Africa-Press – Rwanda. FOR A LONG TIME, investing directly in the film industry still seems like a complex and risky endeavor and many shun it for fear of flopping. For many, However, Nelly Wilson Misago the CEO of Zacu Tv and the writer of top Rwandan movies doesn’t agree with this.
‘‘What I can say now, the industry is growing and it is benefiting from us, as producers, actors, writers, and even directors. It is a safe investment just like other economic sectors and it’s offering jobs to many,’’ he says.
Misago added that Rwanda has many stories to tell, which is why foreign investors are benefiting from the industry yet the local populations are still afraid to invest in it, and he urges local investors to trust their movie industry as it is ready to have a positive impact.
‘‘The challenge we still face today, is that we don’t have enough investors, yet the actors are ready and professional, stories to tell are still many but people still fear to put their money in the industry and I don’t see any reason behind this,’’ he told The New Times.
Pascaline Ingabire, a producer and actor is also one of the women breaking barriers in the Rwandan movie industry. She says the industry is a safe investment due to the availability of market and local televisions which are supporting their movies, even though the journey is still too long.
She revealed that she doesn’t see any reason why investors should fear to put their money in the industry, despite its quick and incredible growth. ‘‘The industry is growing, and many are making a living out it. I am a scriptwriter and producer of my movie dubbed ‘Inzozi (Dreams)’, if the movie industry was not a ready investment sector, I would have invested in other creative industries,’’ she highlighted.
She noted that there is still a gender gap in the industry, in different movie production departments like female producers, female camera operators, movie directors, and scriptwriters but she says that they are most likely to fit in acting and it’s a good sign of the growth of the industry.
According to Gratien Niyitegeka another famous actor, just like all other creative industries, the Rwandan movie industry is a safe and ready economic sector due to its rapid growth and variety of stories that talk about Rwandan history, culture, and so much more.
‘‘I don’t see any loss in the movie industry, it has a bright future. If foreign investors come to put their money in the industry, there is a potential they see in it. Rwanda has many fresh stories to tell but if investors would trust the industry it would develop and serve both local and international markets,’’ he says.
‘‘Many give excuses that Rwandan movies cannot serve on an international level, but I sometimes watch Chinese movies and I don’t know any single word in their language. The movie is about expression and telling a story. We do it passionately and serve what we love and make others love what we do. It pays off and when you look at it, the industry is growing in all aspects,” he added.
Nadege Uwamwezi most known as Nana, a Rwandan actress, also shared her view. She revealed that in the past years she didn’t see any potential in the movie industry, but now she says, the industry is rising at a very fast rate.
‘‘I can encourage anyone who feels like investing in Rwanda movie industry to do it. Not all get losses and not all benefit from the industry, but according to the positive feedback we get from the fans, there is hope that it’s a promising field to put your money as Rwandan are getting used to it,’’ she says.
However, Misago also revealed that investments are one of the challenges they face today. He said that if they get a chance and many investors trust the industry, it can do great and serve excellently for both local and international markets.
‘‘We need more support and investments, both from the private and public sectors. Like recently City Maid has been named among Africa’s 10 films and TV series by the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), and this is a great achievement that our industry is doing well. We want Rwandan movies to be streamed on international televisions as well,” he notes.
