African filmmakers now have a hub to sell their content
Kenyan and African film producers at large now have a reason to smile after the first ever virtual screening room exclusively for Afrocentric films and TV shows was launched last week.
The new platform puts the spotlight on African film making and monetisation of content for African producers and heralds an important and exciting new wave of African storytelling by Africans for Africans worldwide.
DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
Acomart is a digital platform dedicated to the global equitable promotion and acceleration of Afrocentric content. The platform is home to the first ever Virtual Screening Room for African films and series, where content buyers can explore the vast catalogue and make informed content acquisition decisions.
Acomart currently has over 15,000 hours of film and TV series content from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon and South Africa and other countries in the region, available for licensing by platforms, broadcasters, airlines and other content buyers.
Faith Koli, Project Leader at Acomart, says it is challenging for producers to sell their content beyond their borders due to an absence of a robust distribution network that connects the regions and territories in Africa.
CONTENT PRODUCTION
“The strength of the Acomart platform lies in its ability to accelerate and monetise content from across the continent in one place for easy access by buyers, thereby giving content producers access to new markets and stimulating demand – especially for content from under-explored territories which can now be localised for new audiences,” Koli said.
Film is economically important in Africa as it has the potential to create many jobs across the value chain of film making, but the industry still faces hurdles as it attempts to build a sustainable and profitable film industry – with many filmmakers unable to profit from their productions.
One of the platform’s objectives is ensuring the acceleration of content development and consumption. The platform will also be investing in the industry by launching a training and development arm, with the aim of creating a Content Production Hub where producers can receive technical training, coaching and mentoring.
“We are encouraging content producers and buyers worldwide to sign up at acomart.tv to load their content or view the available content to licence, while joining hands with other proud Africans to contribute to the growth of the continent’s creative economy post the Covid-19 pandemic,” Koli said.