AAU to launch first-ever film school in under, post graduate programs
June 30th, 2008 | EthioPolitics.com |Capital
Addis Ababa University (AAU) is to launch the first ever film school in under and post graduate programs, very soon, to contribute its share to the future of the Ethiopian film industry, Professor Abiyi Ford told Capital.
Upon completion of the first initiative on strengthening the future of the Ethiopian film industry, held here in Addis, 22 – 23 June, Professor Abiyi revealed Capital that, the workshop which involved the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Addis Ababa University, local film-makers and the International Emerging Talent Film Festival (IETFF) based in Monaco; has enabled the better understanding of the sector.
“We’ve reached on a common consensus on the importance and values of having an organized cinema industry,” Abiyi said. “This benefits the nation and its people in sending out the positive image of the country for the rest of the world.”
Ambassador Tadelech Haile-Michael, the former Head, women’s Affairs in Prime Minister’s Office and the currently Ethiopian Ambassador to Côte D’Ivoire, who was here on an un-official visit, after the attendance of the workshop, said: “The time is now. If we don’t use this opportunity no-one anywhere is waiting for us.”
“We have to be part of the global situation that is moving so fast,” Ambassador Tadelech said. “We have to realise that the film industry can bring a lot of money and can help promote the positive image of our country and increase the number of tourists.”
In filling the knowledge gap and producing educated professionals in the sector, Abiyi Ford said the university will engage itself in giving out professional trainings in long and short terms.
“We have been studying this possibility quite for many years,” Abiyi said. “Now, having support from our partners, we will be moving towards the actualization of this study very soon.”
The absence of a central organ in the industry has also been seen as one of the major challenges observed, according to the professor. “This is one of the areas we have seen bigger importance.”
For many years now, Ethiopia never had a central organ for cinema development, production, promotion, distribution and exhibition after the oldest, state-owned Ethiopian Cinema Corporation, which in its more than 50 years of existence, had only put out four 35mm movies before it chased itself out of the scene a few years ago.’Guma’ ‘Aster’, ‘Hirut Abatua Man New’ and ‘Behiwot Zuriya’ are all the Corporation had to offer for its existence with its qualified staff, most of who were trained in Eastern European countries, have failed to save the existence of the Corporation and left with it, being ‘unproductive’.
The Ethiopian film initiative which gained momentum this week, with the participation of up to hundred film-makers and media professionals from Ethiopia and at least fifteen countries, including seven from the African continent; is believed to lay a strong foundation to enhancing the quality of film productions by forming a central organ which facilitates and lobbies for a policy, technical, educational and other supports.
According to the organizers’ press release addressed to Capital, both the international and local film-makers have agreed on an ambitious three-point plan to strengthen the film industry in Ethiopia including liaising with the government to establish a film policy and to discuss the setting-up of a government agency to oversee the development of the local film industry.
The initiative also has decided to set up an umbrella film organisation to represent all individual film-makers and related associations in the country to provide mutual support for all practitioners in the film industry, and act as a unified lobbying group on film industry matters.
It also realized the the formation of an ad hoc group of local film-makers to plan how such an umbrella group would operate.
According to the organizers, these all will be accompanied by improving the professional standards of the Ethiopian film industry by encouraging short-term training to raise craft skills, production management, marketing and distribution. In the longer term the Ethiopian Film Initiative is supporting the development of permanent film centres in the country, including establishing a film department at Addis Ababa University.
Professor Abiyi said, “We have many stories to be told to the world in our films, so I think this is the right time.”