Moyo: Our industry is small. | Courtesy of Moyo He said: “We have seen that our industry is small and we cannot grow if we keep doing the same things without learning or upgrading the skills we possess.” “So, the workshops will equip industry players with practical knowledge that can help them improve the quality and competitiveness of their productions.” Moyo said while the workshop will eventually extend to other industry players such as actors, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers and editors, the current focus is on producers. “We want to start with producers because these are the employers in the industry and they need to understand the business side and gain skills to improve quality of their productions considering they are businesspeople in that sense,” he said.

Moyo, who is also a film producer, said the training will cover areas such as film production for commercial markets, government regulations and compliance and industry’s best practices. He said sessions will be conducted across all three regions, starting with Lilongwe in the Central Region, followed by Blantyre in the South and Mzuzu in the North. “Censorship Board will be part of the training to guide participants on compliance issues,” he said.

However, Fama president, Dorothy Kingston previously emphasised the need for such initiatives to ensure filmmakers maximise their potential and grow the industry. In a separate interview, film producer Joyce Chavula said the training is timely, adding that formal training in both creative and business aspects of filmmaking is crucial for quality and sustainability of productions. “This is important because producers are the backbone of any film project and when they are well-trained, it improves the entire production process,” she said.

Fama member Phil Kuipa Phiri also welcomed the initiative, saying it will promote standards of production. “This is a good initiative because it will help us professionalise the industry and create more opportunities for local filmmakers,” he said.