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”.