From The Hollywood Reporter · Ronda Racha Penrice · · 1m 20s
Africa's film push lands at TIFF
A bank-backed hub brought African stories to Toronto, headlined by a film about a Nobel laureate treating war's survivors.
In brief
A bank-backed hub brought African stories to Toronto, headlined by a film about a Nobel laureate treating war's survivors. African cinema is building its own financing and distribution muscle, and Toronto is where it made the pitch to North America. Originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
A first showing at TIFF
Global African Hub arrived at Toronto with the inaugural TIFF: Market, its debut appearance at the festival.
“Global African Hub is making waves at its first TIFF”
Who is paying for it
The Hub is backed by Canex Creations, a subsidiary of Afreximbank's Fund for Export Development in Africa, run by Nigerian executive Osahon Akpata.
The target is North America
The push is about visibility: getting African stories and African films in front of buyers who have not been buying them.
Muganga screens for buyers
The mission went on show late Friday night at the John W. H. Bassett Theatre, a market screening of Muganga for buyers and a recruited audience.
Already a hit in France
Muganga, the One Who Treats stars Ivorian-born French actor Isaach de Bankole, and has already found success with French audiences.
Cobalt, war and survivors
The film follows the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner's work with women subjected to sexual violence in Congo's wars, conflicts fed by global demand for cobalt.
“largely driven by the global consumption of cobalt”
The big picture
African cinema is building its own financing and distribution muscle, and Toronto is where it made the pitch to North America.
