24/07/2012

In Tunisia, a new National Film and Image Centre

Industry, Tunisia

Tunisia now has a National Film and Image Centre! Decree 753, dated July 2, 2012 and published in the state newspaper, outlines its administrative and financial organisation. 

For a long time now, the ministry of culture and film professionals have been working towards setting up this public institution to manage the multiple facets of the country’s film industry, including production, distribution, film festivals, and workshops.

The minister of culture is to appoint a general director for the centre so that it can start working as soon as possible. 

Its priorities will include revising all laws governing the film sector in Tunisia, as most date back are from the 1960s or 1980s, and are no longer relevant to today.

Today, legislation will have to take into account an increase in private production companies, a decrease in the number of cinemas, digitisation, and an increase in specialised training in the film and audiovisual sector.

Experts believe that the centre should immediately recruit young talents familiar with today's film and audiovisual sector, and guarantee them internships in similar centres in neighbouring countries, where they have extended experience in film restoration, audiovisual archive digitisation, as well as equipment and screen management. 

The ministry of culture has started to search for a building to host the centre in the north of Tunis, according to a source close to the minister. It hopes to be able to bring all film and audiovisual institutions to the area to make the centre’s work easier. 

Hopefully the recently-created, Tunisia-based Fonds africain pour le soutien du cinéma (African Film Support Fund), will also be one of these institutions.

Source: Maghreb emergent