The Sierra Leone Film Industry in 2021

Vol. – The Background and Structures

Disclaimer: note that this article is based on the comments and opinions of individual filmmakers, our interactions within the sector over the years, not that of ImageSALONE and whoever is affected by this publication can either follow and reply with a comment or send us their own opinion to info@imagesalone.com which will post for public views.

Background 

The Sierra Leone Film Industry has grown so much if we throwback our dear memory since 2005 when most people diverted from the theatre to film acting. We have had from one in-fight to another for the leadership and within the ranks of the leadership. We saw the emergence of groups like Sun Valley, Federation, Film Guild, Eastern Filmmakers, etc.

Unlike the Film Guild and the regional film unions, most of those organizations no longer exist. The in-fight into the Sierra Leone Film Industry has either bore out of goodwill or self-interest which supersedes all. 

Once again, our darling film industry has grown, and it is growing but at a very snail pace. This is not only due to bad production but hugely lies on bad leadership from one generation of leading organizations to the other. 

We saw the births of film unions in Sierra Leone between 2010 to late 2012. Some good organizations within the Western Area already existed. It was around the same period that the insane in-fight started between the Sierra Leone Film Industry Labour and Marketing Guild and the then Film Federation catapulted to a very higher height. That led to the emergence of film unions. 

Filmmakers were thirst for success, a canopy and as such most thought uniting themselves into organizations that would have thrown support to individual film productions could help out the situation. It was also during the same period that we saw the emergence of several movie productions, movie directors and crew members; which was even one of the reasons for the formation of the unions to control some of the said productions and directors.

The unions born out of genuine mindset and ideology became tools that set filmmakers ablaze because the executives of these groups started forming cabals while some other members thought they should be in charge instead of those leading them. This stagnated the progress of most of the said organizations. Harding working filmmakers started sliding away. However, some of the unions succeeded in bringing film production houses together to support other houses especially during shooting and premiering. They could provide actors for other production houses free of cost and buy the tickets when it is premier. It used to be a batter system amongst production houses that would be registered with the same union.

The Film Unions across the Country

Eastern Filmmakers Union, UEFA, NROMMAL, WAMA, WADFU, Southern Film Federation, Hill Side Film Union

Amongst all the film unions across the country, it is only the Southern Film Federation that succeeded in producing a movie – Konya, which involved one of the large casts and crew gathered from across the Southern Province. That movie was directed by the late Sibbie Alpha Sibbie. Arguably, filmmakers in the Southern Province have broken the barrier more than once. Films from this region like ‘’Dead Zone’’ and “Kornya” have been able to cross right in the Western Area and gain recognition across the country. It is not because they have the best calibre of filmmakers but have been able to market their films more than any other region. 

Western Area Movie Association (WAMA) seems to be one of the oldest unions after the Eastern Film Union which was not endorsed by the Sierra Leone Film Council but the Union of Eastern Film Agencies which has been since its formation headed by Yusuff Nanah Charm. 

As a union, WAMA does not have what to show. This is based on the poor leadership and members within who feel they know it all, so they should not be controlled. To some extent, some of the members sliced away just because they were not put in charge. This union has been headed by Hopeful Abu Musa and his executive for a long period that is almost over a decade after the leading founder – Emmanuel Lavalie declined from the leadership shortly after the formation. This region seems to house some of the prominent filmmakers in Sierra Leone with laurels. But again most of the said filmmakers with laurels have in one way or the other contributed to the slow growth of the Sierra Leone Film Industry either leading at the front of the industry leaders or staying quiet but stage-managing fracas amongst young filmmakers.

The Eastern Film Union is probably the most successful union that has ever existed within the Western Area and beyond. This is because its aim was brought to fruition, even though every member relaxed towards and after the Ebola outbreak. It was set for production houses within their membership to support each other in casting, technical advice and especially for member production houses to support premiers by buying tickets and the DVD plates. This was the period we saw movies like “Gina” hit the market from the premier to the sales of DVDs.

The Union of Eastern Film Agencies was formed after the existence of the Eastern Film Union even though these two bodies are in the east end of Freetown. UEFA was endorsed and recognized by the Sierra Leone Film Council instead of the Eastern Film Union because the council saw it as a threat to their leadership and one of their own, Yusiff Nanah Charm, was the pioneer and the leader. Interesting, UEFA has not much to show except that they were able to divide the East into zones and were able to adapt “Tears”, into a union movie project. 

The Hill-Side Film Union at this moment has no record to capture as history, Instead, it is a union formed in 2020. The North West Film Federation should by virtue of right cover Port Loko, Kambia and Karene Districts but seems to have been operating only within PortLoko and Kambia with the huge of the membership and executives being within Lungi. There was a master-mind that led to the recently conducted election which was fully supported by the council. Even though the council had suspended all elections until further notice. Because from all indications the North West Film Federation had already had an interim body that could serve until the formal notice for general elections across all the unions.

Interestingly, the Western Area region which has two districts only, comprising of Freetown (East & West) and the Waterloo Rural District has four film unions. The Union of Eastern Film Agencies, Western Area Movie Association, Western Area Rural District Film Union, and Hill Side Film Union, formed in 2020 by some individuals associated with key executive members of the Film Council and it was endorsed by the council. While all the other unions have three or more districts with larger geographical terrains and combined populations. Each of the provincial unions has district unions under their purview with the council as their national umbrella. Instead, filmmakers in the Western Area have deliberately failed to be headed by one union which should preside over the sub-unions. You should take note of this as a key reason for the council to pin that the membership of their executive should be voted in by the unions. And the question is why should the council allow and work with one region that has four unions leaving the other regions with a union each. This will not be fair in terms the film union politics and resource allocation. Meanwhile, this is the present structure.

The Northern Movie Makers’ Alliance (NorMMAL) used to be one of the most formidable film unions across the country especially in terms of individuals with calibre but not much has been done as a union. The sub-body – the directors’ wing of this union started a film project that has not been completed even after almost five good years. It used to host some of the vibrant people from the provinces that would always stand in favour of the film council but bonds started breaking when some of the members like Iscandri. Sankoh and Fayia Foray broke lines and joined the “Vison 12:12 movement in 2019. Now in 2021, it seems the trust for the council has been washed away totally by the lack of performance and impact from the council.

The Sierra Leone Film Industry Leadership and Why We Are Where We Area?

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