Tag Archives: UNESCO

Netflix, UNESCO reveal African shorts list

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Global streaming platform Netflix and the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have shortlisted 21 filmmakers who will take part in a short film competition themed African Folktales, Reimagined.

Ben Amadasun

The 21 African filmmakers from 13 countries were selected following an evaluation process by a wide range of industry professionals from across the continent.

They are Nosa Igbinedion, Tongryang Pantu, Anita Abada and Akorede Azeez from Nigeria; Ebot Tanyi and Anne Catherine Tchokonté from Cameroon; Loukman Ali from Uganda; Walt Mzengi from Tanzania; Venance Soro and Nader Fakhry from Ivory Coast; Noni Ireri, Oprah Oyugi and Voline Ogutu from Kenya; Volana Razafimanantsoa from Madagascar; Mohamed Echkouna from Mauritania; Mphonyana Mokokwe from Botswana; Samuel Kanyama from Zambia; Machérie Ekwa-Bahango from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ndiyathemba Modibedi and Gcobisa Yako from South Africa; and Katya Aragão from São Tomé and Príncipe.

They will pitch their stories to a judging panel featuring the following mentors: Nigeria’s Femi Odugbemi, South Africa’s Bongiwe Selane, Leila Afua Djansi from Ghana, David Tosh Gitonga from Kenya, and Jean Luc Herbulot from the Republic of Congo. Representatives from Netflix and UNESCO will also be on the panel.

The 21 filmmakers will then be whittled down to a final six who will receive a production grant of US$75,000 (through a local production company) to develop, shoot and post-produce their films under the guidance of Netflix and industry mentors to ensure everyone involved in the production is fairly compensated. They will also receive US$25,000.

Ernesto Ottone Ramírez, UNESCO assistant director-general for culture, said: “Congratulations to those who have been shortlisted! They should all be proud of the quality of their work. This competition showcases the extraordinary cultural richness that Africa has to offer that we want to share with people all over the world, as Africa is a priority for UNESCO.”

Ben Amadasun, Netflix director of content in Africa, added: “We also want to thank our panel of independent industry professionals who undertook the mammoth task to read over 2,080 applications until they found 21 strong submissions.

“The response from all the aspiring filmmakers who took time to submit their application also proves that there’s a wealth of storytelling potential and talent in Africa, and we at Netflix are excited to be part of this journey for more talented new voices to share their stories with the world.”

Both Netflix and UNESCO said they strongly believe in the importance of promoting diverse local stories and bringing them to the world. This competition is a step towards enabling these storytellers to showcase their content to a global audience, they added.

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UNESCO hails Africa’s $20bn potential

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The film and audiovisual industry in Africa has the potential to create over 20 million jobs and generate US$20bn in revenues per year, a new report claims.

The report, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), was conducted between November 2020 and May 2021. It forms part of UNESCO’s commitment to the diversity of cultural expression and to help develop dynamic cultural and creative industries (CCIs) on the continent.

Titled The African Film Industry: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Growth, the report maps the film and audiovisual industry in the 54 states of the African continent, analyses their strengths and weaknesses and offers recommendations for action at the continental, regional and national levels.

The report states: “The economic potential of the film and audiovisual sectors remains largely untapped and is historically and structurally underfunded, underdeveloped and undervalued, generating only US$5bn in annual revenue out of a potential US$20bn, according to the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers.”

Even though cinemas closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, from an infrastructure perspective, the distribution sector underwent profound changes.

“Before the pandemic, new French investments in francophone West Africa, Morocco and Tunisia were expected to triple the number of screens in the region by 2024. Most impressively, Nigeria emerged as a true success story, showing a 200% increase in cinema locations between 2015 and 2020, with the total number of Digital Cinema Initiative-compliant screens reaching 237 in 2020. Home-grown Nollywood films now rival Hollywood blockbusters at the box office.”

Thanks to digital technologies, production has been growing rapidly in Africa in recent years. The broadcast industry is now almost fully liberalised, with over 1,000 private television channels operating across the continent.

This follows the opening up of some of the last markets, such as Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Côte d’Ivoire, and the gradual transitioning process from analogue broadcasting to digital terrestrial television.

There is now growth in pay TV, dominated by South Africa’s MultiChoice (with 20.1 million subscribers), China’s StarTimes (7.8 million) and France’s Canal+ (six million).

Technology has given rise to affordable digital film equipment and the ability to distribute and monetise content directly to consumers via online platforms, ranging from YouTube, other social media and Netflix to local mobile video services. This has led to a new economy for African content creators which bypasses traditional gatekeepers.

The report states there are positive signs that countries across the continent are waking up to the potential of their creative industries, and more specifically of film and television.

Moreover, in this tumultuous period, it is becoming increasingly urgent for African governments to establish strong national, regional and continental strategies to take control of their fast-growing creative sectors.

The report highlights four potential blueprints for growth, namely the Nollywood model, the Auteur model, the Service model and the Festival model.

“Particular attention must be paid to addressing current industry trends and challenges in an informed and collective manner. Only in this way can states ensure that their past, present and future creative products are protected, preserved and developed, and that their cultural and commercial value benefits Africa and contributes to its global outreach,” it adds.

The African VoD sector is also growing rapidly, with subscriptions poised to balloon from 3.9 million in 2020 to 13 million in 2025, according to UK-based analyst Digital TV Research.

“Netflix now has about two million subscribers across the continent, while the South African Showmax has some 688,000 direct subscribers. In North Africa (and the Middle East), StarzPlay is another strong contender, with 1.8 million subscribers across the Arab region,” says the UNESCO report.

“In Côte d’Ivoire, VoD services have developed spectacularly recently thanks to the deployment of more than 5,000 kilometers of optical fibre in the territory. Most local operators, such as RTI and mobile operators Orange, MTN and Moov Africa, have also launched their own VoD services.”

It adds that the Nigerian film industry employs over a million people directly or indirectly, having produced some 2,599 films in 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, making it the world’s second largest film industry in terms of output after Bollywood and ahead of Hollywood.

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Netflix, UNESCO unveil short-film contest

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Global streaming service Netflix and UNESCO have collaborated to launch a groundbreaking short-film competition themed African Folktales, Reimagined across sub-Saharan Africa.

Audrey Azoulay

The aim is to discover new voices, give emerging filmmakers in sub-Saharan Africa visibility on a global scale and help them find the right resources to enable them to fully unleash their talents and develop their creative careers.

The competition will be administered by consulting firm Dalberg and, according to Netflix, the six winners will be trained and mentored by industry professionals. They will be provided with a US$75,000 production budget to create short films that will premiere on Netflix in 2022 as an Anthology of African folktales and they will also receive US$25,000.

Emerging filmmakers across sub-Saharan Africa can apply here. For the first round, applicants will be required to submit a synopsis of their concept in no more than 500 words as well as links to a recent CV and a portfolio or evidence of any past audiovisual work they have produced.

UNESCO and Netflix said they strongly believe in the importance of promoting diverse local stories and bringing them to the world, and that this partnership will help create sustainable employment and encourage economic growth, thereby contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. It will also help reduce inequalities by facilitating access to global markets and guaranteeing dignified working conditions.

Ben Amadasun, director of content in Africa for Netflix, added: “Africa has a rich storytelling heritage and a wealth of folktales that have been passed down for generations. When you marry these very local stories with Africa’s emerging talent, there’s no limit to fresh new stories to connect people with African cultures and bring the world that much closer to each other.”

Audrey Azoulay, director-general at UNESCO, said: “The film sector must ensure that the creativity of Africa is promoted by supporting young talents and making sure that African filmmakers contribute to the international film industry.”

“This competition puts a global spotlight on the emerging, homegrown talents of Africa while honouring the storytelling tradition of the continent,” added Ernesto Ottone assistant director-general for culture at UNESCO.

“By infusing new energy into the folktales, these young filmmakers enable these stories to transcend time, space and culture – from their communities, through a digital platform, into the hearts of audiences around the world.”

The competition is open until 13.59 CET on November 14.

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Mohammed seeks UNESCO media aid

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Nigeria’s minister of information and culture has appealed to UNESCO for assistance in growing the country’s media industry.

Lai Mohammed

Lai Mohammed made the request during a meeting with UNESCO delegate Mariam Katagum last week, explaining that media in Nigeria has evolved and people no longer rely on traditional media for news or entertainment.

“There is no gain saying that Nigeria rules Africa when it comes to entertainment and, again, we want the assistance of UNESCO in developing more, especially in the area of content,” he said.

“We have so much content and so many stories to tell the world but we need to assist the creative industry in training the filmmakers to improve on their capacity, technically, so that they can tell their stories on a better platform.”

Noting that social media had become a platform for the dissemination of so-called ‘fake news,’ Mohammed said more needed to be done to tackle the spread of misinformation online.

“With the telephone, everyone has become a journalist, opinion-moulder and information disseminator. The outcome is fake news and misinformation, and the government is more on the receiving end. We, therefore, appeal to UNESCO to review its mode of operation and assist in addressing the issue of fake news through social media,’’ Mohammed said.

Social media and the advent of fake news has been on the minds of many professionals in the media industry recently. During a conference held this week, John Momoh, chairman of Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria and CEO of Channels TV, also addressed the issue.

Speaking at the Social Media Week event, held in Lagos, Momoh said the industry needed well-trained young broadcasters who can use artificial intelligence to increase content quality. “Artificial intelligence is to improve our work and not to add to the problem of unemployment,” he added.

According to Momoh, the spread of fake news can be stopped by relying on trustworthy media outlets. He also said broadcasting companies should play their part by evolving with the times and becoming available on the preferred platforms of their consumers.

“The biggest disruption to the media landscape is that, now, you have to go after the consumers to ensure they get what they want. We have to cast our content on all mobile devices. Because the world is changing, you cannot do things the same way,” he said.

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