The International Film Convention for the year 2017 has officially kicked off today at a Nairobi hotel with the aim of promoting local the film industry in Africa. This will, therefore, enable Kenya to enhance cultural, national, and moral values that are therapeutic to the establishment of exchange programmes between film producers and distributors internationally and locally.
With a theme “Taking the Audiovisual and Film Industry in Africa to the next level”, the Convention provides a platform for sharing new film production ideas and content distribution in light of new technologies.
Ambassador of France to Kenya Antoine Sivan says that there is hope to draw inspiration from the Film Convention to come up with resolution to promote the creative industry.
Apart from enhancing the film industry, another agenda for the Convention is to influence policy so as to increase jobs creation for youth by 100,000 to contribute majorly to the film and TV industries.
Mr. Joe Okundo from the Department of Culture and Arts says that the department continues to support programs designed to foster growth in the important sector of the Country’s economy.
“The forum will create an invaluable stage for players in the film industry to acquire new skills and ideas in film development, fostering sustained economic development through the arts and culture across the Eastern Africa region”, said Mr.Okundo.
He expressed that Kenya has a robust film industry that promotes our culture and mortality while creating employment opportunities for young people who form a large population of the Country.
Sports CS Hassan Wario said that the Ministry of sports is also committed to enabling Creative Arts to make a greater contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
On the other hand, the EU has enabled filmmakers to create and distribute their own images more effectively. The idea is to stimulate better promotion of cultural diversity, networking of cultural identities and intercultural dialogue.
The Convention is a collaborative effort between the Kenya Film Classification Board and UNESCO together with French Embassy with participants from around the world. It will promote Kenya as a preferred filming destination in terms of culture and will end on seventeenth this month.