Distribution is weak in Africa but we exhibitors have taken our responsibilities and started to perfect it by networking, said Wednesday in Rabat, the operations director of the Majestic Cinema theaters in Abidjan. Sylvain Agbre.

I was invited here in the context of the distribution and operation of theaters under the majestic cinema but also REDA which is the network of exhibitors and distributors of African cinema of which I am the secretary general.

“During the exchanges, we showed that the distribution is very weak. However, we exhibitors have taken our responsibilities, we have started to work on perfecting the distribution, by networking,” said Sylvain Agbré, director of operations for the Majestic Cinema theaters in Abidjan, on Wednesday in Rabat.

Mr. Agbré was speaking at the end of a round table focusing on the theme “Distribution and exhibition: What synergies for a consolidated distribution of African production? “.

The round table took place on the sidelines of the 1st edition of Roots Rabat-Days of Pan-African Cinema which was held from Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 March 2023 in Rabat, African Capital of Culture under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI.

He explained that given the lack of cinemas in African countries, distributors have decided to network in order to connect their different cinemas and facilitate access to films in these different cinemas.

They therefore created the network of exhibitors and distributors of African cinema (REDA) of which he is the secretary general.

The REDA is established in 6 countries which are Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, Chad (which no longer has a room) and Cameroon.

He indicated that, of course, the international distributors provide them with films, but that there is a need for local distributors to do the work, namely, take a film, communicate about the film, find a partner, invest in the release of the film, which currently does not exist.

The round table took place on the sidelines of the 1st edition of Roots Rabat-Days of Pan-African Cinema which was held from Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 March 2023 in Rabat, African Capital of Culture under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI.

He explained that given the lack of cinemas in African countries, distributors have decided to network in order to connect their different cinemas and facilitate access to films in these different cinemas.

They therefore created the network of exhibitors and distributors of African cinema (REDA) of which he is the secretary general.

The REDA is established in 6 countries which are Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, Chad (which no longer has a room) and Cameroon.

He indicated that, of course, the international distributors provide them with films, but that there is a need for local distributors to do the work, namely, take a film, communicate about the film, find a partner, invest in the release of the film, which currently does not exist.

“We are working on an economic formula so that we make partnerships with television, radio, the written press to communicate around the works we want to release and circulate them in all 6 countries. Africans,” he said.

He affirmed that “things are looking good and the idea of coming here to Roots Rabat, allowed us to have an agreement with the renaissance cinema here”.

The meeting in Rabat “allows us to consolidate the achievements, to perfect them and to find other networks that can integrate the REDA”.

Source: Burkina Information Agency