Africa’s growing film industries are making their mark on the global stage, with three films in main competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, but how to unleash the continent’s as-yet-untapped potential was a question on the minds of many at a conference hosted in Berlin. Saturday at the European Film Market.
AfroBerlin was launched to provide a platform for filmmakers from Africa and the diaspora and “to create a place where they can share stories and experiences and be heard,” said Colonge, who was involved in a partnership between EFM and Stockholm-based consultancy Yanibes. It also organizes the AfroCannes industry showcase at the Cannes Film Festival.
The event brought together industry professionals from the continent with their counterparts in Europe and beyond, underscoring the ways in which often marginalized African screen industries have succeeded in raising their international profile. “When we talk about the global film market… we are part of the discussion,” Colung said. “People are hungry to know more about African stories.”
This year represents an auspicious Berlinale for filmmakers from the continent, with “Black Tea” by veteran Mauritanian-Malian director Abderrahmane Sissako, “Dahomey” by French-Senegalese director Mati Diop, and “Baby” by Nelson Carlos de los Santos Arias in competition. “, a co-production between the Dominican Republic, Namibia and Germany. Meanwhile, the jury is chaired by actress Lupita Nyong’o, who grew up in Kenya and whose rise to the A-list in Hollywood is a source of pride and inspiration for many rising African talents.
Today’s sessions – wide-ranging, lively, and at times complex – highlighted the dynamics of film and television production in Africa and the diaspora, as well as the challenges faced by filmmakers at a time when global crises and economic headwinds have rocked the film industries. all over the world.
“Dahomey” by Mati Diop is competing for the Golden Bear in Berlin.
Courtesy of the Berlin Film Festival
“Funding is a problem. Because we don’t have the infrastructure like that on the continent. We don’t have the funding bodies that exist in Europe and the Americas.” Industries, Leisure and Culture, Wayne Borg.
She continued: “The biggest challenge is finding a way to create networks to create financing opportunities on the continent.” “Producers are trying to find ways to take advantage of private investors and private companies. I think this should happen more.”
In recent years, the panacea for many African creators has been increased spending from global streaming platforms, although that optimism has waned in light of Amazon’s decision last month to temporarily press original content production on the continent, and broader questions about whether the streaming giants… Direct is fully committed to Africa.
However, Borg stressed that “there is a lot of movement in the other direction” in the region, adding that its growing Saudi production force is “keen to engage more with African industry.”
“For us, the African market, and the Indian market, are equally important to us. What we are keen on doing is coming up with the right recipe and the right ingredients to do that. “We are open for business.”
border crossing
The African diaspora community came out in full force on Saturday, reflecting the multiplicity of cultures and backgrounds that have shaped it. The term “African” – a mixture of African and European identities – was adopted by several speakers, while others represented the broader diaspora in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.
“Being African does not mean belonging to a so-called country,” said Wilket Bonge, who is of Portuguese and Guinean-Bissau descent and lives in Berlin. “We can be in sync. We don’t have to be one thing or the other.”
Abderrahmane Sissako is competing in this year’s Berlinale with the film “Black Tea.”
“Black Tea” (© Olivier Marceny, Cinefrance Studios, Archipel 35, Dune Vision)
For many young Africans – whether children of immigrant parents in Europe and the United States or consumers of global content on African soil – the old boundaries no longer apply. The growth of the continent’s screen industries is likely to reflect this trend: while Borg made a strong showing for the Saudi business sector – which, thanks to financing tools such as the Red Sea Film Fund, is fast becoming a major player in the African market – Saturday’s conference also stressed that there is room for more Transatlantic cooperation among countries of the Global South.
Brazil is home to the second-largest black population on the planet — making it ready For joint production and other cooperation with African partners.
Throughout the day, speakers highlighted the need for African creatives to take control of their own narratives. “In order to tell our story properly, in three dimensions, with impact… we have to be in positions of power at every step of the process,” said Tyrone Ricketts, one of Germany’s most successful black actors, who produced the series “Sam.” – “Saxon” for Disney Plus through its Panthertainment label.
What that looks like, the world is just beginning to discover. Africa has yet to produce a paradigm-shifting film or series on the scale of South Korea’s “Squid Game,” but Editi Effiong’s revenge thriller “The Black Book” became the first Nigerian film ever to reach No. 3 last year on Netflix’s global movie chart. Charts, breaking the top 10 list of operators in over 69 countries.
“There is nothing to say that content coming from the African continent and the Middle East should not find a global audience. Great stories will travel,” NEOM’s Borg said. Despite the strong African representation at this year’s Berlinale, Nsiah insisted: “There is always room “For more.”