Govt invests in film industry

Cletus Mushanawani News Editor
GOVERNMENT is investing in infrastructure and equipment in the film industry to reduce the cost of producing films as the country migrates from analogue to digital media.

In an interview after touring the refurbished Gwindingwi transmission equipment in Chimanimani last Thursday, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Cde George Charamba, said the revamping of the country’s film industry was a matter of urgency because of the immense benefits that come from film production.

He said the digitalisation programme was set to create about 6 000 jobs by the end of 2016, with the figures expected to go up to hundreds of thousands as the years progress.

“By the time we close 2016, I am very positive that the film industry will be employing about 6 000 people.

“This is a big industry with a lot of benefits across many facets of the economy. We should take a leaf from Nigeria where its film industry in now racking in billions of dollars.

“We will not only be producing content for our local market only, but SADC, Africa, the Third World and the world at large. We want to make sure that the world is watching us,” he said.

Cde Charamba said there was a lot of eagerness among producers to have their content marketed.

“From the meetings we have done in Harare and Bulawayo, we have realised that as the State we are in actual fact following the citizens in terms of content production and readiness. There is catching up that needs to be done. The role of the ministry is to capture the people’s enthusiasm and turn it into reality, thereby creating thousands of jobs for Zimbabweans.

“As the parent ministry, it is our duty to provide the necessary infrastructure and equipment to ensure that content is readily available for all the channels to be created from the digitalisation programme.

“This is will also lower the expenses of producing films in the country and ensure that there is enough content for the market, both local and international.

“As I speak, we have people in Dubai who left on Monday to source for cameras and lighting equipment as well as other accessories.

“We want to have an excess of 30 to 35 camera units that will be distributed across the country there will be enough resources for productions in different parts of the country.

“We need to have folly studios which disseminate sounds. If you are walking on a concrete floor that sound should come out clearly.

“The same should apply to a glass or grass floor. I met a guy from Botswana who told me that people are not only watching films with their eyes, but they are also using their ears, hence the need of clear sounds,” he said.

Cde Charamba said the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services would be working with a lot of other ministries in producing films, ranging from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Sport and Recreation, Arts and Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Industries as well as Industry and Trade.

“Our culture and identity is under attack and this dates back to the 1890s. This is the time we should asset our voices and culture through the locally produced films.

“Zimbabwe should have its own image. How do we know this is Harare when we do not know a single typifying feature about the city?

“There should be something that typifies us as Zimbabweans. Look at South Africa, the face of a South African girl is a Zulu child with beads, but what typifies a Zimbabwean? We need a typical Zimbabwean face.

“We want to tell the real Zimbabwe story because we are not currently using our flags and designs when producing our films.

“All the various genres should show the true Zimbabwean identity. The dramas, music, dances, sculptures our fashion and fabric should tell the world who Zimbabweans are,” he said.

On the importance of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in the film industry, Cde Charamba said: “That ministry is the incubator of the arts industry. Most talents are indentified at an early stage and this is usually in primary school. So this means we are wedded together with this important ministry.

“The same applies to tertiary education because all universities are hot beds of creativity. Every art one can think of is found at the campus and we should tap on that. We want to conceptualise clarity on who we are as Zimbabweans.”