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African film critics body makes strides despite poor funding
critique
rédigé par Polly Kamukama
publié le 26/02/2019


It was started in 2004 with the vision of bringing together and empowering film critics across the continent.

Fifteen years down the road, however, the African Federation of Film Critics (AFFC) has struggled to find its footing thanks to a pile of challenges.
Speaking to this website today at the ongoing Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso, the federation's General Secretary, Espéra Donouvossi, decried lack of funds and limited training for its members as AFFC's biggest shortcomings.
"We need more capacities to run all our activities throughout the year, and yet most of our members haven't been compliant in paying their subscription fees," he noted, adding that lack of basic training has hindered most of the film critics working across the continent from achieving their full potential.
According to the federation's rules, each national film critics body is expected to pay an annual membership fee of approximately $100. As of today, only 19 African countries have registered national film critics associations, and most of them have defaulted their AFFC subscription for years. Despite the financial challenges, however, Donouvossi says AFFC still remains committed to fulfilling its agenda of nurturing film criticism and supporting the development of African cinema.

Besides holding regular trainings for its members, the continental film critics' body whose total membership currently stands at over 350 also runs the prestigious African Critics Jury Award which is given out at several international film festivals in Africa every year.
The Dakar-based federation also oversees the Africiné Magazine, an acclaimed online film publication that has since its inception 15 years ago become seminal for shaping African cinema through its powerful articles.

This year, AFFC is hosting a week-long training and networking workshop at the ongoing FESPACO aimed at improving the capacity of African film critics as well as the production of quality coverage for the Africiné magazine.

The annual workshop, which has previously been dominated by film critics from Francophone countries, has this year brought together a total of 42 participants, nine of which are Anglophone. The rather impressive figure of participants this year has been credited to increased support from the federation's partners including the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Africalia Belgium, Goethe-Institut, Fespaco and the federation national associations.

The workshop, along with the 26th edition of FESPACO, culminates this Saturday with the election of a new AFFC Executive Committee to replace the current one headed by acclaimed Moroccan film critic Khalil Demmoun.

Polly Kamukama (Uganda)

Africiné, The Magazine of the African Federation of Film Critic (AFFC / FACC) - www.africine.org

Africiné Magazine issue no.1 - Monday 25 February 2019, page 7 - FESPACO 2019 /// 26th edition

This magazine is published by the Fédération Africaine de la Critique Cinématographique (FACC). The publication was made possible thanks to the support of La Francophonie, Africalia Belgium, the Goethe-Institut and Ascric-B. It is produced by a collective of 42 African journalists from 23 countries.

Director of Publication : Khalil Demmoun

Editorial committee
Sid-Lamine Salouka
Abraham Bayili
Ahmed Shawky
Robert Mukondiwa
Fatou Kiné Sene
Pélagie N'Gonana
Charles Ayetan
Yacouba Sangaré
Espéra Donouvossi

Layout: Korotimi Sérémé

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