Africa Month: KZN Film Commission to hold a roundtable on film in Africa post-Covid-19

27 May 2021

To mark Africa Month, the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC) will hold a roundtable discussion on the state of film on the continent post-Covid-19. This discussion will take place on Monday, 31 May 2021 from 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm (SAS).

It will be screened live on the KZN Film Commission YouTube channel.

Join the conversation with film sector heavy weights.... #KZNFilm #kznfilmcommission #AfricaMonth #afrofilmindustry pic.twitter.com/6AFBRwv9ze
— KwaZulu-Natal Film (@kznfilm) May 27, 2021

The engagement will be part of a broader contribution to the discussions about a borderless Africa to promote cultural exchange and strengthen dynamics and collaboration networks and partnerships within the sector. It is part of a series of ongoing engagements.

"The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission has always had an Africa-first model, developing the continent and taking African film to the world. This initiative is building on this, further strengthening the collaborations we have grown over the years.

This discussion should spark a continued intra-Africa countries film conversation with the possibility of establishing more innovative programmes for African member countries e.g. a United Africa Film Festival, which would be owned by the continent's member states and held every year during Africa Month, using the Brics Film Festival as a model," says KZNFC CEO Carol Coetzee.

“We will be drawing insights from industry stalwarts from the different regions across Africa who have a vested interest in the sustainability and continued development of intra-Africa collaborations. The industry practitioners on the continent have shown a commitment to seeing this idea through, and we are excited to be a part of its birthing,” says curator Chipo Zhou.

Keith Shiri

Panellists

The panellists are as follows: film director and culture activist Azza Elhosseiny from Egypt; Beverly Mitchell, head of scripted content (drama series & feature films) at Okuhle Media in South Africa; Caillin Basson, chairperson of the Filmmakers Association of Namibian (FAN); Chioma Ude (Nigeria), an avid film watcher and commentator and the founder and executive director of AFRIFF (Africa International Film Festival); Jackie Motsepe, film marketing and branding executive and COO of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission in South Africa; Keith Shiri, international film curator and programme advisor from Zimbabwe; award-winning Nigerian filmmaker and cultural worker Mahmood Ali Balogun; Mariam Ait Belhoucine, film producer and director from Morocco; Mykel Parish, a Nigerian filmmaker and cultural activist; Prince Waa Musi, a senior audio-visual consultant, film-maker/critic from Cameroon; and Wangeci Murage, a content media executive from Kenya. Cultural consultant Russel Hlongwane will moderate the sessions.

Participants looking to register and engage in the Zoom Room can find KZNFC on Facebook, where the registration link will be posted on the morning of the event.