Ghanaian actress Gloria Sarfo has voiced her disappointment over the lack of attendance from key industry stakeholders at the second edition of the Africa Cinema Summit, taking place in Accra.
In an interview with TV3, Sarfo described the situation as “disheartening,” highlighting the importance of the summit in promoting the growth of the African film industry. She noted that while some actors and producers may be busy on set, attending such a pivotal event should have been a priority.
“We’ve really learnt a lot. Like I said, it’s all about Africa, projecting our local languages and also our cinema markets. It’s really disheartening, I think it’s a better word, to realize that most of our industry players were not here,” Sarfo stated.
She recalled a moment during the summit when Kule, a notable figure in the industry, posed a rhetorical question to the audience: “Where are your movie producers? Where are the actors?” Sarfo described the resulting silence in the auditorium as “embarrassing.”
“It’s possible that most of them may be filming, maybe on set at the moment, but trust me, we could have also made some time for this, for the industry,” she lamented.
The Africa Cinema Summit, which features prominent guests such as Idris Elba, commenced on October 7 and will conclude on Thursday, October 10. Held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, the summit is organized by the National Film Authority and aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth within the African cinema industry.
