Moving Africa - Fespaco 2011 (Burkina Faso)

"In love with Ouagadougou and its people"

nospam@example.com (Joel Haikali) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:55:37 +0200

I was honored to have my Feature film debut “My Father’s Son” in the official selection and in the competition of FESPACO 2011. I must say that it was hard to get information about the program and being a non-francophone myself it seems that everybody is expected to at least understand French seeing that there were really no provisions made for none French speaking participants. For instance I did not know when my film will be showing until I got to Ouagadougou hence I missed the first screening of my film.

Nevertheless, I fell in love with Ouagadougou and its people right away. The city gives a sense of safety and humanity unlike any place I have been to before.

I would also like to thank the Moving Africa Initiative for the opportunity to travel to Ouagadougou and for creating the networking platform where participants shared ideas and experiences. As a result of that, we (participants) are collectively brainstorming on different projects where we could collaborate.

L'implication de la cité estudiantine

nospam@example.com (Evodie Ngueyeli) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:30:00 +0200

A l’occasion de la 22è édition du Festival Pan Africain de Cinéma de Ouagadougou, le Goethe-Institut a organisé au sein de la cité estudiantine une table ronde qui a débutée par la projection du film CAMP DE THIAROYE de Sembène OUSMAN, un des pionniers remarquables du cinéma sénégalais et africain de par son engagement politique et social. Ce film retrace l’histoire du massacre de braves soldats africains communément appelés tirailleurs sénégalais en 1944 dans le camp de transit : le camp de Thiaroye au Sénégal. -http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiaroye-

Le panel était constitué d’un ancien combattant, d’un grand réalisateur burkinabé Kollo D. SANOU et de la jeune promotrice culturelle NGUEYELI N. Evodie déléguée adjointe du festival international de films de femmes MIS ME BINGA.
Pendant plus de deux heures de temps, après avoir situé le public sur la situation des anciens combattants par monsieur YAMEOGO Macaire un ancien combattant burkinabé, qui a parlé du leur parcours des anciens combattants, depuis leur formation jusqu’à leur exercice. Le panel a ensuite entretenu le public très enthousiaste sur LES PROBLEMES DU FILM HISTORIQUE EN AFRIQUE. Il était ainsi questions de déceler les problèmes que rencontre le film historique en Afrique et de proposer des solutions qui pourraient permettre l’essor de ce genre cinématographique très peu abordé.

Selon le réalisateur burkinabé Kollo Sanou le problème majeur serait celui de manque de moyens financiers. Lui-même a été porteur d’un projet de film historique, il s’est vu confronté à d’énormes problèmes économiques qui ne lui permettaient pas non seulement de faire des recherches appropriées à son film, mais aussi de le réaliser plus tard car la reconstitution des faits historiques qu’il abordait lui demandait des moyens énormes pour une équipe technique et machinerie, un nombre de comédiens et surtout de figurants, des décors et accessoires plus vaste qu’à la coutumier.

Concernant les solutions à ce problème, NGUEYELI N. Evodie a soulevé l’importance de travailler en réseau : «… le travail en réseau peut permettre de diminuer les dépenses à engager pour une production de films historique, en ce sens que lorsque un auteur qui vit à Douala et qui a besoin des informations se trouvant à Ouagadougou, s’il s’est noué des relations avec un ou plusieurs réalisateurs burkinabés, il lui suffirait de le ou de les contacter qu’il(s) le fasse pour lui. Ceci lui épargnerait de dépenser des centaines de milles pour s’acheter un billet d’avion, ensuite payer l’hébergement et tout ce qui va avec ». Elle aussi pensé qu’il serait judicieux de créer une véritable chaîne de distribution qui permettrait d’exploiter les films, de générer de l’argent qui pourrait ensuite être réinvesti dans une autre production. D’où l’importance de la création de véritables systèmes de distribution et exploitation qui commencerait à son humble avis par la formation des africains en distribution et exploitation. Qui en plus de développer ce genre cinématographique, participera aussi à l’essor en général du cinéma africain via la disponibilité des fonds de financement récoltés à la distribution et à l’exploitation du film.

Evondie

LA COUPE D’AFRIQUE DU CINEMA

nospam@example.com (Evodie Ngueyeli) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:08:00 +0100

Vivant dans un contexte où le cinéma n’est pas la chose la plus considérée, où le football prime sur tout vu, les millions et les énergies qu’on y déboursent. J’étais tellement émerveillé par : l’attention accordée à cet évènement aussi bien par les pouvoirs publics que par les pouvoirs privés, par les énormes efforts que fournissent les dirigeants à travers leur forte implication de toute la hiérarchie jusqu’au couple présidentiel qui a participé activement pour la réussite de cet évènement.

Pour moi c’était incroyable de voir le cinéma damer le pion au football en réunissant tous ces pays africains aussi bien en compétition qu’en projection libre, en réunissant autant de cinéphiles et de cinéastes venus de toute les horizons faire le plein des salles et même le plein du stade de football aux cérémonies d’ouverture et de clôture. Je me croyais à la Coupe d’Afrique du Cinéma.

Que dire alors de la programmation? Malgré quelques difficultés d’organisation qui paralysaient certains réalisateurs, c’était un véritable régal, de part sa diversité ; les thématiques abordées ; la qualité technique, la recherche esthétique et l’originalité des films ; la conquête d’horizons divers via l’adaptation de certains genres cinématographiques notamment le cinéma japonais africanisé par le IDO de CEDDO...

J’ai pu faire des rencontres ENRICHISSANTES notamment avec les membres MOVING AFRICA. Ces rencontres m’ont permis de comprendre l’importance d’être en réseau et m’ont donné l’occasion de pouvoirs travailler en réseau avec mes collègues africains, afin de consolider nos liens, d’échanger, de partager nos expériences, de se donner des coups de mains, ceci dans l’optique de développer notre cinéma. Je pense que sur ce coup, l’objectif du GOETHE-INSTITUT commence à prendre forme car depuis notre retour de Ouagadougou, nous avons gardé le contact et avons envisagé des projets : nous (l’équipe d’organisation du Festival International de Films de Femmes MIS ME BINGA dont je suis le Délégué Général Adjoint) travaillerons en collaboration avec le futur Festival International de Films de Femmes d’Angola dirigé par Miguel HURST. D’un autre coté, pendant notre séjour à Ouagadougou, nous avons discuté de nos projets de films qui ont été trouvé intéressants et dont Nasiru MOHAMED et moi, sommes chacun en train de rédiger un scénario sur lequel chacun d’entre les membres de MOVING AFRICA va participer.

Burkinabes and their passion

nospam@example.com (Michael Phoya) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:02:24 +0100

Burkinabes and their passion for the arts and culture simply astound me. Goethe Institute Burkina Faso in association with local artists and students had organised a debate about the relevance of historical films. As participants of the Moving Africa programme, we were asked to attend.
The debate revolved around Ousmane Sembene’s film. The event started with a showing of the film. The audience’s reaction to the film and the two hour debate that followed was really inspiring. For me it was nice to see young people in their 20’s care about history.
Afterwards, Evodie Ngueyeli, who, together with a veteran Burkinabe soldier and a local filmmaker, was a panellist on this debate, asked me how she did. Although I couldn’t really follow everything they were saying, since the debate was in French, I managed to tell her “You did brilliantly”. That answer was solely based on the passion I witnessed during the debate.

FIAPF Round Table Discussions

nospam@example.com (Michael Phoya) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:54:56 +0100

One of the many highlights for me at FESPACO was the meeting I attended by FIAPF, as a delegate of my mentor, the award winning Malawian filmmaker Shemu Joyah. His film was at FESPACO in 2009 and, just like me, he was able to make some key contacts.

It is some of these key contacts that invited him to attend a roundtable discussion organised by the Paris-based PIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers' Associations) two years later. Since he couldn’t attend, he kindly asked me to sit for him.

The theme was “Production and Distribution of African Cinema in the Global Marketplace: Challenges and Opportunities" and some of the invited guests included Motion Picture Association (MPA), Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). I’m very new to African cinema, so far having only done one short documentary film. I must confess here that the discussions, which focused on, among other things, the African cinema's potential for economic development and the negative impact of piracy in domestic and foreign markets, were an eye opener.

In the end, we were able to share actions that can make a difference and how we (the West and Africa, Africa and Africa) can synergise to ensure profits and growth for all. Needless to say, this is what ‘Moving Africa’ is all about.
For more on FIAPF, log on to www.fiapf.org

Change is definitely coming...

nospam@example.com (Folasakin Iwajomo) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:43:00 +0100

Firstly, I must say that I’m with a crop of some of the most gifted young artistic individuals in the whole of Africa, and I feel blessed! In my country, Nigeria, we have a big, multi-million dollar film industry (it’s called Nollywood). But, alas, most of the directors only care about money since a lot of these films are, in my personal opinion, uninteresting and of a low quality.
But this group of Moving Africa individuals that I’ve met here in Ouagadougou, have so many ideas that I’m beginning to feel we are definitely moving towards a great change.

I’ve been very privileged to see some of their works, and trust me, I have been wowed (and I’m very difficult to impress). And we are now making plans to effect change by coming together to create something together - as almost everyone is a professional in all the fields of filmmaking.
I know we can do this, and we will effect change we’re hoping to see.

Last night, we went to see a film by one of us, Joel from Namibia. The film is entered in competition, and with what we saw, we believe that he should win.

I have also been taking some pictures and will upload them pretty soon.

A world of possibilities

nospam@example.com (Zelalem Woldemariam) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:38:00 +0100

It started with a bang, and it ended with a big bang.

From the moment I arrived in Burkina Faso, I was blown away by the energy of the people, the FESPACO festival and the films I saw. The FESPACO Festival of 2011 united a lot of interesting people and great movies. By the end of it, I was amazed by the things that can be done when creative people get together and I feel fortunate that I got the chance to be a part of it.

Now that I am back in Ethiopia, I keep thinking about the projects we can do together and how we can contribute to the development of the cinema industry from what that I learned at FESPACO. I came back with a lot of business cards from contacts I made: fellow filmmakers, potential co-producers, potential funders, different festival directors, and information for workshops and trainings in the future. I was networking, networking, networking…and I came away feeling it will be very fruitful for my career as a filmmaker.

I enjoyed most of the screenings and was particularly proud to have my short film “Lezare” screened in competition at FESPACO. The feedback that I received from big filmmakers and other film professionals was very valuable and encouraging.

It was great meeting you all, but don’t let it stop here. This is just the beginning!

Zelalem

Meeting at the Capital of African Cinema

nospam@example.com (Michael Phoya) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:04:43 +0100

The first time I was told that I’d be one of the participants of Moving Africa, the first feeling I could remember was elation. As someone who has dedicated a good part of his entire life to developing content that actually tries to add to the dialogue dedicated to not only changing the twisted view most, especially westerners, have towards the Motherland but also to share that said content with friends, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than amongst a group of likeminded people dedicated perhaps to the same goals, although not exactly in those words.

And add Burkina Faso, the capital of African Cinema, as the venue for this meeting and you have the perfect benchmark for this intellectual intercourse, if you may. For me, Moving Africa, as a practical concept, represents the future of Africa. Africa will only make such commendable strides the day we the now generation will take the initiative to address, by way of proactive action, the issues that affect, not only us per se but also our contemporaries. Moving Africa represents such a forum where we can fine tune the necessary skills needed for us to be very effective.

My main goal has always been to help in creating platforms where the world can effectively learn and appreciate the dynamism of Malawi’s arts and cultures. Sadly in a country like Malawi, we the youth are not exactly encouraged to be involved in tackling issues that affect them. Not that we don’t want to but it’s just maybe we lack adequate avenues where this can be achieved. It’s my hope that the skills acquired at Moving Africa will be used to maximise my passion for sharing of information and progressive thinking.

My very close friend and mentor, Charles Shemu Joyah had the pleasure of visiting FESPACO when his film, of which I was a key part of, was nominated for one of the awards. Of course he came back with so many stories, all of them very fascinating. I’m really looking forward to experiencing some of those stories myself.

Of course, it’s travel, new people, new architecture, new foods to try. I could go on forever!

MY EXPECTATIONS FROM FESPACO

nospam@example.com (Ahmad Mohammed Sarari) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:33:00 +0100

MY EXPECTATIONS FROM FESPACO

Being my first experience in Ouaga, I expect to:

1. Celebrate the achievements of the African cinema industry,
2. Contribute my voice and perspective to the global cinema movement,
3. Exploit the opportunity to watch as many African films as possible,
4. Interact with the best talents in African filmmaking,
5. Explore possibilities of collaboration between Nigerian filmmakers and their counterparts in Francophone African countries,
6. Discover new markets for Nigerian (Hausa) films,
7. Participate in as many workshops as possible,
8. Interact and share experiences with participants from film regulatory agencies in Africa and around the world,
9. Document my experiences at Fespaco for the benefit of the film industry at home (Kannywood) and my employee (National Film and Video Censors Board).
My expectations are not limited to the above; I am open to new experiences and learning more about the film industry with each passing day. I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun and full of excitement.

Thanks
SARARI