Film Industry Development and Challenges in Tanzania after 50 years

Historical Overview of Film Industry in Tanzania

Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One political - party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Arusha Declaration of 1967, the Tanzania economic reforms towards free market economy introduced in 1980s, IMF and World Bank lent the Structural Adjustment programs that attempt to correct the economic imbalances and improve the efficiency of economy of Tanzania towards development.

Furthermore, the dismantle of socialism and encouragement of active participation of private sectors saw privately owned TV station coming to light in 1990 with ITV pioneering the movement which resulted to the licensing of quite a good number of TV to date.

Such cited historical shifts above and many others that may have occurred in the past 50 years equally delivered dynamism in the Tanzania Film Industry specifically if we speculate upon its three major activities; production, distribution and exhibition of films.

Even though, the historical point of view of Tanzania film industry encompass also the filmmaking activities that were attempted during colonialism and after attaining independence, in this article I put to scrutiny what transpired during the 50 years of independence because that’s the point in time where we started to deliberate what story to tell and our brains and minds were put to test on how to technically produce a film. Have we succeeded?

One historical moment in colonial Tanzania film Industry that I believe we should commit to memory happened in 1950s when the second prime minister of Tanzania, the late Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa took on the role of acting in about four films “Mhogo Mchungu”, Chalo Amerudi, Juma Matatani and “Wageni wema”. 

Soon after achieving independence, government established film units to revive filmmaking in Tanzania. One was established in Tengeru – Arusha named Department of Community Development and the other one was under Information Service Division in Dar es Salaam. During the Arusha Declaration, filmmaking became an important tool for propagating its ideology.

The government, under the ruling party – TANU took an initiative to develop film in Tanzania by establishing Tanzania Film Company (TFC) to conduct the business of production, distribution and exhibition of films. TFC went on to produce a number of educational films such as Shabaha ya Twico, Somo Kasema, Kupe ni Adui wa haki etc. 1973 saw the first feature length film being introduced; Fimbo ya Mnyonge which advocates the ideologies of Ujamaa and self – reliance.

By then films were shot on locations in Tanzania and then sent to South Africa, England or South Africa for processing. Such a routine led to the establishment of Audio Visual Institute (AVI) in 1974 in order to process films locally. TFC collapsed due to several bureaucracies and institutional mismanagements while AVI was later on merged with National Television (TVT) now TBC in 2000.

1972 saw the establishment of National Film Library (NFL) which functions as an archive and a distributing agency for educational films produced by AVI and TFC. By 1970s the locally produced feature films such as Fimbo ya Mnyonge and the imported kung fu, crime, musical, sex and spy films from Western Europe, USA and India were exhibited in Cinema halls especially in urban areas. All the films had to be inspected by the National Film Censorship Board (NFCB) before were exhibited to ensure that they are attuned with our customs and cultural values. Dar es Salaam had such cinema halls as Drive in, Empress, Avalon, Empire with the seating capacity of over 500 people. Other regions that had cinema halls established include Tanga, Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma etc of which at least each had one cinema hall.

Soon after the demise of TFC and AVI and filmmaking was taken over by privately owned companies, independent producers who were backed up by NGO’s and CBOs who turn to films to educate people about various socio-economic issues of development. Such film as Maangamizi The ancient one (Martin Mhando and Ron Muhivil in 1985), Arusi ya Marium, Yomba Yomba, Mama Tumaini, Rama, Zawadi, Fimbo ya Baba, Duara, and the more recent ones Chumo and Chukua Pipi (Sweet Deceit) exemplifies the types of films that were/are produced as interventions or educational films but also films that displays the film art values that were once experienced as such films as Neria, Yellow Cards were introduced to TV stations in Tanzania.

It took us about three decades before we started seeing dimensional changes in Tanzania film industry. Film making with our hands and capacity started in the late 1970’s, however the vigor was highly vivid after the introduction of free economy in the 1980s and the establishment of privately owned TV in 1990s. Independent Television (ITV) started supporting the making of local TV drama for its own broadcast. The producer and actors involved in that process learned through apprenticeship and intuitions how to make videos. The free market introduced another variety of films in the market “the Nigerian Films” which inspired the tendency of extreme and popularity of making films about Africa and by Africans themselves.

Such inspiration saw the same local TV producers and actors shortly after gaining the popularity on TV, they went on to establish their independent film projects using the cheap available video technology and the little knowledge they had on video production techniques. Such TV Drama Stars and Producers as Mussa Banzi, Theckla Mjata, Jimmy Mponda, Blandina Chagula, Single Mtambalike, Steven Kanumba, Yvonne Cherly, to mention but a few became the popular movie stars at the eve of commercial filmmaking in Tanzania. Films were introduced into the market and as audiences responded positively, the trend of video-filmmaking emerged and the rest is history or what can be referred to as contemporary film industry in Tanzania.

The Contemporary Film Industry in Tanzania: Bongo Movies

The contemporary film industry in Tanzania is changing at a rapid speed since the introduction of “Bongo Movies” as a concept that stands for films that are locally produced for commercial purposes. Bongo Movies are produced at the capacity of independent producers or production houses upon which throughout the period of a decade or so, have managed to develop certain tendencies, formula and clichés.

Bongo Movies (despite being criticized of releasing films at rapid rate and films that are half – baked or carbon copy) changed the face of film industry in Tanzania soon at it started releasing films to the market. Nsyuka, Girlfriend, Shetani ya Mahaba, Mzee wa Busara, Dilemma etc pioneered the movement of what was to become Bongo movie industry or as some of the people would call it Tollywood in reaction to Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood.

Some Challenges Facing “Bongo movies” in Tanzania

The Local Film industry in Tanzania is informed by two or three different systems of productions or types of filmmaking. These are artistic films, commercial films and pedagogical/educational films. Each one of them has its own challenges and very few challenges are being shared by both. I discuss some of them hereafter

Tanzania Film Censorship Board (TFCB)

The establishment of Tanzania Film Censorship Board as a government organ implies that the government aims at controlling the film industry. However, this organ has proved failure in terms of its role and functions in the development of film industry. They have failed to control the release of films at a fast rate and so the producers are releasing half baked films on the basis that the market/free economy/audiences demands.

Tanzania Film Federation (TAFF)

Tanzania Film Federation (TAFF) was established in 2009 hoping that it will play the bridging role between the filmmakers and the government organs in establishing a platform for deliberate but common decisions and actions that shall inform the filmmaking activities in Tanzania so as to ensure the growth of the industry.  Today we are still seeing that the film industry is not organized and displays a diversity of films that lack ideology, style and focus. Taking for example, Hollywood is a film industry that has a clear cut definition of what Hollywood films are in terms of dramatic structure, characterization, ideology and hence the films are more or less formulaic over the centuries of their productions. This is what TAFF should gear upon in the quest to create a robust movie industry in Tanzania. 

Filmmaking education

 One thing is crystal clear that most of the people who are engaged into the filmmaking activities in Tanzania are not formally trained. They have learned the practice/art and skill through apprenticeship or instincts and intuition as they are engaged in watching films and in making other people’s film before they make their own films. The argument that we have few schools or colleges that train people in filmmaking is unsound since the industry doesn’t recognize the importance of education but rather it is dependent of cheap unskilled labor for super profit. We have quite a good number of professionally and qualified graduates with diploma and bachelor degrees who are not utilized to the extent that we see the development of this industry.

Local Film Audiences

Free economy makes availability of films from every other film industry around the world possible. Tanzania is enjoying the importation (into its local film market) films from USA, UK, South Africa, India, China, and Nigeria to mention but a few. These films are produced with high standards of quality and by using high end results equipments which adds to the mood and sensation of astonishment and pleasure of watching films. This makes film audiences in Tanzania to opt for them even after the introduction of bongo movies which came about at the jiffy where Tanzanians for years have been exposed to imported films from outside Tanzania. As an upshot, they totally understand what films are supposed to be and their impact on them as audience.

Still studies have revealed (See Issa Athumani’s Changing Dynamics in Tanzania Film Industry; A Study of Dar es Salaam Film Audiences) that Bongo Movies have audiences and they are the cause of the changes that are occurring in the Industry because the producer can and will continue to produce only if what they produce has market (audiences). What informs the good reading of the patrons of Bongo movies is that these films are of their caliber in a sense that they can identify with the language, actions and simplicity of the stories. The fact that Bongo movies producer have found their audiences and now they are producing for them to make a quick buck shouldn’t be ignored in discussions of what are the challenges facing the development of the industry.

Lately we are seeing the exportation of films to Swahili speaking regions such Rwanda, Burundi, Congo DRC and Uganda. Its free economy, we are not limited to regions, we should be breaking through the further boundaries by now, but what about the quality (in simple term)     

Sources of Stories

Most of the time we have assumed that the sources of stories are necessarily people and we have failed to indentify and use other sources of stories such as history, literatures etc. Bongo Movies just like their counterpart Nigeria finds Bible as a reliable source e.g. in Devils Kingdom the bible is being questioned. That shouldn’t be it all and if we are to become futuristic about it then we should think of consulting and adopting as well literary books, plays, novels but then fetch into the history and find historical moments, persons and events that are worthy to be represented to the current generation via film. 

The titles and Subtitles of the films

Most of the film’s titles are in English that can be understood as commercial motives, however the implications of the titles into what the film is about is something that challenges the writers and is of great disadvantage to the positions of the films in the global film market.

The international markets and DSTV broadcasts requires subtitles. The sort of translation that we do from Kiswahili to English is full of mistakes that water down the content, quality and value of the films. This needs remedy as to technically consult the linguists to do such translations and again we cannot be translating the proverbs, riddles and sayings since they totally loose meaning. Ukubwa dawa: seniority is medicine!! Find this in one of the bongo movies and so are many other mistakes.

Character and Characterization

The routine of characters and characterization is the same at least in every movie that you watch. With the change of names of the character, the cast is predictable which predicts the actions and reactions of characters and end of the stories as well. There is also a tendency of the type casted mothers such Theclar Mjata, Pastors such as Emmanuel Myamba, the comedians, fathers, sisters and brothers to mention a few. This fact is detrimental to the growth of the industry and local talents on acting for movies. 

Other Technical Challenges

The industry is generally faced with challenges that are technical such as creativity and scriptwriting, the challenge over the techniques of blocking, arrangement of visual elements in the scene (mise en scene), the use of entrance and exits of characters as a way to begin and end the scenes plus fade in and fade out, The manner and patterns of speaking English, the use and economy of screen time is still a challenge to screenwriters, directors and producers of film in Tanzania and so forth to mention a few.

Way forward

The fact that we managed to acquire the skills and knowledge of filmmaking by whatever means and we are making films with our own hands and brains is the fact to be celebrated. Conversely, what sort of films have we managed to produce so far can find us in the verge of disdain as we are now being watched by the most part of the world via satellite (DSTV). We are no longer marketing the films at local level, we are going global. As we embark on that voyage we are subsequently faced with the challenge of adjusting to global trade and investment regimes that have so far affected immensely the local media production and distribution systems of many other third world countries including Tanzania. Finally we can all agree that knowledge and skills of filmmaking through training and competitive minds are essentials to development of film industry. Other than that is the government’s cultural - policy framework, filmmakers associations and self regulations that can see the industry developing to a greater extents and avenues than it already has in the next 50 years from now.

Issa Athumani, is a writer and Assistant Lecturer at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication based in Dar es Salaam

The Good and the Evil of Present Day Tanzania; What is missing in locally produced commercial films?

It’s a predicament to watch Hollywood or Bollywood films and find sympathy, meaning and logic of the universal appealing thoughts that are being expressed in those films on what good or evils are, especially those of human doings and find none of the above in our locally produced commercial films in Tanzania.

When I watched My name is Khan (and I am not a terrorist) which it appears to be a statement on the socio-political hangovers of the September eleven (9/11) which affected the social-communal rapport between the Americans and the Arabs then I was stirred or rather forced to think about our films and the socio-economic and political goods and evils of the present day Tanzania and if at all any of them are being portrayed in this locally produced commercial films.

Built upon the foundation of morals, film is a statement or an argument on the social, economic, political and cultural phenomena and some scholars such as Sarah Maldoror have argued that to make a film is to take a position.

Having established that films are based on the good and the evil, we could ask ourselves what Bongo Movies are based on. Bongo movies are not completely out of touch with what transpires on the day to day lives of the Tanzania, at least at certain socio-cultural classes, but we can do better than that by becoming more realistic and true to our present day situations and problems.

One reason that could render these movies as unnatural or out of touch of their film world as they are is that they are produced or rather designed for profit making. This is what happened when art becomes a commodity. Movies are therefore produced according to what the audience’s preferences or what they would buy.

But even though they are produced to be sold as business or economic activity, I am certain that we are not on the right track if we compare our industry with Hollywood or Bollywood or even Nigerian films which in my view they have ideology and position to take. Since films are made to seen, that’s the first goal and then the business component comes after the audience have chose what film to watch, then we should put a lot of effort in ascertaining what they would chose to watch and not give them just what it is that they want.

When you analyze what the local writers, producers, directors etc have selected, among other things, for the film audiences to watch, that’s when you realize that a lot is missing. A lot is missing if you compare it with the current debates and discussion over radio, TV and newspapers as agenda that materialize from our day to day politics of interest, social welfare and education, the imbalance of economic status, cultural imperialism and activism tendencies.

The present day Tanzania is succumbed with a lot that people are disinterested with and one is able to find this heavily covered in news bulletins for both radio, TV and Newspapers. The conflicts and emotions that are portrayed in such TV and Radio news stories is without a flaw what the content of the films should be. I am not trying to limit the creativity and imaginations of our writers/producers but I am convinced that the sources of their inspirations isn’t what is surrounding and shaping the lives of ordinarily Tanzanians.

 I once had a discussion with renowned Professor of art and culture in Tanzania, Prof. Elias Jengo and in that exchange of view I garner that the history of political, social, economical and cultural developments in Tanzania is rich in terms of themes to say that we might exhaust it in the next five decades or a century.  History is so beautiful, it makes me wanna cry, said Whoopi Goldberg, playing Ms. Masambuka in Sarafina. One certain source of so much exciting and revitalizing stories of African caliber is history. So much has not yet portrayed about our country (pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial). Our history is still rich to inform themes of the stories that the world shall enjoy. How about a film on the late Mwl. Nyerere, Karume, Mkwava wa Uhehe (Mkwawa)? On this note we could borrow a leaf from South African films on Madiba (Nelson Mandela) such as Invictus and Goodbye Bafana.

Allow me to cite at least one film that you might have not watched it as they were not produced for distribution in the market but a film with significance to the socio-economic and cultural realities of the times of its making. Arusi ya mariamu (1985) which was co- produced by Tanzania film company/ Prof. Martin Mhando and Ron Muvihil starring Prof. Amandina Lihamba, is the story that put on view the victory of traditional over modern medicine. 1980s was the time that we had two conflicting sides on healing and medicine, that of traditional and modernity. This time saw Africans/Tanzanians in dilemma of whether they should opt for new medicines and doctors introduced from scientific laboratories or stick to their herbs and traditional medicines and healers. To portray such moments in a film had a number of advantages. Firstly, the film is a reliable documentary of what transpired in 1980s. Secondly we can assume (since no research was conducted at that time) that the film had an impact on the perceptions and attitudes of the Tanzanians, who had a chance to watch the film, on their patronage of modern medicine.

Apparently you may find that such ideas are on papers and are written by writers/film producers that you hardly know them. I appeal to financial institutions to put trust and support the emerging, independent, young and enterprising film producers who are eager to make films as interventions on matters that shapes our thinking, language and actions upon which one can be so sure that the communities through films they will shift their point of view and attitudes towards life for the betterment of self and the community at large.

.

Current Trends in Filmmaking in Tanzania: Bloom or Gloom

Not only Tanzanians, but Africans in general never had their hands involved in the process of filmmaking on either the golden age of Hollywood, or the silent period of the 1920s. Up until 1950s the world had not yet witnessed a single film produced by an African Director. Even some of the latter films made by Africans were not filmed in Africa. History entails that it’s in the 1960’s and 1970’s that African Directors broke whatever the curse or myth was and started making their own films. Such a failed experience by the Africans was conditioned by the colonialists who feared that the Africans shall tell the rest of the world of the oppression and sufferings they were subjected to by the colonialists.

In the process of making films for and about Africans, without the Africans being involved in any way, they managed to make such films as Tarzan which portrays Africa as a jungle. This was a disappointment and the world went on to enjoy Tarzan and understand what Africa is all about throughout it then. The Senegalese and father of African Cinema, the late Ousmane Sembene, wrote and directed the first African motion picture La Noire De (Black Girl). His success must have triggered what happened after that in most of African countries and the kind of trends in filmmaking that we have experienced. In Tanzania, as the industry kept on growing to become what it is today as we all can witness, the question is, when we look at the recent trend; does it indicate a bloom or gloom?

There is a historical significance of filmmaking in Tanzania that goes all the way back to 1980’s where such films as Yomba Yomba, Harusi ya Mariam, Maangamizi , Fimbo ya Mnyonge to mention but a few, were made. Such trend is witnessed also in recent times with the making of such films as Rama, Mama Tumaini, Fimbo ya Baba and the more recent one Chumo. A close scrutiny at the few mentioned films above, you will be able to identify some tendencies of presence of formal values, artistic preferences and complexity, processed messages and appropriate manner of productions. 

The monopoly of state run filmmaking companies ended with 1990’s free economy and privatizations in Tanzania. What happened after that are the establishment of independent filmmaking companies, emergence of independent filmmakers and some of the institutions, NGOs, CBOs, etc have embarked in making films with clear objectives attached to their missions and at their own capacity or in collaboration. They both have influenced the development of our film industry in particular ways. It’s hard to ignore also the influence of the establishment of privately owned television stations in the 90s and Nigerian films.

A close examination of the recent film making tendency in Tanzania are revealing the following trends in filmmaking; the commercial filmmaking, artistic filmmaking, the educational/pedagogic filmmaking and lastly the combination of two or more of the types above. Both trends have contributed immensely to the changes that have been occurring in the filmmaking industry in Tanzania. The discussion on changes starts with the fact that we are now making films with our own hands and minds. I consider that to be a major step. However I must say we have a long way to go. The challenge we are facing now lies in striking the balance or narrowing the gap between the commercial films, artistic films and the educational/pedagogic films as we consider the formal values, artistic preferences, processed messages, entertainment business and the appropriate manner of productions.

Some of us we have been enjoying the exhibition of locally produced, complex plotted artistic films during film festivals such as Zanzibar International Film Festivals (ZIFF) and European Film festivals to mention a few. Some of us have been enjoying the locally produced commercial films with slight or fully critics and there are those who have appreciated the significance and artistic oeuvres attached to pedagogic films in many ways. These films have portrayed their own trends and there is such a great differences between them. The difference that one may think should have contributed to the wellness of our industry is in fact the leather weapon that destroys it (in my opinion).

It has come into sight also that so many critics have been posed to these commercial films in Tanzania that makes me wonder if that is helping at all. My observation is that the situation is worsening as the gap between the trends I discussed above is widening, only until I came across Chumo.

Watching the exhibition of Chumo at Biafra grounds, to me it appeared to be an African Cinema with a mix of Combative and Unqualified Assimilation tendencies. Then I said wow! The history of filmmaking in Tanzania is getting richer. What we are witnessing now is a mix of the tendencies and practices that are categorized (by African cinema scholars) as phases. These scholars have maintained that African cinema is going through three major phases in its development. These are unqualified assimilation, return to source and combative phase.

Chumo is of its own caliber, if one takes a close up at it, Jordan Riber and the crew did a well done job. The processed message at the end, the popular stars and the business component that is attached to it is what I want to scrutinize. I bought Neria from the street vendors only to realize that it is pirated. This explains that it was not available for distribution. But I asked a friend to buy Chumo for me from the same street vendors and I enjoyed the quality of the film. The fact that Chumo was made with an intention also of distribution, has added another film in the market that I believe it might trigger and expose the local filmmakers to what film art and business is supposed to be practiced. However, the 5Ws + H of the film needs to be put clear, otherwise we are going into another antecedent of trials from within, whereby we have come from the trials to making films that are copy cats of Nollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood. But I believe it’s worthy it.

Probably nothing is subsequently innovative about films now. The film language is universal and so it should be its practice. But let me take you back to history again. 1960’s the world saw the emergence of films made by African filmmakers that reflected the post independence sociopolitical themes such as how to build a nation and the hangovers of the colonial oppression. Such themes informed also the content of most of the post independent literary plays and novels by African authors such as Lwanda Magere, A man of the people, I will Marry When I want, Mashetani, to mention but a few. From 1970’s until today there have been some revolutionary patterns in terms of the themes of the films. The focus of the films today should be relevant to the moments of our lives from socialism, capitalism and the new imperialism that we are in. On the acme of it all, we need style and ideology. I hardly find these in any of the trends.

The Status of filmmaking education in Tanzania

The word status in the title heading this article is misleading, some would say. Some would ask, are you speaking about how much filmmaking is covered in our education curriculum at least from O - level, A - level to Higher learning institutions? Or how many schools/colleges, whether public or privately owned, are training people in filmmaking? Or how many Instructors, Lectures with PhDs or Professors are specializing in teaching this subject? Or how many graduates so far have come out of the school with such education? It’s too many questions to be asked and addressed in just one article.  More acceptably I will just survey, discern and provide an indication on both of the enquiries I have mentioned above to the best of my experience as an instructor, scholar, analyst and future practitioner in Video-Filmmaking. My intention is to analyze the status of film education in building the professional capacity of Filmmakers at the local level.  And so I decided to use the word status. However I intend not to rank the Tanzania Video-filmmaking education, but I will look at its position and conditions towards the growing Tanzania Video-filmmaking industry.  

When Major L. A. Notcutt and Geoffrey Latham, established the Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment (BEKE) in Tanganyika in 1935 and experimented the use of cinema with the minds of our frontiers to see if they can conjure and understand the language of film, I bet they never had a clue that we would be interested and engage ourselves today in making our own films as well.  In 1948 the colonial film unit started producing films at local settings which were meant for education and propagandas of the colonialists. When we took matters into our own hands after gaining independence, still the position and significance of films in propagating development ideas was ascertain. The establishment of the Tanzania film company in 1968 and the 1974 Audio Visual Institute that replaced the film unit was a leap towards the development of the local filmmaking capacity. However the question of education in filmmaking might have been given less attention since then.

It’s in the milieu of our country that when we think of developing education programs, we embark first on infrastructural development. I do the same and discuss first if we have film schools/colleges specifically or with tailored courses in video production and film production. Lucky enough we do have them. We have managed to establish, again in response to the growing needs of such education, video – filmmaking Institute/colleges/ departments over the years. Such departments as the department of Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) at University of Dar es Salaam, the unit of Art, Media and Design at University of Dodoma offers courses in film production as well for Bachelor and Masters Degree students. Institutes such as Institute of Arts and Media Communication (IAMCO) at Ilala Sheriff Shamba, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) and Kilimanjaro Film Institute (KFI) in Arusha, these offers tailored courses in Video/Film production for certificate and Diploma students. A quick survey on the graduation statistics entails that a good number of aspirants have graduated with very good grades. Do the math.

However, who qualifies into degree, diploma or certificate programs in such colleges, institute or departments is one seminal factor. I am an alumna of FPA department, and I had a privilege to teach at IAMCO for the past two consecutive years. My experience as a student and with the students is troubled with the issue of foreign language as a medium of instructions in teaching and thereafter during the private-self reading in books and via the internet. Despite the fact this is mentioned as a setback in every sector, education in media is suffering a hundredfold. Most of the texts for instance on video production and film making are written in English and other foreign languages. I have hardly found a book in Swahili on this subject. In such a situation I have always wondered how we can help the enthusiastic – eager to learn students in different colleges/institute who are seeking this knowledge but who find difficulties in the language of video/film production and technology which is in most cases English. However I should insist that everything about this subject is written in books and still new editions are released everyday in response to the changing technology and the newly generated knowledge of film production.

The filmmaking education as an art, technology or practice is not covered, at least at the moment in secondary school’s curriculum. One finds it at the college or university level. Probably, it’s not the perfect timing for someone to start from scratch and reach a point that he/she understands what filmmaking art and technology is all about. Few of us whom to a certain extent have indulged in such studies at degree level we have enjoyed the benefit of the theoretical part of it, and we can give criticisms, analysis and evaluation very well. Are we ending up as such? It’s obviously no, as I have been observing my colleagues such as Amanzi Ali (Rudi Africa, White chair), Gervas Kasiga (Fake pastors) who have made their mark already by producing or co- producing features that enjoyed distribution in the market. But we could have done better with the government support to advance and promote the status of filmmaking education in Tanzania by providing the necessary learning facilities, technological gadgets and teaching aids to such schools and colleges. Other than that, sponsor instructors, lectures to go and further their studies and skills for the brighter future of the film industry which is growing in demand of human resources to handle its production, distribution/marketing and exhibition activities.

We do have frontiers/teachers and experienced people in academia who teach this practice. Mr. Richard Ndunguru at FPA/UDSM has played an inspiring role in mentoring and nurturing the younger generation (including me) who find interest in filmmaking. Lately, we have had Dr. Mona Mwakalinga graduating for a PhD in the same subject. Prof Martin Mhando (Yomba Yomba 1985, Maangamizi 1996, Ron Mulvihill), Prof Amandina Lihamba, Dr Frowin Nyoni have availed in major early 90s feature filmmaking, and today’s trainings, research and consultancy. Still there is a need to encourage more people to get into this field. Use the little resources we already have and face up to the challenges that the academia in this field is subjected to in this era. Need I appreciate also the role of the local and international organizations such Goethe Institute in Tanzania, Alliance Francaire in Tanzania, Zanzibar International Film festival, Maisha Lab in Uganda who have been organizing seminars and workshops intended to reallocate knowledge of filmmaking to the local practitioners in Tanzania. Such efforts have created a platform that helped in exposing the local filmmaking aspirants to the art, practice and technology of filmmaking.

I bet and as it appears, that a theorist can stand and happen to be good at theory only and so is a practical person who does more than theorizing. The merging of the two is a deadly weapon. Few with gifted talents get the best and benefit of it all such as Professor Elias Jengo who is the renowned professor in Tanzanian Arts and Culture. Professor Jengo has managed to paint, draw and sculpt state of arts painting, drawings and sculptures and at the same keep an excellent and undisputed standing at Lecturing. It’s the battle to find the niche between the two extremes that most of the intellectuals in this field should be engaged to. We may need as well to start training students how to merge the fine art motives and values that are demanded in academia, intellectual and professional world of film art with those commercial motives that are demanded by the Industrial capitalist world which enjoys the neo-liberal economy where art is now a commodity and it needs to appeal to a majority of population in order to make profit.  More appropriately media entrepreneurship should be taught along this discipline as well so that we get high skilled – enterprising producers who are profit and fine art makers.

Chemi Chemponda, a Tanzania’s seasoned women journalist, legal assistant, news writer and an actress based in Massachussets, USA, in an interview with Issa Michuzi, December 2010, when asked what should be done to make Tanzania’s film industry grow to the likes of Nollywood (Nigeria) and other successful African countries? She maintained that “let me say it’s become much cheaper to make a film than 20 years ago because of the advent of digital media. I’d like to see people get the proper training in filmmaking. We need people willing to learn from the experts then go out on their own and make their own films”. Education is the greatest blessing bestowed on human kind. Despite the challenges we are facing, let’s seek it and come another season, another trend, and another realm will be that of the gurus who have sought of education and knowledge as a priority.