Ethiopia to Participate in the African Film Pavilion

Addis Ababa May 9/2019 Ethiopia will participate for the first time at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival in the African Pavilion, Tourism Ethiopia announced.

Briefing journalists today, Tourism Ethiopia CEO, Lensa Mekonen said partnered with local and Diaspora film professionals, Ethiopia is ready to participate in the Film Festival which will be held in France next week.

Six delegates representing Ethiopia have finalized preparations to partake in the Cannes film festival including model and actress, Gelila Bekele as well as Film producer Mehret Mandefro.

Upon returning from Cannes, Tourism Ethiopia will establish a local working group to study the potential of the film industry market as a site for international co-production beyond job creation, she pointed out.

The working group will also produce a case study report that lay out the business for targeting the film industry as a job creation sector, she indicated.

The CEO added that “We are excited to partner with local film professionals to explore and study the projected impact that formalizing the film market promotes job growth and bolster tourism activities."  

Mehret Mandefro, Area 51 Film Production Manager, on her part said international co-productions are untapped sources of foreign currency that can support the local economy as well as the growth of the film industry.

Yet jobs in the creative industries have often been overlooked as a viable and legitimate avenue for jobs and to support sustainable development, she added.

The 2019 Cannes Film Festival will be held in France from May 14-25, 2019.