Angela Martins, originally from Mozambique, has been working at the African Union Commission as Head of the Culture Department since 2009. This year, the African Union, in collaboration with the African Cultural Agency (ACA), is sponsoring the third edition of the African Pavilion, organized from July 7 to 16 as part of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
Convinced that cinema is a powerful vehicle for a country's international influence, the African Cultural Agency is once again providing a showcase for the continent's cinema with the organization of the African Pavilion.
On this occasion, Angela Martins shares her vision of the African film industry and reflects on the importance of the deployment of the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission (AACC).
What are the African Union's ambitions for the development of culture? What actions have been put in place?
The main objective of the African Union's Culture Program is to develop continental policies for the arts, culture, and heritage. We also oversee and support the implementation of these policies in member states, in close collaboration with pan-African cultural institutions operating in various fields of arts and culture across the continent. The support we receive from member states and international organizations enables us to achieve excellent results.
You are participating in the next edition of the Cannes Film Festival. What are your expectations for this event?
The Cannes Film Festival will be an opportunity for us to present our work and the projects we are carrying out. It will also be an opportunity for us to create synergies and obtain support to take our projects further, particularly this year, as 2021 has been designated by the AU as the year of "Art, Culture, and Heritage," promoting African cultural values as a lever for development. Our participation will also be an opportunity to promote the African Union's policy on audiovisual and cinema, represented by the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission (AACC). The aim is to facilitate the ratification of its statute by AU member states and its implementation so that each member state can develop appropriate structures at the national, regional, and continental levels.
What is your view of the film industry in French-speaking Africa?
The film and audiovisual industry in Africa has great potential for development, but much remains to be done to exploit this potential. For the African Union, the creation of the African Commission on Audiovisual and Cinema is an essential and indispensable step in this regard. The AACC is responsible for coordinating programs and activities focused on the development and coordination of the film sector on the continent, including production, marketing, and distribution. However, this institution must be fully operational in order to fulfill its role. It is also necessary to revitalize and further develop film distribution and networking platforms, such as FESPACO, which will also contribute to the development of the industry.
What is your view on the film financing system? How could the African Union and governments help producers benefit from additional resources?
The statutes of the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission envisage the creation of an African Film Fund, which should stimulate the development of cinema on the continent. Film financing in Africa is an area where we lag behind other regions, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of the AACC Film Fund could be a starting point for setting up film production programs. Some AU member states already offer such programs, but there is still much to be done.
What role could the African Union play in developing/implementing professional training for film-related professions?
The African Audiovisual and Film Commission, which is a specialized agency of the African Union, will have the task of strengthening countries' film production capacities, as well as marketing and distribution. It is urgent to make this institution operational in order to implement its mandate as set out in its statutes, which we believe will also contribute to the growth of the African creative economy sector. The Kenyan government has offered to host the AACC.
African states have many issues to address, but what about culture?
The declaration by the political bodies of the African Union of 2021 as the Year of Arts, Culture, and Heritage shows the commitment of the continent's leaders to growing the sector and ensuring its contribution to the continent's economy and the well-being of artists. It is true that the arts, culture, and heritage sector must compete with other sectors that address basic needs, but it is up to policymakers and artists to strengthen the sector's potential and make it increasingly relevant, creating synergies with other sectors. There is no doubt that we can go further together. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, has reminded us of the important role that arts and culture can play in combating and preventing viral infection and misinformation about vaccines.