The conversation we needed yesterday

The basket is full. I am not sure which one is the best point for me to start unbundling this load of conversation.

The issues that I intend to address in this entry are interrelated in a way. Although their base is not entirely similar, but somewhere their roots are the same.

When Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) held the comeback Entertainer of Entertainers Awards at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe two weeks ago, a huge debate ensued on the eligibility of the overall winner Akila.

The Entertainer of Entertainers awardee was being questioned if he ticked all boxes in being a full actor. Some schools of thought contended his foreign film translations were not enough to see him win an award at such a big platform.

Yet others were content with what they had seen from him that far. They argued that Akila’s content is what people were consuming with regularity on the market. His work may have been their only choice compared to anything else when it comes to local films.

That line of thinking sort of reawakened the perceptions that have been expressed by many on the limited access of local films on the content. Despite experiencing a boom in the local film industry, it is not easy for people to access most of the productions.

Just last year alone, films such as Is The President Dead?, Misnomer, All We Have Is Us and School Days were premiered. The profile and synopses of these productions all pointed to some wonderful work. And that can also be attested by the reviews that the films got after they were screened.

Due to some market dynamics, the producers of these movies don’t readily bring the productions on the market as they want to ensure their eligibility for possible international awards consideration and checking piracy on the market.

With almost a non-existent culture of going to cinemas, most of the film producers have held their screenings on almost empty halls. This has in the end discouraged many producers from holding the public screenings since they fail to recoup their investments.

I remember few years ago, I attended the premiere of Charles Shemu Joyah’s film The Road To Sunrise at Malawi Sun Hotel in Blantyre. Save for a few patrons, Joyah’s core patronage on the day were members of his own cast and a few players from the movie industry. It was not an encouraging sight.

If we can look at the numbers that had accessed the aforementioned movies by the time MBC called for nominations for the Entertainer of Entertainers Awards, one can be disappointed. It is, therefore, easy to conclude that these works, as good as they are, were not part of the awards consideration.

Now again this turn of events takes me to what happened a week after the awards were held. The producers of the movie School Days decided to share their film on YouTube with a good share of promotion and awareness on social media.

Suddenly, people went into an overdrive, raving about how good the movie is. Characters  such as Phwedo, Mphatso Machira, Chaksy and Leticia have become household names all of a sudden. This same movie was screened twice; first in Lilongwe and then in Blantyre. Until now, very few took notice of it.

The only difference now has been its being accessible online. Kudos to the team, the decision to upload the film online looks to have done the trick for them. But minus this sudden popularity, we will have to go back to the same issue on whether this will help them recoup their financial investment.

There are some things which need to be done and urgently. The local films need to be made accessible, but at the same time it has to be done with an assurance that the owners will reap their due rewards.

Film making requires huge investments and we don’t expect some individuals to be sacrificing their earnings in return for popularity and nothing else. It is encouraging to see that the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority has finally given strong hint that the Malawi YouTube zone will finally be monetised. There is no better news than that.

With these developments, I am sure this year they will not questions whether one qualifies for some Award or not during the Entertainer of Entertainers awards. At least the option base has been widened and voters will be spoilt for choice. Happy New Year!