The second edition of the Africa Cinema Summit (ACS) commenced on Monday, October 7, 2024, at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Ghana. Organized by the National Film Authority (NFA), this year’s summit is themed “Is Cinema Relevant in African Communities?” and will run until Thursday, October 10.
Headlining the three-day event is the legendary British-Ghanaian actor Idris Elba, who also serves as the Chairman of IE7 & The Akuna Group.
Elba called on African filmmakers to focus on producing high-quality content, emphasizing the significant impact of technological advancements on film production.
“By prioritizing quality, African cinema can compete on the global stage,” he stated. Elba noted that while appealing to international audiences is important, filmmakers must first cater to their local markets across the continent. “We have to think about appeasing our local market – not just Ghana, but Nigeria, West Africa, South Africa… People love movies all over Africa. When you get an American movie hit, usually it’s a domesticated hit before it is a hit outside.”
Elba stressed the need for filmmakers to adhere to global production standards, saying, “We can’t make films that do not keep to the standard of the rest of the world. There is no excuse for that. The democratization of equipment means we can all shoot on a nice camera, we can all shoot with good mics. So, we have to pay attention to quality.”
With influential voices like Idris Elba championing the cause, the Africa Cinema Summit seeks to inspire a new wave of creative excellence in the African film landscape.
