for an anthology of essays that will focus on South African cinema after 1994. The Foundation is looking for critical essays, reviews, and comparative analyses of South African films, or of films about South Africa, and/or essays that examine cinema in South Africa since 1994. Submissions may include articles/essays on film discourse and scholarship, the film industry in South Africa (production, distribution, exhibition, marketing, the post-production, casting agency practices, etc.), film criticism in South Africa, film education and training (film studies and/or film production). Topics may include, but are not limited to, ideological and aesthetic analyses of films, theoretical explorations of film-related issues, questions of representation or of film reception, audiences and exhibition, legislation, institutions and practices ( e.g. FPB, SAFTA awards, co-production and film offices), animation in SA, “art cinema” exhibition and consumption, and Bollywood & Nollywood in SA.
The anthology aims to provide fresh perspectives on cinema in South Africa, and an opportunity for a new generation of film scholars in South Africa to publish their work. Authors are encouraged to submit essays that are provocative, which launch new inquiries, and/or prompt lively debate. For this reason, we will not consider manuscripts that have been previously published, or which are under review elsewhere. Accepted articles will be subject to peer-review.
Articles/essays should be 4000-5000 words in length and, while exhibiting scholarly rigour, should be written in an accessible style, free of excessive jargon. Authors should employ the Harvard style of referencing.
This is a scholarly (not commercial) publication, and the founders envisage paying a small honorarium to those contributors whose articles/essays have been accepted (after the peer review process has been completed). Terms and conditions apply (e.g. submission by deadline, etc.).
The proposed final publication date is April/May 2011.
Interested contributors are requested to submit a 200-300-word expression of interest and/or abstract ASAP, by fax or email to:
Dr. Haseenah Ebrahim, Editor
Email: Haseenah.Ebrahim @ wits.ac.za
Fax: 086 553 3704
Manuscripts must be submitted by August 15th, 2010.
CALL FOR PAPERS
FILMING AGAINST THE ODDSIndaba on 50 Years of Film in Independent Africa
African Media Centre, University of Westminster, London, UK / LONDON AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Filming Against the Odds Conference, London, 27-28 November 2010
African Media Centre at the University of Westminster has sent a call for papers for a one-day conference on 50 years of filmmaking in independent Africa. A half a century ago, Sub-Saharan Africa welcomed independence with a wave of optimism. A new cinema was born, championed by the Senegalese film-maker Ousmane Sembène. This new cinema would provide a conduit of expression for voiceless Africans - revealing social conditions and sharing stories. Sembène's first short film, Borom Sarret, was a watershed. It reached a worldwide audience with a plot based on the tale of a poor cart driver whose tragic life mirrored the hazards facing many ordinary people. Borom Sarret's issues became dominant themes in African cinema. Prior to political independence, colonial rule did not allow Africans to make their own films. African independence seems to have given the environment needed to produce African stories on the screen. Not only was political independence a subject in films, but the environment it created gave an added impetus to both independent and institutionally supported film-making in Africa. African filmmakers have produced stories that celebrate success and failure in their societies. African history, language and etymology are evident in the ways in which some filmmakers have sought an independent form to help indigenize the medium.
Today, Nigeria has become the centre of a lucrative home video industry known as Nollywood. According to a recent UN statement, around 900 titles are released in Nigeria each year and bring revenue of about £100m, and Nigeria has surpassed Hollywood to become the world's second largest film producer after Bollywood. Movies are made on the cheap and copies are exported, sold on the street, or distributed via increasing numbers of video clubs. The film-makers have to work fast and around the clock in their desperate attempt to fend off the pirates.
The contemporary African film industry is clearly of global proportions. However, the questions that must be asked are: whose languages are spoken in African film? What are the patterns of stories that have been told so far? What formats do African filmmakers use? What themes? How has funding affected what is produced? What are the politics of film-making in Africa? Apart from development, education and entertainment, has film on the continent advanced the emancipation of Africans? What has been the relationship between political independence and African film? The conference will include a session with leading African filmmakers. Papers may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
- Pre-colonial film in Africa
- Contemporary and historical dimensions of film in Africa
- Language and African film
- African languages and film in Africa
- Global, national, local aspects of film in Africa
- Screen media Africa
- Identity politics and the media in Africa
- Film funding in Africa
- Educational film in Africa
- Politics and film in Africa
- Distributing films in Africa
- Style and aesthetics of African film
- History of African film
- Film audiences in Africa
Please e-mail your 200-word abstract to Helen Cohen at: journalism @ westminster.ac.uk
All submissions must include the title of the conference, topic, an abstract and should list the author's full name, with contact information and affiliation. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 31 July 2010 and those whose abstracts are accepted will be notified by 5 August 2010.
Conference Fees:
Unwaged/Students: GB£50 Waged/Non-Students: GB£125
Fees cover registration, conference pack, lunch, coffee/tea and wine reception
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), would like to remind South African productions to submit their entries for SAFTAS 2011. The closing date for submission is Friday the 16th of July 2010 at 16h00. The Feature Film and Life Time Achievement category entries will close on the 31st of December 2010.
More at www.nfvf.co.za/
