"The pan-African spirit is widely shared by film-makers and in 1970 a number of them from 33 African countries formed the Pan-African Federation of Film-makers (or FEPACI). This body has political observer status at the OAU and on its inauguration in Carthage FEPACI was committed to the following aims:
- The political, cultural, and economical liberation of Africa
- To fight against the Franco-American monopoly of film distribution and exhibition of Africa
- The encouragement of the creation of national cinemas
FEPACI lost some of its impetus according to Manthia Diawara after its second congress in Algiers in 1975 but was revivified at an international conference held at Niamey, Niger in 1982. The manifesto produced at the Niamey congress established the following general principles.
- The viability of cinema production is tied to the complementary viability of other four main sectors of cinema, namely the exploitation of cinema theatres, importation of films, distribution of films, technical infrastructure and training
- There cannot be any viable cinema without the involvement of African states for the organisation, the support, the stabilisation of cinema and the encouragement and protection of private and public investment in cinema
- It is not possible to have a viable cinema industry on a national level in Africa. The development of national cinema should take into consideration regional and pan-African cooperation by integrating cinema to political and economic ties that already exist between states
- At the present stage of development of audio-visual facilities in the world and particularly Africa, television should be complementary to cinema
- It is possible to finance African film productions from the present revenue from the millions who patronise cinemas in Africa. What is required is a strategy that will ensure that part of this revenue legitimately returns to the production of films. Production should not rely solely on patronage.
The Niamey discussions indicate a more favourable attitude to private entrepreneurial involvement in African cinema than in the past when there was more of a stress on nationalism. Also, there was an appreciation of the necessity for countries to cooperate rather than try to build a film industry on a national basis alone. The manifesto and the discussions at Niamey nevertheless revealed that much work had still to be done. FEPACI continued to play its role but its funds have always been limited and at the sixth congress in Ouagadougou in 1997 FEPACI was still struggling financially despite its standing both within and without Africa. Distinguished film-makers continue to participate but membership is based on the affiliation of national associates and many of these are inactive. As a result an Advisory Commission was set up at the congress to reorganise the Federation."
