submitted over 6 years ago by lexacon
- Tanzania has proposed a bill that would require film companies to share their raw footage with the government and allow it to use the videos for promoting the country.
- The bill, passed as an emergency measure, has raised concerns among opposition groups and filmmakers about its potential impact on the local and foreign film industry in Tanzania.
I have no doubt that the Tanzania government meant no harm by this legislative move, but it might cause a few. This will put the future of international film industry in Tanzania in a precarious position. It will also go on to harm collaborative efforts between the indigenous movie industry and their international counterpart. Tanzania, in their rather overzealous approach got two things wrong:
1. Not consulting with industry experts.
2. Rushing the process.
For all it's worth, I hope the President properly think this through before signing.
This doesn't look like anything sensible to me. This is the kind of bill you would get under a dictatorial government were movies and all media items are to be passed through Government owned regulatory agencies and must meet requirements to satisfy spread of government propaganda before release to general public. The way the bill was rushed without due consultations says as much as you need to know already. Film makers need all the support they can get to grow. This industry is still very infantile in Africa and there is still a lot of opportunities to improve. I think an amendment would be essential to correct whatever negative hostile impression the Tanzanian government is trying to present to Tanzanian and foreign film makers.
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