In an initiative to produce more African film content, the Bollywood film industry
will be offering experience and funding to filmmaking collaborations between the
Seychelles and other African countries.
The initiative was brought about by Antoine Onezime, Chief Executive of the
Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Albertus Aochamub Director General
at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Head of SABA as well as
Rahul Nehra, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Africa Film Factory, a
production company set up by Nehra and other Bollywood industry professionals
including actor Jackie Shroff and director Sumit Dutt, which collaborates with
countries in Africa.
Onezime explained, “SBC, through SABA, has looked for ways to create our own
content, but to create this content requires a lot of money, and a lot of initiative
and expertise which at the current time we don’t necessarily have, even in Africa
as a whole. So we have had to look for strategic partners to associate with us
and assist us in this regard and Africa Film Factory, which has been working with
SABA, expressed interest to help in this process, in cooperation with African
media organizations.
Seychelles is a country that relies on tourism, and we will be receiving exposure,
and that is why our tourism minister has been involved to make sure that
Seychelles receives maximum exposure as a tourism destination, and it will,
because these films will be shown in a large number of countries throughout the
world. At the same time, all of the partners involved in the project will benefit
from the collaboration.’
Africa Film Factory plans to offer Seychelles locals who are interested in a career
in the film industry training, in order for the country to grow its talent and
capacity to generate content.
A Love Like This, directed by Sri Lankan filmmaker Chandram Rutnam
(Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), will be shot in Seychelles and
Sri Lanka from 2
August and will feature a number of local actors as well as actors from Nigeria
and South Africa. Another two films featuring international talent are scheduled
to be shot in the country following production on A Love Like This.
“I think with this combination of Nigeria, South Africa, Seychelles, a Hollywood
director, we really have an international film in the making. And we call this
genre of cinema African international cinema. It’s not limited to a nation. It’s not
limited to an artist. The cinema itself is primary,’ said Nehra.
