Duo raise funds for Cannes Film Fest
Two representatives from the Women In Film Guild, Botswana are heading to the Cannes Film Festival this coming May. The two are Serene Mmifinyana, who will be accompanied by the Chairperson of the Women in Film Botswana Guild, Nikita Mokgware. Mmifinyana is the Vice Chairperson of the local association, and she also happens to be on the board of the Women in Film and Television International.
The invitation came from the Pavillon Afrique, and she is pencilled to speak at their platform at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in France. Even more exciting is the fact that this will be the first time that the duo will not only be attending the melting pot of the film industry event, but will also be representing the local Guild. The Cannes Film Festival takes place on May 16th-17th, while the Pavillon Afrique event is scheduled for May 16th-25th.
The Pavillon Afrique is said to be a dedicated tent within the Film market section of the Cannes Film Festival, and is dedicated to the business film in the African content and the diaspora. This will be the fifth year that the event takes place, having been launched in May 2019. Last year, the event had participation from delegates from nine countries that includes Cameroon, Central Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Malawi and Republic of Guinea to mention a few.
However, as exciting as the news are, there is only one thing standing between them and this big dream. They do not have the resources to realise this dream. And they have created a Go Fund Me campaign, with the hope that they will raise enough money to attend the prestigious event. Their campaign has already attracted some attention from well-wishers, who have started to donate to the duo. They are also calling on the local community and MYSC to assist them.
An elated Mmifinyana tells BG Style that the Pavillon Afrique is a platform for African television and film creatives. Highlights of the ten-day programme will include strategic reflections, with roundtable discussion and exchanges, a segment on Country Presentation where delegates have an opportunity to sell themselves/ their work with the hope of attracting investors.
Other highlights include educational activities in the form of trainings, workshops and masterclasses delivered by experts, Pitch sessions, meet-ups, as well as screenings for professionals where there will be screening of content from Africa and the diaspora, and will be available for professional buyers, presentations and networking sessions. She explains that she will attend and be part of roundtable discussions, centred around sustaining the industry, where she will market and sell the local industry, as well as talk about the Botswana Guild.
“I will also reintroduce Botswana to the global film landscape,” she explains. Mokgware explains she will use this opportunity to network, and look for opportunities for local creatives. Mmifinyana notes that Botswana is still untapped when it comes to telling authentic stories.
But all is not lost, as she notes that the country is getting there, the tide is turning, and things are looking up for the industry. Shedding light on their campaign, she notes that so far, the response has been impressive as they have attracted attention from the international community who are affiliates of the Women in Film International association. Most of them, she says understand the industry and they come from places such as Canada and the USA.
“The Go Fund me has attracted some donations,” she explains. Meanwhile, she points out that the Women in Film Guild Botswana was established in November 2021, and that it is a hub for women in the film and television industry. She also highlights that through the Guild they want to promote a progressive industry, and are also mandated to educate, and empower women in the industry. “We want to reach a certain level of equality. We have talented film and television directors and producers who are capable of making an impact,” explains Mmifinyana.
They recently opened up their membership drive, and the campaign is running until the end of February. The origin of the Cannes Film Festival dates back to 1938, Jean Zay, the French Minister of National Education, on the proposal of high-ranking official and historian Philippe Erlanger and film journalist Robert Favre Le Bret decided to set up an international cinematographic festival. The festival is the international marketplace where producers and distributors exchange ideas, view films and sign contracts.