Twenty-five-year-old Jane Mashao Moshi nurtures high aspirations for herself and hopes to be a scriptwriter and film producer, as well as the owner of a production house. “If money and talent wasn’t an issue, I would create the ultimate African story!” she says. “Imagine the year 2040: all the African nations have agreed to join forces, there is one president, one supreme government and one currency. This would be a kind of modern-day, African Game of Thrones. It would involve the endless hunt for power between the former nations.”
Africans have failed to consistently and successfully tell their own stories through film and television simply because of funding. A good film needs a good budget for production and distribution, explains the Tanzanian social media manager.
And her idea of a good film is one that has social impact on the community for which it was made. “If a film can spark conversation and movements that would otherwise not have risen, it is a good film. The defining factor of a good movie, for me, is how it changes people.”
She is excited that MTF will encourage collaboration across various creative platforms and from different perspectives from around the continent. “I strongly believe in collaboration, I love to bring people together to create something bigger than themselves,” she says. “There is an awakening amongst creatives to create entertainment by Africans for Africans. There is an urge to tell our stories, in a relevant and engaging way. The future of bright we just need to speed it up!”