Botswana: The Film Office under the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture held a stakeholder engagement in Francistown. The stakeholder meeting was hosted on Thursday and formed a part of the ongoing District Film Industry Development Tour.
The Film Industry Development Tour consists of a number of activities including short film screenings and Now! upgraded IPTV interaction. The MYSC Film Office Coordinator, Gaonyadiwe Kwalate delivered a brief address at the event.
She highlighted that the creatives should always be on the lookout for stories in their communities. The officials have shared that the communities within the story will be able to inspire them to create content.
She informed the attendants of the stakeholders that National Arts Festival Regional fashion show competition is scheduled for Saturday. The event which is being hosted at Adansonia Hotel will be attended by several talented contenders.
She shared that the filmmakers should attend and scout for talent for their film productions during this event. The people of the country have been urged to bring in more and more stories from the communities.
On the other hand, Legae Digwaamajwe – Content Acquisition and Aggregator officer in the Film Office, indicated that only one script was received from Francistown. The film was funded in the 2023 District Film Development Programme.
He encouraged filmmakers to participate in the upcoming 2024 Programme and create appealing content. Further, these film projects will feature at the Botswana International Film Festival and in Now! platform.
Kealeboga Molatlhegi, Licensing Executive at CosBots, urged filmmakers to register their scripts with CIPA. The association will help them in protecting their Intellectual Property. The filmproducers should also register with Cosbots to claim royalties for their content when screened in various platforms.
An industry player, Legodile Kemong of Tlhase Films suggested that as film makers in the Francistown area should form an Independent Association that would affiliate with mother organizations such as the Botswana Screen Association and the Botswana Film Association to facilitate the needs and flow of information among filmmakers in the region.
The district film development capacity building, short film screenings and Now! upgraded IPTV Platform activations will continue in Palapye from the 17th-19th.