{"id":104364,"date":"2025-07-13T17:08:29","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T17:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film"},"modified":"2025-07-13T18:15:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T18:15:13","slug":"stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film","title":{"rendered":"Stream East Platform Aims to Transform East African Film"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Uganda. <\/strong><\/span><b>A new era for East African cinema has officially begun with the launch of Stream East, a regionally owned digital streaming platform designed to promote and monetise locally produced films.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The launch marked the climax of a four-day Eastern Africa Filmmakers Summit and was hailed as a milestone in the region\u2019s creative industry.<\/p>\n<p>The summit was organised under the Revitalising the Film Industry for Livelihood Enhancement (REFILE) project, supported by the UNESCO International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD).<\/p>\n<p>It brought together delegates from eight participating countries Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, and Zanzibar with a shared goal of boosting the regional film sector through cooperation, innovation, and cultural expression.<\/p>\n<p>Representing the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Commissioner Juliana Naumo Akoryo emphasised that the platform was more than just a technical advancement. \u201cIt is a cultural revolution and a declaration of regional unity through storytelling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Developed under a \\$100,000 funding framework, Stream East offers East African filmmakers a much-needed solution to long-standing challenges in content distribution and monetisation.<\/p>\n<p>The platform allows creators to showcase their work across the region and beyond, while maintaining ownership and earning revenue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis platform gives us a powerful avenue to tell our own stories, connect with wider audiences, and open up income opportunities for our creatives,\u201d said Akoryo. She also noted that the project promotes inclusion, with youth and emerging filmmakers set to benefit from mentorship programs and collaborative projects.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most significant outcomes of the summit was the signing of the Eastern Africa Filmmakers\u2019 Pact a landmark agreement to promote cross-border collaboration, protect intellectual property rights, and advocate for fair revenue-sharing policies.<\/p>\n<p>Delegates from all eight countries appended their signatures to the document, signalling a unified commitment to elevate the regional film industry.<\/p>\n<p>The Pact led to the formation of an Interim Regional Filmmakers\u2019 Council, which will guide its implementation over the next three months.<\/p>\n<p>The council is headed by Salma Salim Adim of Zanzibar as Secretary General, Dusabimana Apollos of Rwanda as Vice Secretary General, and Bridget T. Chibwe of Zambia as Council Secretary.<\/p>\n<p>In her inaugural address, Salma described the Pact as more than a legal agreement. \u201cIt\u2019s a movement that reflects our identity and ambition. We are not controlled by any one government\u2014this is a regional effort driven by the filmmakers themselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Salma stressed that Stream East is not designed to compete with global platforms like Netflix but to complement them by offering culturally grounded content.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we\u2019re offering is something different a homegrown platform that speaks our language, reflects our realities, and celebrates our identity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The platform is managed by associations of filmmakers, including Uganda\u2019s Pearlwood, whose Secretary General Mzee Julius Bwanika emphasised the principle of collective ownership.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a platform by filmmakers, for filmmakers. We invite all legitimate producer groups in the region to join and shape its future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The summit drew participation from high-level representatives, including UNESCO\u2019s Regional Office in Nairobi, Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (UNATCOM), the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, and film federation leaders from across the region.<\/p>\n<p>Notable signatories to the Pact included Namatovu Aisha and Julius Bwanika from Uganda\u2019s Pearlwood; Rajabu Amiry Abdallah and Fadhili Francis Mfate from Tanzania; Mugisha James and Dusabimana Apollos from Rwanda; Bridget Chibwe and Wilo Paul Shamulanga from Zambia; and Onyango Ezekiel and Kiruhi Eddah Wangui from Kenya.<\/p>\n<p>As the region moves forward, Stream East is expected to act as a digital bridge connecting filmmakers to audiences, building sustainable livelihoods, and reshaping East Africa\u2019s cultural narrative.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is just the beginning,\u201d Salma said. \u201cTogether, we are building a future where our stories are not only told but heard, respected, and celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Uganda<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Uganda. A new era for East African cinema has officially begun with the launch of Stream East, a regionally owned digital streaming platform designed to promote and monetise locally produced films. The launch marked the climax of a four-day Eastern Africa Filmmakers Summit and was hailed as a milestone in the region\u2019s creative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":104363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,258],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-104364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","category-to-homepage","tag-uganda"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Stream East Platform Aims to Transform East African Film - Uganda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A new era for East African cinema has officially begun with the launch of Stream East, a regionally owned digital str ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stream East Platform Aims to Transform East African Film\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new era for East African cinema has officially begun with the launch of Stream East, a regionally owned digital str ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Uganda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-13T17:08:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-13T18:15:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/uganda\/sites\/34\/2025\/07\/sm_1752417865.96575.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Stream East Platform Aims to Transform East African Film\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-13T17:08:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-13T18:15:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film\"},\"wordCount\":642,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/uganda\/sites\/34\/2025\/07\/sm_1752417865.96575.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"uganda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"culture and art\",\"to-homepage\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/stream-east-platform-aims-to-transform-east-african-film\",\"name\":\"Stream East Platform Aims to Transform East African Film - 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