Burkina Government Establishes New Agency to Boost Cinematography and Audiovisual Sector.

Ouagadougou: The State decided on Wednesday, during the weekly meeting of ministers, to create the Burkinabe agency for cinematography and audiovisual to promote the 7th art in Burkina Faso. The traditional meeting of ministers on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, chaired by the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, adopted a decree creating the Burkinabe Agency for Cinematography and Audiovisual, which comes from the merger of several structures.According to Burkina Information Agency, the newly formed agency results from the consolidation of the general management of the Higher Institute of Image and Sound (ISIS), the general management of FESPACO, the technical secretariat of the National Center for Cinematography and Audiovisual, and the directorate of cinematography and audiovisual. This merger aims to bring more coherence, harmony, rationality, and efficiency to the sector, as stated by the Minister of State and Minister in charge of Culture, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo.Minister Ouédraogo highl ighted that the agency's objectives include supporting the development of the cinema and audiovisual economy's value chain, ensuring the regulation and control of the sector, contributing to the structuring of industry actors, setting up a national cinema and audiovisual ticket office, and maintaining the public cinema register.He further emphasized that the agency is expected to address the critical issue of financing for cinema and audiovisual projects. The adoption of this decree includes transitional provisions to allow for the organization of the upcoming edition of FESPACO in February and ensure the continued functioning of other structures before the agency becomes fully operational.