Botswana: The Vice Chairperson of Women in Film Botswana, Serena Mmifinyane, encouraged youth in film to have mentors, explaining that mentorship allows one to grow in experience.
She said if one finds the right mentor, they can direct them towards other good networks across the globe, opening them to more opportunities to venture into other sectors in production like directing and script writing instead of just concentrating on acting.
Marian Kunoga, a film veteran from Zimbabwe, said women should be able to tell their stories from the heart and become more confident in themselves. She encouraged them to also understand the censorship laws as well as other laws such as children’s law intellectual property so they are always within context.
On another note, Maxwell Dichi emphasized that casting directors should always know what they are looking for in a character and direct the right characters for relevant roles. He said an actor can choose to be what is typically expected of them (stereotypical) in that particular role or use the character bio and improvise.
He advised that one has to produce professional profile pictures shot at a studio, make a show authentic of their work, and appeal to the casting directors. He said when shooting a monologue one should choose a field that they resonate with so that it looks as real as possible.
The Nigerian Hollywood employee Victoria Ogar shared that there are elements that make production block buster material; being the touch and feel as well as positioning. She also emphasized having mentors, alluding that mentorship is very important because it can align someone with the right avenues.
Ogar encouraged producers to collaborate across Africa so that they attain the best work possible, citing that when different strengths come together, great productions can emerge. She advised producers to infuse tourism, traditions, language, food and attire in their films to sell their countries.
Thabiso Moaretlwaneng, a local film director, shared his film experience in the industry as a director; he gave credit to scriptwriters as they really do a wonderful job that helps them execute their work well.
He encouraged directors to explore other avenues of wealth creation other than repeating what has already been done. He said there is a lot of history that needs to be documented, biopics profiled, the wildlife documentary space, and many narratives to tell our history in our voice.
