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Making a direct contribution to theefforts of the countries of sub-SaharanAfrica to produce and distribute theirown images, the French Ministry ofForeign Affairs launched this initiativein 2004 in order to provide a visibleand practical demonstration ofFrance's concern to take action every-where in favour of cultural diversity.

Using financing mechanisms thatdirectly benefit creative artists, filmproduction and distribution compa-nies, as well as African televisionchannels, both public and private,and audiovisual training structures,the goal of this plan is to helpAfrican industry professionals winback African audiences and, throughthis, to contribute to the emergenceof a genuine audiovisual economy onthe continent.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairshas mobilised resources with threemain focuses: professionalisation,production of films for cinema andaudiovisual programmes anddissemination (film distribution tolocal cinemas and modernisation ofbroadcasters).

The aim of the Plan ImagesAfrique is to encourage theproduction and distributionof African images insub-Saharan Africa.*

The Plan Images AfriqueBamakoA film byAbderrahmaneSissako

* Afrique du Sud, Angola, Bénin, Burkina Faso, Burundi,Cameroun, Cap Vert, Centrafrique, Comores, Congo, côted’Ivoire, Djibouti, Erythrée, Ethiopie, Gabon, Gambie, Ghana,Guinée, Guinée Bissao, Guinée équatoriale, Kenya,Madagascar, Mali, Mauritanie, Mozambique, Namibie, Niger,Nigeria, Ouganda, République Démocratique du Congo,Rwanda, Sao Tomé et Principe, Sénégal, Soudan, Tanzanie,Tchad, Togo, Zimbabwe.

Il va pleuvoir sur ConakryA film by Cheick Fantamady Camara

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Support for Short FilmsIn order to encourage the emergence of new talents, a fund to support produc-tion of short films in sub-Saharan Africa was created in 2007.

Short films are a perfect field for learning, a priority space for encouraging voca-tions and the transmission of knowledge and therefore the renewal of skills in allimage-making professions (producers, scriptwriters, directors, performers andtechnicians).

In addition, the lack of any real economic stakes for short films makes this a fully-fledged creative domain that allows powerful and innovative artistic projects toemerge.

Supported by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Festival des 3 Continents organisa-tion implements this direct aid measure for production of short films in sub-Saharan Africa.

Production aid is allocated to producers based in sub-Saharan Africa. Decisionsare made by an independent committee (Commission Fonds Courts-métragesAfrique) consisting of audiovisual professionals from Northern and Southerncountries. This support is aimed at directors under 35 who have a drama or ani-mation short film project for a maximum length of 30 minutes. The aid amountis approximately €10,000 per project, and is capped at €15,000.

Support for Television SeriesIn 2007, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a call for projects fortelevision series. This is aimed at production companies with significant experiencewith a view to producing series with programmes lasting 13 or 26 minutes for atleast 40 episodes.

This mechanism enables the constitution of a quality series offering with signifi-cant volumes. The aim of this project is to consolidate production structures andto allow an alternative to the telenovelas widely broadcast in Africa to emerge, toretain viewers and to increase channels' incomes, which can then be allocated toproduction budgets. Finally, it aims to answer to expectations on the part of theAfrican public - to see themselves on their TV screens.

Production of these series is combined with training: after a first selection of sixto eight pre-projects by a committee, training is offered to their authors in orderto develop all the episodes. The final selection will then retain the three or fourprojects that are to receive a financial grant and benefit from CFI’s support at allstages of production.

Contacts

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs:francois.belorgey@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Contacts

Festival des Trois Continents:guillaume@3continents.fr

Contact

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs:marguerite.hitier@diplomatie.gouv.fr

The Plan Images Afriqueconsists of three separate elements:

Training is key for the autonomy ofnational production, and it is a crucialfocus for the Ministry's support policy.Actions carried out are direct responses torequests from African partners.

Support is provided for African schoolsproviding initial training, authorised todeliver diplomas (BTS audiovisuel - 2years' post-school study in the audiovi-sual field), by making trainers from

French schools available (FEMIS, EcoleLouis Lumière, etc.). An equivalentmeasure has been set up for Africanvocational training structures, related toall trades in the industry (scriptwriters,producers, image and sound engineers,film editors, etc.)

Specific training courses are organised bythe Ministry: scriptwriting, production,digital production, management and

operation of cinemas, adaptation ofliterary works, training for trainers, etc.

In the field of television, executives fromchannels taking part in the TelevisionSupport Plan are invited to take part inseminars or collective training courses onmutually defined topics: management,marketing, production management, etc.

Promoting and Strengthening African skills

Professionalisation

Increasing and Diversifying Production of African Images

Production

Increasing the Role of African Images in Africa

Broadcasting / Distribution

Since 2004, the Fonds Images Afriquehas offered financial aid for African filmand television production. It covers alltypes of content and formats and is rele-vant to all stages in project developmentand production irrespective of the chosenmedia. Starting in 2007, short films andtelevision series will benefit from specificprocedures (see inserts) and are no longereligible for the Fonds Images Afrique aid.

The aid is allocated by a committee ofprofessionals from countries in Europe

and sub-Saharan Africa. The full amountof the aid goes to the local productioncompany submitting the application andthe funds must be spent in the countryconcerned.

The director and a majority of thetechnical team must come from one ofthe African countries involved. Most ofthe filming must be done in Africa.

Grants from the Fonds Images Afriquecan be applied for alongside other exis-

ting forms of aid: Fonds Sud Cinema,CNC (advances against box-office, directgrants), the International FrancophonyOrganization and the EuropeanCommission (ACP Fund).

This long-term fund represents a totalamount of € 6 million.

Distribution cinemaFrom 2003 to 2006, the International Organisation of theFrancophonie, the European Commission (ACP Fund) and theFrench Ministry of Foreign Affairs pooled their financialresources to set up a fund to aid distribution and broadcastingof African films in sub-Saharan Africa: Africa Cinémas.

In 2007, new directions were defined: direct support fordistribution and broadcasting projects sponsored by nationaloperators, and offering of African, French and European films tofoster commercial capacity building for cinema operators.

The Ministry supports the main cinema festivals in Africa andFrance that highlight the value of film production from theSouth.

Broadcasting televisionAfrican Television Support PlanSince 2003, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supportedthe modernisation of African television channels, both publicand private, that have committed to increase co-production andbroadcasting of African productions (Benin, Burkina Faso,Cameroon, Djibouti, Mali, Niger and Senegal).

The Television Support Plan aims, based on recommendationsfollowing audits of the organisation of work within each channeland various studies (audience figures and viewers' expectations),to improve their organisation with a view to freeing up resourcesfor investment in local production. Training courses and groupseminars are set up with this in mind.

The plan, which has funding of €3 million, is co-ordinated byCanal France International, a logical partner for African televisionchannels in the areas of co-operation and programme supply.

Le hérosA film by Zeze Gamboa

Contacts

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs:caroline.jacquemot-gindre@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Canal France International: Jean Minojmo@cfi.fr

Contacts

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs:Televisionmarguerite.hitier@diplomatie.gouv.frCinemafrancois.belorgey@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Contact

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs:francois.belorgey@diplomatie.gouv.fr

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Direction généralede la Coopération internationaleet du Développement

244, boulevard Saint-Germain - 75303 PARIS 07 SP - FranceTelephone : +33 (0)1 43 17 90 00 - www.diplomatie.gouv.fr - cooperation.dgcid@diplomatie.gouv.fr

In partnership with

Television

Cinema

ThePlan Images Afrique in figuresfrom 2004 to 2006

Production

The committee examined 354 projects inthe "Television" category.

100 grants were allocated to 94 projectswithin the framework of the FondsImages Afrique between 2004 and 2006:

� 83 production grants, representing atotal of €2 397 000.

These were:� 28 documentaries� 17 dramas� 34 series� 2 animated films� 1 magazine� 1 series of plays.

The authors of 17 of these projects(11 for documentaries, 4 for drama and2 for series) benefited from training orsupervision by experienced scriptwriters.

In total, 372,30 hours of programmeswere produced with the support of theFonds Images Afrique.

Professionalisation

Training courses are conducted in Africanvocational training centres: Imagine inOuagadougou, the Nafti in Accra, theCentre de Formation Professionnelle del'Audiovisuel in Yaoundé, the CIRTEFcentre in Cotonou, etc.

Within the framework of the FondsImages Afrique, 65 professionals benefited,between 2004 and 2006, from training inscriptwriting (documentaries, drama,television series), production and soundrecording.

Within the framework of the TelevisionSupport Plan, 96 television executivesfollowed seminars or training courses onthemes defined by the directors generalof the 12 channels involved in theTelevision Support Plan: marketing andcommercial management of televisionchannels, programming, production,management, setting up productionmanagement, and channel identity.

Production

The “Cinema” committee examined 130projects.

36 feature films benefited from fundingfor production for a global amount of€2 450 000.

Experienced scriptwriters supported 26projects.

Professionalisation

The Ministry supported:

� 5 basic training sessions run by Africaninstitutes for 60 students (script, editing,production, direction).

� Vocational training in Africa for 85 pro-fessionals from the film industry in thefollowing sectors: digital production anddirecting, training for trainers, scriptwriting,distribution and broadcasting, maintenance.

Distribution

Within the framework of the AfricaCinémas programme, 21 film theatresbenefited from funding for equipmentand programming.15 African films were supported with aidfor distribution in sub-Saharan Africa

The Ministry supports A dozen festivals inAfrica and France highlighting Africanfilm production.

The geographical distribution”Television / Cinema” is as follows:

Television Cinema

Angola: 1 1Benin: 6 1Burkina Faso: 19 5Burundi: 5Cameroon: 12 1Cape Verde: 1Chad: 3 2Congo: 6 1DR Congo: 2 2Côte d’Ivoire: 3Ethiopia: 1 1Gabon: 1Guinea: 3Guinea Bissau: 1Mali: 5 4Mozambique: 3 1Niger: 2Nigeria: 9 4Senegal: 10 5South Africa: 2 3Tanzania: 2Togo: 2

Le grandbazarA film byLicinioAzevedo