By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swarray has urged filmmakers to go digital as he said it will reduce piracy and attract funds from other big screen television outlets.
He made this call at the National film policy consultative meeting held at the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau Conference hall at Bai Bureh Road on the 24th of August 2022.
In his keynote address, the minister noted that the film industry is the only sector that creates more jobs and opportunities for young people in the country followed by the Agriculture sector. He said the President is very much committed to the advancement of the film industry in Sierra Leone.
He pointed out that, his ministry has been able to attract a 50 million dollar digital transformation development grant from the World Bank recently and that he has listened to conversations being made by filmmakers that opportunities given to foreign filmmakers are not extended to them in the country.
Swarray responded to complaints by local filmmakers that they are not given access to national infrastructures like the Law Court, Parliament, State House, to shoot their films, but they said foreign filmmakers are allowed to make use of those locations. He made a commitment to deliver the message to the President to ensure that filmmakers in the country are given access to those areas.
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Sierra Leone Film Guild, Abu Bakarr Conteh, the consultative meeting of the National Film Policy is a memorable event that marks the final consultation and validation of the country’s film industry. He said people all over the world are driven by the fundamental need to express themselves creatively.
“This creativity has become a diversity and service as a foundation for sustainable development as the 2030 agenda for sustainable development recognizes,” he said.
He said the Sierra Leone film guild has struggled for a very long time to ensure that this process becomes a reality, noting that it is a key player in the process of enacting the film policy.
Michael Ibrahim Kargbo, a representative from the Sierra Leone Film Council noted that he was very emotional due to the fact that they have been battered to achieve this goal of discussing a film policy. He expressed gratitude to the minister whom he said has been very much supportive throughout the process.
He pointed out that, looking at the struggle they have been through, if somebody would have told him that they will be gathered to start the real process in terms of achieving the film policy, he would never have believed.
He reaffirmed the importance of having a film policy and a legal framework to guide the film industry and implored his colleagues to make very good use of the policy when enacted.
“It took Nollywood 28 years to have a film industry, but we have only been in this struggle for barely 10 years and now it is happening. We have to be very grateful to this government for that. The challenge is now up to us to be able to make our input courageously so that the process ends well,” he said.
An official from the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Abdul Malik Kamara noted that the ministry is mandated to coordinate, supervise, and develop all tourism and cultural activities both nationally and internationally. He said the film industry is a key component of the entertainment sector which he said is directly under the tourism ministry.
He assured of the ministry’s commitment to continue its collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the private sector in developing the film industry.
The National Film Policy consultative meeting aims at transforming Sierra Leone into a unique film destination.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (26/08/22)
