Cinema is booming on the African continent. In the French-speaking sub-region, countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Benin, and Burkina Faso, which has been hosting the unmissable FESPACO film festival for decades, are leading the way in this field.
Recently, Gabon has been making headlines in this field. The local government has decided to organize a roundtable discussion on Gabonese cinema in order to revitalize the film industry.
From June 12 to 14, the Ministers of Communication, Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou, and Culture, Max Samuel Oboumadjogo, along with professionals from Gabon's audiovisual and film industries, gathered to discuss and reflect on the future of the sector.
Six topics were discussed:
- The roles and responsibilities of the national authority in charge of cinema
- Public support for production
- Structuring partnerships between broadcasters and production companies
- Cinema taxation
- Revitalizing the cinema network
- The organization of an international themed festival for Gabon.
All these contributions have helped to define recommendations and draw up a roadmap to restore Gabonese cinema to its former glory. As in other countries in the sub-region, talent is abundant, creativity is flourishing, and cultural diversity is well established. All the ingredients are in place to create an ecosystem conducive to the development of Gabon's film and audiovisual sector.
According to Anselm Nfa, producer and director of Icône Média: "I believe that if we start afresh and implement all the decisions taken during this Grenelle forum, we will be able to create jobs and contribute to the country's economic and structural development." "Producers must now play their part, and the public must create a favorable environment for the audiovisual and film sector in Gabon to flourish."