Kachumbari ya moto

FACTS ABOUT TANZANIAN FILM INDUSTRY 

By selles mapunda

FACTS ABOUT TANZANIAN FILM INDUSTRY

Tanzanian film-makers tend to operate in a fast and furious manner, shoots rarely last longer than two weeks, cheap digital equipment is almost always used and the average budget is about $ 4000 to 10,000. The finished products often bypass cinemas altogether and are instead sold directly to the “man on the street” for about $1.50 (£1). Most films shift between 10,000 and 20,000 copies around East African countries, although a blockbuster can easily sell up to 50,000.

So, what exactly is it about the films that resonate so much with their audience? For all of their populist appeal, Tanzanian films are very rooted in local concerns.Many of the films have looked at how traditional beliefs, culture and everyday life.Islamic and Christianity are Tanzanians main religions.There are some superb sequences using quite simple video effects to transform aunties into demons, or show evil animal spirits being driven out from the possessed.”

Tanzanian films still hold their strongest appeal to first generation immigrants who feel a deep attachment to their homeland. Ultimately, it’s the way the films are crafted, rather than their juicy content that gives them universal appeal.The storytelling is so good. Tanzanian filmmakers really know how to entertain their audiences. They’ve studied the populist genres from other countries such as, Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and others, low-budget, horror, South African soap operas, romance, comedy for example;  and reworked these to appeal to anyone with a love of drama.”

The process is tried and tested, and the main reason Tanzania film Industry is currently in such rude health, but how long can it stay that way? It’s hard to see how an industry that prides itself on producing so much in so little time won’t start to lose its momentum in the coming years. Diversifying is probably its best hope of lasting success, but loyal and long-standing fans may see that as a betrayal of its origins.

In 2011, Tanzania celebrates nearly 12 years of its film industry,. Film-makers need to make the most of these new opportunities to showcase the country by accurately portraying its flaws as well as its triumphs. This may mean tackling less savory subjects regarding everyday life in the country, such as crime, corruption and abject poverty. It will not please everyone, but to ensure the legacy it deserves, Swahili movies audiences should demand no less.

The location of the world’s fastest growing film market may surprise you. Steps Entertainment in Tanzania has experienced a meteoric rise, now releasing 140 movies a year, most for under $10,000. As a result the films are often slapdash affairs in true B-movie style, a mix of raw creativity and homemade ingenuity that generates finished work at a stunning rate. Their movies are notable for their reflection of Tanzanian life, exploring many of the issues facing the country today poverty, AIDS, corruption, women’s rights with a distinct vision that brings to light the collision of traditional African values with the realities of modern life.

In their new release Chumo,  that recently screened by an International filmmaker John Riber  who also produced popular films like Neria and Yellow card, takes viewers on a journey to the colorful sets and the chaos of the urban streets, charting the rise of the industry and the popularity of the films. The film propelled along by the excitement of the subjects and the true local Tanzanians love life.

The company is reckoned to employ about 30,000 Tanzanian people as producers, actors, distributors, vendors and promoters.

John Kallage, the Tanzanian Camera-chief, says “It’s an African if not a global – phenomenon”.

Most Tanzanian films are shot on tiny budgets in a week or so. The camerawork is shaky, and the acting… well, Oscars aren’t likely. But they sell hundreds of thousands of copies on VHS, VCD & DVD.

Over lunch in Nyumbani Lounge owned by one of the popular Tanzanian artist Lady Jd,  in the capital Dar es salaam, one of the country’s leading film-maker and Actor, Jacob Steven JB, points out that “Steps Entertainment Ltd is the only marketer that made us stand and make life and enjoy our sweats” ” he says.

“In the west Africa, they make films in their language, in Kenya, South Africa and also in Hollywood and Bollywood on their way but Tanzanian films are made in Swahili language as a means of promoting our language all over the world then we subtitle them in English this industry is what professionals call Independent cinema that I’m a part of.” he said.

JB says, advances in technology have empowered all Tanzanian film-makers. “And what I love about Tanzanians is that they’re not going to wait for government funding – they’re just going to go out and do it now only it’s because Steps Entertainment can do the rest distribution work.”

Another filmmaker and actor is Steven Kanumba who started a production company, he says. “Then, Tanzanians looked for cheaper ways to make films, VHS came, and the video industry was born. Now the technology keeps getting better and better.” Thanks to Steps Entertainment ltd for supporting the industry.

Steven Kanumba has made more than 20 films and had retrospectives at festivals in Ziff (Zanzibar International Film Festival). Release details for his film DevilKingdom featuring another great African actor Ramsey Noah from Nigeria that will be sold in all African countries and abroad, shows just how different marketing and distribution is in Steps Entertainment.

Nassir Mohammed a Tanzanian-born based in UK, studying about filmmaking in United Kingdom says Steps is paving a way that will lead many of the Tanzanian Diaspora returning home to work in the booming industry. “Tanzania is like Nigeria in the gold rush period,” he says.

The actress Irene Uwoya born to Tanzanian parents lives in Cyprus has worked in both countries. In the UK, she has appeared in some movies, and featured more than 20 films in Tanzania. She’s now set up her Production company in order to get involved in the Tanzanian industry totally. “There’s video and film, and they’re very different. What’s churned out by Steps Entertainment Ltd is video. My ambition is to merge the two – with high definition technology you can use the fantastic support that Steps Entertainment Ltd is providing and I think Steps Entertainment will make us begin to take these films to the big international film festivals.

A lady named Madiwani Seif from Kinondoni Dar es salaam fun of Swahili movies popularly known as Bongo Movies, she says “the future for Tanzanian film is the movie theatre, but at the moment, it makes no sense to pay $10 at a cinema when you can get the same film for $1.5 from Steps shops and agents all over the country on DVD.”

2. Tanzanian film industry is about to experience a significant business boom with the planned plan by Steps.

This indication is contained in a release by Managing Director of Steps Entertainment ltd Mr. Dilesh Solanki adding that his company has made strong plans to add entrepreneurial flavor to the Tanzanian’s film industry and open up the business end of film-making for massive investment .

“We believe that our effort  will produce a massive growth in the film sector with positive impact on unemployment, revenue, poverty reductionand social stability in the country which is what Steps Entertainment has been doing for more than 3 years in this country”, he added.

He continued: “Though largely perceived as Art, film is also a business capable of generating huge revenue and in the process contribute to the growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.”(G.D.P)

3.Steps Entertainment ltd one of the Highest Revenue Generating Sector.

Steps Entertainment is making every effort to position its film-making industry to move from the realm of entertainment to the pinnacle of business.

This potential, if fully harnessed and adequately developed, would make the Tanzanian film industry one of the highest revenue generating sectors of the economy as in California, United States of America and other developed countries.

. “For the past three years, Steps has been trying to establish three windows of creating employment direct and indirect for the Tanzanians through film sector. Tanzania is today in prostrate state and terribly sick in terms of employment to its citizens. According to the details given by Filmmakers of Tanzania more than 30,000 Tanzanians have been employed in this industry so far as Directors, Producers, Writers, Actors, vendors’ e.t.c.  From the artists working under steps only .Tanzania is losing estimated morethan 50 millions tshs as film sales revenue yearly because of piracy of Swahili movies.

Steps Entertainment calls for Government’s greater support to nurture the industry so that it can exploit the huge market that it has uncovered. Steps Entertainment can be the 4th or 5th country’s largest employer, after the federal Government and some well supported companies, though figures vary enormously depending on what is being shot at the time.

“There is (only) so much we can do with the private sector alone, we need Government to provide the structure and environment in which the industry can flourish but the Government is complacent. By inaction they risk killing the goose which can lay a golden egg.
It is ironic that some of the richest countries in the world Like Japan, India, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, Israel, Sweden, Denmark etc, did not become rich because of raw and natural resources – materials extracted from the ground. Almost all of these countries are poor in terms of finding any raw or natural material in their countries. They do not have raw or natural resources in abundance in their land to sustain their nation, but they used their knowledge/brain based ability to become rich by investing in human intelligence in computer, science, music, arts and their culture.

The first step Steps Entertainment has taken and which is commendable is;

1. Plans to work with Filmmakers of Tanzania,
2. To organize the marketing and distribution strategy in and outside Tanzania.
3. To cut out piracy and to repatriate their money and efforts back in the Tanzanian economy. This is commendable but more is needed to be done. Tanzania and the film industry is shortchanged and violated big time in these hasty deals.The time is now for the Film, movie and music industry in Tanzania to come together and have a conference, workshop for days or weeks for a way forward for our new impressive industry, so that Tanzania can earn money from the sweat of her people and not to let this industry become a curse.

4.Growth of the Nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

Although largely perceived as art, film is also a business capable of generating huge revenue which could contribute to the growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “If the business potentials of film are fully harnessed and adequately developed, the industry could become one of the highest revenue-generating sectors of the economy as obtained in the UnitedState of America and California

The absence of entrepreneurial and business skills in the Tanzanian film industry have resulted in the practitioners placing more emphasis on the artistic aspect of film-making at the expense of the business aspect of it.

This in turn results in the sector’s inability to sustain the momentum of growth and development, but expressed confidence that with the support of Government the challenges facing the industry would be greatly reduced.

“Steps Entertainment ltd with its requisite experience and expertise can assist with its various workshops and specific training programs for practitioners in the sector for us to reap the full benefits of increased film production, post-production, distribution and marketing as well as film exhibition”,

Tanzania’s success in film-making has not just elicited carping from other African countries. It has fired their competitive instincts. Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon are now producing hundreds of films a year. Kenya is beating Tanzania at its own awards ceremonies not in terms of quantity.

Tanzania has been forced to raise its game in response. It has started making films inside Dar Es salaam to cut costs, mirroring the exodus of film-making from Lagos (a Mtitu Game’s film Dar to Lagos) to cities like Johannesburg South Africa (Steps film Bad Friend), a process known as “runaway production”. Some producers the likes of PiliPili Entertainment are investing in better equipment. Others are trying to get their films onto the big screen. With a population of 20, 00, Dar Es Salaam has just two working cinemas World Cinema and MlimaniCity. But that number could soon rise to 10. “To bring in much-needed investors, the industry has to have physical assets,”

From all indications, the future of the Tanzanian movie industry is promising. I understand that every day, about three new low budget movies are released into the market. Each film is then replicated into about 10,000 video cd’s / dvd’s  and distributed to markets, video clubs and eventually various homes. This process creates jobs and income for the people involved in the production, distribution and marketing of the movies. It is only when we change our paradigm and see film production as big business, that the film industry will take its rightful position in the economy.

The United States of America is the best example of a perfect union between the film and the financial services industries. Do you know that the American movie industry is the second largest export revenue earner for that country, after the aviation industry? Thanks to Hollywood and its spin offs, the state of California, with a gross domestic product of $1.4 trillion, is the fifth largest economy in the world, richer than the combined wealth of all the 54 countries in Africa. Today, underscoring the industry’s contribution to the rest of American society, the current Governor of California is Arnold Schwarzenegger, an actor (Schwarzenegger, Governor of California at the time of presentation of this paper has already served his full tenure as helmsman of the state). Former President Ronald Reagan was also a Hollywood actor. These American examples show us what the Tanzanian movie industry can become in terms of stature and relevance in society.

We all know that Tanzanian home videos are extremely popular with Africans especially Tanzanians abroad. Our films have become ready substitutes for western productions. Through these movies Africans are experiencing a cultural connect worldwide, something which foreign movies cannot provide. Recently, South Africa’s satellite TV Company Multichoice DSTV introduced its Africa Magic Swahili channel which shows mostly Tanzanian movies to its over 1.5 million subscribers in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. With time, this exposure of our film market can only serve to improve the quality of our movies. It can be said that this is another form of cross-border trade, which will lead to positive interest in Tanzania, and all the things associated with our country

5.The Government should actually contribute in the area

1. Fighting piracy which has become a plague afflicting several areas of the creative arts. It can be reduced by controlling our borders and strict laws for pirates. Current law is not effective and pirates are using this law as their defense.

2. By supporting film makers with the government’s appropriate props like Police centers, vehicle, uniforms, ammunition and other infrastructure like offices, court rooms, game parks, jails and shooting permits etc.