IFAAP congratulates Africa Union and Kenya, calls for ratification by AU member states, protection of African cinema

The International Federation of African Audiovisual Professionals (IFAAP) congratulates the African Union and the Republic of Kenya on the successful launch of the temporary secretariat of the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission in Nairobi, Kenya.

IFAAP further congratulates and thanks the government and the people of Kenya for accepting the Host Country status.

“It is instructive that after twenty years (2003 – 2023), AACC has finally been operationalized. The next and urgent step is for a minimum of fifteen African states to ratify the statutes,” opined IFAAP Secretary General, Madu C. Chikwendu (Nigeria), on the sidelines of the launch.

Within these new statutory frameworks, IFAAP demands that African governments at national and sub-national levels (who are not already doing so) initiate necessary actions for the protection of the sector by reviewing and implementing relevant intellectual property legislation and imposing taxes on cinema tickets for non-African films.

As the voice of African cinema professionals, IFAAP remains committed to the growth and success of this strategic sector. IFAAP remains open to partnerships with national and sub-national institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental institutions, and cinema professionals across the globe.