Flock of film enthusiasts attending the 22nd edition of the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO 2011) on
Wednesday night had a rude shock when security men at Cine Burkina prevented them from entry due to over crowding inside the theater.
The film enthusiasts with valid tickets and entry passes were all locked out generating heated argument, shouts and others had the guts to bang at the door, and quite grippingly some local and foreign journalists covering FESPACO 2011 were also caught-up, "in the untimely closure of heavens gate - Cine Burkina".
The film aficionados had thronged Ciné Burkina to watch En attendant le vote, Directed by Missa Hebie of Burkina Faso. The film is among 18 entries contending for the coveted feature film category award.

Some of the disappointed ladies and gentlemen told journalists ;
"this is very unfortunate I cannot believe am outside, what happened, why did the organizer sold out more tickets than the seating
capacity of the hall. This is a dent on the colourful event such as FESPACO".
A foreign journalist in his frustration retorted: "they have not only deprived me from watching but millions of people out there, who would have read my news report. Am here to watch and file news
stories about FESPACOX.what am I going to write on this film".

Meanwhile most Cinema Theaters screening films directed by Burkina Faso filmmakers continue to attract the largest audiences either for exhibition of nationality support or just to demonstrate love for made in Burkina Faso products including films. Some competing films from Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire have also attracted quite a realistic audience.
Although it's a positive development, it also has the dangerous potential of discouraging other film producers from attending future events; event organizers must therefore watch-out and build up the necessary promotional mechanism to create leverage for non-Burkina Films.
In a related development Mr. Kwaw Paintsil Ansah, internationally acclaimed Ghanaian Filmmaker has lauded the critical role film critics play in the development of the movie industry and has therefore tasked African Film Critics not to gloss over such a crucial duty. "An analytical, objective and critical critic of a film is an asset to the producer and the audience alike," Mr. Ansah noted.
He also appealed to African governments to invest and promote private public partnership for the development of the film industry.
"The film industry is key for the conscientisation of the African for accelerated economic growth.
"I have always felt that Africans as a people have their own values. We've gone through a colonial experience and definitely the colonial master had a programme to brainwash his subject so that he can be subjugated.
"This system has eroded a lot of the confidence of the African. And this is where robust local film industry comes in-to let us turn round to see what has gone wrong and use the goodness in what our ancestors left us".
Mr Jean-Paul Amoussou a Film Director from Benin sharing his observation of FESPACO 2011 said "it has increased the momentum on demand for quality African films as well as opening huge global one-stock advertising platform for the industrial players".
He explained that I consider FESPACO as the biggest common platform for African stakeholders to hold their own against the rest of the world; "tell the world African film is coming to the world stage in a grand style".
Mr Amoussou however expressed concern about lack of link-ups after the event, "what is important to me is how to take advantage of the exposure after the festival; we must consider mid-term events to maintain the interest by holding mini-festivals at the country to country levels".
He also reiterated an appeal to African governments to support the art industry with funds as the field is a highly capital intensive venture with huge financial and social returns.

Francis AMEYIBOR
Ghana