Ministry of Information Concludes National Film Policy Consultation
By: Edward Dictionary Caulker
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education, in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s Local Film Industry, has wrapped up the final phase of its film policy consultation at Brookfields Hotel in Freetown. This phase brought together stakeholders from both urban and rural areas of the local film industry.
Victor Suma, the consultant and facilitator for the Film Policy, highlighted that the consultation aimed to evaluate the current state of Sierra Leone’s filmmaking sector. Key areas of focus included enhancing civic education through film, preserving cultural traditions in film production, and developing robust policies and laws to support high-quality film production.
Suma noted that earlier consultations were held in Makeni, Bo, and Freetown to create opportunities and ensure sustainable production practices that allow filmmakers to recoup their costs.
“This initiative will assist filmmakers in recovering their production costs,” Suma stated.
Looking ahead, Suma outlined the next phase, which involves validating the consultation outcomes. These will be presented to Parliament for debate, voting, and enactment within a 21-day period.
Participants, including film directors, actors, and actresses, underscored the need for a comprehensive film policy and discussed the challenges of operating without clear regulations. Joseph T. Amara, a participant, emphasized the importance of the ministry’s consultation and expressed hope that film producers would remain engaged in the policy development process.
Suma also identified a significant challenge: the lack of comprehensive data on film industry professionals, including producers, directors, and actors.
The regional consultations covered discussions on the National Civic Education Policy and Strategy, the National Media and Information Policy, the National Film Policy, and the National Records and Archives Policy. This effort was led by Professor A.D. Alie with support from international partners, including PLAN International and UNESCO.
The successful conclusion of the national film policy consultation marks a crucial step toward establishing a structured and supportive framework for Sierra Leone’s growing film industry.
