Gov’t blamed for slow pace of movie industry

“The major challenge we are facing is the slow pace at which Government is handling issues related to the film industry. This is a baby industry that needs a lot of corporate projection and support from the Government and other established industries. The Government needs to highlight the importance of the industry for the business class to be interested in sponsoring the sector.”

These were the worries expressed by the Board Chair of the Cameroonian Film Industry, Vitalis Otia, in an interview with The Post.

The Actor and Movie Director said there is need for the sector to be projected and Cameroonians encouraged to consuming their own movies.

“Cameroonians consume American and Nigerian movies every day rather than Cameroonian movies. There should be a control mechanism by Government to enable Cameroonians consumes their own movies,” he proposed.

To Otia, CRTV can easily make this possible if they valourise and incorporate more Cameroonian movies in their programmes.

He further decried the lack of production means and inadequate marketing strategies that further hinder the sector.

“ There are some persons willing to help the sector, but we still need others who can enable us partner with other well-established film industries in the world so that we can exchange ideas and visits as well as partner in co-production,” he stated.

The Board Chair who has produced several home movies including My Gallery, Rose on the Grave, Bad Angel amongst others, said the sector is promising but needs assistance from partners to accelerate it.

He boasted that Cameroon film industry has interesting movies with enriching moral lessons to be learnt.

“Cameroon is, first of all, a diversified society and so the films that we have produced are far different from the American and Nigerian. This is because, in American movies, you must see guns, destruction and ammunition. When you watch Nigerian films, you must experience witchcraft, bad mothers-in-law and other odd stories. But Cameroonian movies are very diversified and interesting. So even in the film industry, Cameroon is world immature,” he said.

He noted that the presence of the Kuwait film industry in Cameroon and the shooting of several foreign movies in Cameron further expose Cameroon’s diversified nature and prospects of growth if proper investments are done in the sector.

Otia has featured in many home movies and TV series. The acting career of the actor cum medic started back to his early days at the Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, where he acted drama and other plays both in and out of campus.
On how he manages his medical profession and entertainment, he said his Medical Director is most understanding and gives me the latitude to do something for the movie industry.

“I worked with the Yaoundé I University at the Faculty of Medicine. Yes, the film industry is taking most of my time. But I am doing my possible best though it is not easy to ensure that my productivity both at the medical domain and the movie world is the same,” he stated.