First-Ever Africa Cinema Summit to Hold in Ghana

L-R Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, Moses Babatope; CEO/National Film Authority of Ghana/Convener Africa Cinema Summit, Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante; Film Maker Inkblot Studio, Chinaza Onuzo(TBC), and President, Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) Ope Ajayi during the Africa Cinema Summit Press conference. Lagos.

The National Film Authority of Ghana announced a strategic partnership with FilmOne Group (Nigeria) and Silverbird Cinema (Ghana), to host the inaugural Africa Cinema Summit (ACS) scheduled to take place November 14th to 16th at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel and Silverbird Cinema in Accra, Ghana.

With the collective aim of fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration, the summit seeks to unite cinema stakeholders from around the globe, offering a platform for insightful industry business dialogues, opportunity exchanges, and strategic partnerships. This initiative represents the first gathering on the African continent, aimed at propelling the African cinema ecosystem to greater heights. With a total of 1,653 screens across the continent serving 1.3 billion people, Africa is by far the most underserved continent with regard to cinema distribution, according to UNESCO.

By delving into the multifaceted dimensions of the African cinema landscape, attendees will witness in-depth panel discussions, keynote speeches, and presentations by experts and major decision makers in the industry. A major focus will be given to the current trends, unique challenges, and exceptional opportunities inherent to African cinema and other distribution networks. The summit will offer the opportunity for knowledge exchange, networking, and forging strategic alliances with influential stakeholders, African film authorities and commissions, cinema developers, suppliers, distributors, real estate professionals, seasoned producers, cutting-edge technology providers and many more across the globe.

Key event highlights include a vibrant showcase of African films, celebrating the richness and diversity of the continent’s cinematic artistry. An exhibition area featuring state-of-the-art technologies, equipment, and services that are shaping the future of the cinema industry. Tailored business matchmaking sessions, fostering targeted connections and collaborations. Panel discussions and keynote speeches by leaders addressing the dynamic landscape of African cinema. Dedicated networking sessions, enabling participants to establish meaningful relationships and partnerships. Exclusive presentations encompassing various facets of the cinema industry, ranging from production and distribution to marketing and emerging technologies.

Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, the chief executive officer of the National Film Authority of Ghana said, “The Africa Cinema Summit (ACS) serves as a call for the cinema world to recognise Africa as its greatest 21st-century opportunity. Cinema energizes communities socially, culturally, and economically so we are excited to be able to debate the continent’s cinema ecosystem and highlight its huge growth opportunity to a global audience.

Moses Babatope, the co-founder and group deputy managing director of FilmOne Group added, “We are thrilled to be a part of NFA’s Africa Cinema Summit, bringing together industry leaders and visionaries to shape the future of cinema business in Africa – the collective vision is to foster a dynamic platform for industry players to converge, interact, and forge robust partnerships that will galvanize the cinema ecosystem in Africa”.

August 17, 2023