Filmmakers, actors seek solutions to grow industry
Filmmakers and actors in the country will this Saturday come to a roundtable at Crown Hotel in Lilongwe to come up with solutions to improve the industry.
The film industry in the country has made strides looking at some of the projects which have come out from different players but it is still in its infancy.
The meeting has been organised by a taskforce team that includes players such as Ashukile Mwakisulu, Isaac Misoya, Jevas Mchitakupha and former National Theatre Association of Malawi (Ntam) president, Ian Chitsekula.
The agenda of the meeting is to critically look into what should be done to make the Malawi film industry move forward,” Mwakisulu, who is the brains behind a soapie titled Choices, said.
Mwakisulu said the taskforce that has been put together has started its duties and is determined to bring solutions on how the industry can move forward and bring about the desired fruits.
“People are tired of moving in circles. They want things to change so that film business becomes a profitable career like in other countries,” Mwakisulu.
He said Film Association of Malawi (Fama) executive will also be part of the meeting.
“The industry needs serious investment. Our industry is going through a lot of challenges and this includes inadequate funding and exposure,” Mwakisulu, who starred in Shemu Joyah’s film The Last Fishing Boat, said.
Recently, South Africa’s award-winning actress, Connie Chiume, who has Malawian roots, bemoaned the lack of support to the film industry in the country.
“The film industry is not only about actors and actresses, there are a lot of people involved and so it employs a lot of people. I am impressed with the work that actors and actresses and filmmakers are doing here and it is unfortunate that they do not receive the much needed support,” Chiume said.
“If there was a lot of support, there would be so many jobs which would be created through the film industry which as I indicated, is not about actors but there are a number of people behind the scenes,” Joyah is one of the players in the film industry who has showed that the industry has potential by producing fantastic movies that have gone on to win awards on the international stage.
The veteran filmmaker has on many occasions bemoaned the lack of support and funding to the industry.
With three movies to his credit, Joyah has hinted that he would like to work on the John Chilembwe film but he has failed to make progress because of lack of funding.
Nollywood in Nigeria is one of the countries which has benefited fully from the film industry which according to africarenewal, the Nigerian film industry has created jobs in a country with an economy that relies mainly on oil and agriculture.
