Is Film Council having closed-door meetings against Film Guild?

For far too long Sierra Leone filmmakers have been fighting for the enactment of the film policy. The Bio Administration is pushing towards that end. But nearly for the dreams of so many filmmakers to come to pass, it seems a few numbers of people want to play the dice in their own favour. The journey for the enactment of the film policy has become a game of cards between the Sierra Leone Film Council and the Sierra Leone Film Industry Labour and Marketing Guild.

If you are a follower of film-related activities in Sierra Leone, the name Daramy A. Kabba must have been familiar to you. Daramy had had a lot of tough times with the members of the Sierra Leone Film Council, coupled with the in-fight within his own administration. He was around at the start of the film policy process but had to travel to the United States of America for a short-term study. Unfortunately, the majority of film guild members are yet to hear from him.

In his absence, there has been no major individual to step in his shoe and continue to push for the Film Guild; and from all indications, members of the Sierra Leone Film Council, a body founded by the very Film Guild and other independent filmmakers want its nullification. This has been very evident in some past activities and in the recent activities undertaken by administrators of the Film Council.

How is Film Council Involved?

A year and a half back, the Film Council purported orchestrated the formation of another film guild called Sollywood Film Guild, which was supposed to also serve as a deterrent to the formerly registered Sierra Leone Film Industry Labour and Marketing Guild. In the knowledge of Mr Turay regional consultative meetings that were supposed to be inclusive were usurped by Film Council. Instead of including everyone they invited a selective number of people to a meeting in Bo City without the knowledge of filmmakers in the regions, especially members of the registered and recognized trade union. This prompted the Film Guild to write a letter to key administrators at the ministry of information and other bodies venting out their dissatisfaction with being kept in the dark

We cannot independently very the claims but words from several sources meeting this medium are glamouring that the Acting Director of Communications at the Ministry of Information and Communications – Emmanuel A. B. Turay is one of the major people that is fostering the mischief of the tentative administration of the Sierra Leone Film Council to scrap the wings and administrative responsibilities of the Sierra Leone Film Guild which is the only recognized registered film trade union in Sierra Leone that is responsible to oversee the affairs of individual filmmakers just as the Drivers’ Union or any other trade union does for it members.

Why the closed-door meetings

We cannot independently very now but sources to this platform are alleging that the film council has been seen hosting secret meetings in Waterloo and other places to push further with the promotion of their orchestrated film guild, Sollywood Film Guild; and it seems they are having been promising their meeting attendance that Mr Turay, the acting director of communications at the ministry of information and communication is in sync with them.

Is this good for the government in power?

Filmmakers across the country are happy for the strives and efforts the Bio-led administration is making to do as they promised filmmakers but the decent amongst several filmmakers may not be a good outcome if the Film Council and the Acting Director of the Ministry of Information and Communication succeed to shield the Film Guild.

Arising Questions

The questions brewing amongst several filmmakers are:

1. Why are administrators of the film council failing to accept the role of the Film Guild, the only registered and recognized filmmakers’ trade union?
2. Are administrators of the film council not professionals?
3. Is the Acting Director of Information and Communications fostering the saga amongst filmmakers through the process of the enactment of the film policy?