African Union Creates African Audio-visual and Cinema Commission

The Ministers of Culture, Youth and Sports of the member States of the African Union created the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission (AACC) in Addis Ababa on June 17. With the new commission, African countries hope that TV and cinema will contribute to the growth and development of the continent.

The audiovisual industry in Africa is not very significant in world stakes. It accounts only for 5 billion USD and 5 million jobs throughout the continent. However, with the creation of AACC the African Union hopes to boost the sector, which should greatly benefit the economies of its members. The AACC’s medium-term objective is for the industry to reach 20 billion USD and to employ 20 million people in Africa.

In order to achieve this goal, the AACC will be in charge of promoting the audiovisual industry of the continent with the creation of stable structures at the national, regional and continental levels. The AACC will enable better cooperation between the African States in the field of TV and cinema. Most of all, the AACC will promote the audiovisual industry as a factor of development, job creation, integration, solidarity and mutual understanding that can foster peace and present a positive image of Africa.

The Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (known under the French acronym FEPACI) supported the creation of the AACC. Christine Githiomi, projects and communication manager of the FEPACI, stated that “Some countries are more advanced in film than others. The idea of making [the AACC] an African Union initiative is to support all the different [industries]. This organization is going to support you wherever you are”.

To have a better understanding of the possibilities that the AACC will have, we have to wait until October 2016, when the status of the ACC will be examined by the ministers of Justice of the members of the African Union.