Despite a wealth of creative talent, African cinema faces a distribution crisis, a key topic at the Ecrans Noirs colloquium in Yaoundé, where experts dissected systemic hurdles and explored new pathways to reach audiences.
On September 22, 2025, the CRTV radio house hosted a discussion on the challenges of distributing African cinema, following the Ecrans Noirs festival. Themed “The challenges of the distribution of African cinema in Africa,” the debate was timely. Calvin Boris, a PhD in Cinematography and films teacher from Bamenda, explained that a recent event has raised urgent questions, the sale of cinemas by the Canadian group Olympia.
This group had revived Cameroon’s cinema scene in 2016. Boris noted, “We are in another phase of the transmutation of cinemas,” framing the moment as a critical turning point. A key challenge discussed was the competitive pressure African films face. The conversation argued that cinemas do not simply refuse African content, the core issue is often commercial viability.
Pani Nalowa Fominyen PhD holder in cinematography emphasized this struggle for visibility, stating, “We do not do good publicity for what we have.” She pointed to a new cinema in Douala as an example, asking, “who is aware of the cinema house”. This highlights a critical gap in how African films are marketed to their own audiences, and not making their home products known. The roundtable also explored solutions.
Experts highlighted the potential of online distribution and the crucial role African television networks must play by investing in local productions. The discussion, enriched by these perspectives, aimed to chart a new path forward. The goal, according to Pani Nalowa, was to find concrete strategies to revive distribution and ensure African stories find their viewers both at home and abroad.
