By Our Reporter
Dr Kiagho Kilonzo, the Acting Executive Secretary of Tanzania Film Board, on Monday urged filmmakers across Africa to invest in the Tanzania’s creative industry.
Kilonzo made the call during the Actors Master Class segment at the 9th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) held at Film House Cinemas, Landmark Village, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said that Tanzania was well-endowed with natural and artificial tourist attractions capable of rendering films marketable and attractive to viewers.
According to him, the country is endowed with the highest mountain in Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro, green natural sites, historical sites, deserts, rok arts dating back to over 50,000 years ago, cultures and more.
He said all the aforementioned attractions would add value to the films shot in Tanzania.
“Tanzania is a fantastic place to shoot movies because of the natural and beautiful sites the nation is blessed with.
“We call on filmmakers and investors to explore Tanzania terrain, we have the population to make businesses thrive and the environment is conducive,” he said.
Kilonzo said that the Tanzania Film Board was founded in 1930 before the nation gained independence and had been functioning effectively since then.
He said that the Tanzanian film industry produced over 1400 films annually, 116 films monthly, 29 weekly and four daily.
He said that the industry employed 1,232,000 people in 2018 compared to 289 in 2010 as film companies increased to 250 in 2018 from four in 1960.
“Today, there are 10 film theatres in Tanzania, each with an average of four screens and 300 seats.”
The executive secretary said these achievements were possible through the services the board offered to filmmakers ranging from advice, preview and approval of scripts, film grading and more.
He said the country had zero tolerance for pornographic films or such that depicted lesbianism, bad language, war, crime or breaking of law and order.
“We do not encourage the production of films that can change people’s mindset or distort good relations among the citizens, we uphold our culture and guide it,” he said.
Kilonzo said that the film industry was thriving, but had challenges in the areas of piracy and incompetent film production.
He said the Tanzanian Government was, however, working on upgrading the quality of movies produced as original films had been differentiated from pirated copies with the use of special stamps. (NAN)
