African cinema's global ambitions start at home
CANEX WKND heard that Africa's film industry has enormous potential but is stymied by the continent's lack of cinemas.
Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi's adaptation of her 2012 novel The Polygamist for television highlighted the obstacles African filmmakers encounter in bringing their projects from the page to the screen. Despite initial interest from producers, the novel took three attempts to achieve a successful adaptation, resulting in a 22-episode series on Netflix.
This experience is not unique, as many promising stories fail to progress past interest into actual production. CANEX, an event focused on African cinema, discussed the need for storytelling, international partnerships, and reaching wider audiences. However, the more pressing issue is the lack of financing, distribution, and audience reach within the filmmakers' home countries.
Africa's film industry has significant potential, employing five million people and contributing $5bn to the continent's economy, with the capacity to generate over 20 million jobs and $20bn annually. Yet, the sector faces structural weaknesses, such as limited public support, underdeveloped institutions, and inadequate distribution infrastructure.
The exhibition gap is particularly acute, with Africa having only one cinema screen for every 787,402 people, making it the most underserved region globally. While box office revenue has grown in Nigeria, the growth in admissions has been minimal. Nigerian filmmaker Funke Akindele emphasized the need for more cinemas and production studios across Africa, arguing that the scarcity of facilities hinders the industry's ability to produce, exhibit, and monetize its work.
Despite the excitement around international reach, filmmakers must first focus on getting their films into local cinemas, distributing them across neighboring countries, building an audience, and recovering their investment. A robust domestic and regional market would empower filmmakers to leverage these assets when pursuing global opportunities, ensuring they are not solely reliant on external platforms or investors for success.
Written by urgent.news from Africa Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
