Alex Berger of “The Bureau” producer TOP (The Oligarchs Productions), prolific Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan (“Aníkúlápó”) and Sydney Gallonde of Paris-based outfit Make it Happens Studios are among the headliners of the Salon International du Contenu Audiovisuel d’Abidjan (SICA), a three-day industry event that takes place Nov. 5 – 7 in Ivory Coast.
Now in its second year, SICA is an initiative of the Ivorian Ministry of Communication that looks to position Abidjan — the cultural and economic capital of the West African nation — as the hub of the film and TV industries in French-speaking Africa.
Organizers say the event also aims to open a “new era of innovative and diversified content” for local creators while establishing the host country as a “central platform for the promotion, development and distribution of African and international audiovisual content.”
More than 250 industry professionals are slated to attend this year’s edition, including producers, distributors, broadcasters and investors from 15 countries. They’ll take part in three days of meetings, masterclasses, panel discussions and keynote speeches designed to foster the development of an ecosystem to help finance, produce and distribute multi-platform content from the region, while also strengthening ties between African and international partners.
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Key sessions will take place at Abidjan’s Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire, alongside film screenings for the general public at three satellite venues in the neighborhoods of Yopougon, Abobo and Port-Bouët. A full day will also be devoted to familiarizing industry guests with potential shooting locations in and around Abidjan.
Under the theme “Innovation, diversity and financing in the audiovisual sector: Solutions for a new era of content in Africa,” the event is part of a wider vision to boost the content industry in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa and foster greater dialogue and cooperation between industry professionals from various countries.
To that end, organizers have brought in a number of international guests including Gallonde, the Paris-based producer of the Harlen Coben series adaptation “No Second Chance,” who launched Make it Happens Studios in 2018 and will open the session with a keynote address on Nov. 5.
Another keynote will be delivered by Berger, a co-founder of TOP, the company behind international hit TV series “The Bureau,” and an executive producer on the recent Apple TV+ fashion house drama “La Maison.”
Other speakers include Afolayan, one of the leading figures of contemporary Nigerian cinema, who was among the first African creators to sign a multi-title deal with Netflix, and Izzet Pinto, founder and CEO of Turkish sales company Global Agency, which brought the milestone TV series “Magnificent Century” to the world.
Backed by robust support from Ivorian government bodies including the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie, the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure and the Ministry of Youth Promotion, Professional Integration and Civic Service, SICA also looks to stimulate tourism in Ivory Coast — the economic powerhouse of French-speaking West Africa — and promote the country of 32 million as one of Africa’s most promising locations for film and TV production.
