The Senegalese film industry has undergone a renaissance over the past ten years. The sector is becoming more professional and developing its apprenticeship courses. In 2013, producer Oumar Sall launched Upcourt-métrages, a ten-month training in film and production professions. The fourth campaign has just presented its work, six short films.
“I often say that a producer is the one who says’ give me an idea, I’ll save it. “Oumar Sall is not only a wise producer, who finances the successful films of Alain Gomis or Mati Diop, he is also a businessman who oversees the development of his industry and production company.” You can not distinguish the creative side of your industry, “says he.
In 2013, he created Upcourt-métrages, an education in the film profession. The students, about twenty per class, come from all over Africa and learn the different aspects of this cultural industry. “That is, the producers, the directors, everyone learns to handle and understand the camera, plan values, etc. They are initiated at all these levels, up to the actress for the actors, the artistic management. which means that we teach writing by directing the distribution of a film, Oumar Sall explains.
Since last year, Upcourt-métrages has opened up to the production professions. Beninese Arnold Setohou is part of the first manufacturer. He has created from New Directions Films in Cotonou. For him, the future of the African film industry depends on the networks of young producers. “Each edition is a whole network that is woven, because there are several nationalities,” he explains. “I believe that as soon as we succeed in installing this type of network, many networks can be made. So it gives me confidence in the future.”
But the film industry still has to go on with crutches to stand up. Thus, the Senegalese bioecosystem is based in part on a public funding window set up by the authorities in 2002, the Fopica Fund for Film and Audiovisual Marketing. “The installation of Fopica made people realize that a film should not only be a film for filmmakers, as we always have been, but that it was necessary to build a real film industry,” assures Baba Diop, who teaches film history for Upcourt films.
A talent scout, Upcourt-métrages, aims to participate in the structuring of an industry that creates jobs and wealth and that begins in French-speaking Africa to interest international platforms such as Netflix or Amazon.
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