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IDRIS ELBA to headline second edition of the Africa Cinema Summit
The National Film Authority of Ghana (NFA) today announced keynote speakers, strategic partners and theme for the Africa Cinema Summit (ACS) taking place from October 7th to 10th in Accra, Ghana.
This year’s summit, centered on the theme “The Relevance of Cinema in African Communities”, will debate the surge in local content production and consumption, advocate for greater cinema investment, and reimagine the cinema experiences for Africa’s underserved lower-income audiences. With an estimated 80% of the continent’s population having never watched a film on the big screen, Africa presents a vast, untapped market for the global cinema business – an opportunity that the ACS will seek to explore and unlock.
Golden Globe winner and Chairman of the IE7 & The Akuna Group, Idris Elba, BAFTA-winning producer and co-founder of Juno Studios, Fiona Lamptey and the current Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC), Ghana, Hon. Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer will headline the summit.
The ACS speaker lineup will also include industry leaders and visionaries from around the world, each offering invaluable insights to shape the future of African cinema including:
- King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, king of the Ga Traditional Area in southern Ghana.
- Hon. Sandrine Umutoni, Minister of State for Youth and Arts of the Republic of Rwanda.
- H.E. Dr. Onyekachi Macaulay O. Kalu, Chairman, African Union Sixth Region.
- Moses Babatope, Founder and CEO of Nile Media Entertainment Group.
- Funmi Onuma, Country Manager, Silverbird Cinemas, Ghana.
- H.E. Prof. Hugh K. Aryee, Vanuatu’s Trade Commissioner to Ghana.
- Kunle Afolayan, Film Producer/Director.
- Ope Ajayi, CEO of CINEMAX and President of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria.
- Patrick Lee, Head of Operations, at Viva Cinemas Nigeria.
- Akaninyene Macauley, Executive Director of Sky Film Distribution.
- Omoni Oboli, Nigerian actress, scriptwriter, director and producer
- Joy Efe Odiete, CEO of Blue Pictures Entertainment.
- Aminata Diop-Johnson, The African Pavilion.
The summit will play host to representatives from key African countries including Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Angola, executives in the diaspora and investment bodies including Afreximbank, and IFC.
Idris Elba, Chairman of the IE7 & The Akuna Group commented “Africa has been at the forefront of communication and storytelling for centuries, but sadly this innovation and the complex stories originating on the continent have been largely unnoticed. So, I am thrilled to be part of this year’s Africa Cinema Summit, where the focus will be on how Africans, on the continent and in the diaspora, can propel the cinema and content ecosystem to new heights and bring global awareness to our rich, dynamic, youthful and vibrant Africa.
Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, CEO of the National Film Authority of Ghana commented “The only way to grow local content and increase the cinema offerings on the African continent is to work together. The sector remains resilient, with local content stepping up in countries like Nigeria to fill content gaps. The continent holds the largest potential market growth for cinema and our work is to make the potential a reality that benefits African communities. I look forward to welcoming our esteemed guests to Accra, Ghana.
The summit, organized in collaboration with Nile Media Entertainment Group, Silverbird Cinemas and NFA executive steering committee members Tim Yaw Struthers, Moses Babatope and Funmi Onuma, will take place October 7th – 10th 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
