TIPTOPSTARS

Buea Things may never be the same again for filmmakers in Buea. The near long silence that has characterized the scene in this fast-growing university setting has been broken with the putting in place of a team to henceforth look into filmmaking activities.

The executive body of the Buea branch of the Cameroon Film Industry (CFI) was elected recently with Mungwa Eric, Buea-based development consultant as President. Mungwa will be assisted in the herculean task by Kamwa Anthony (Vice President) and Itambi Delphine (Secretary General). They were trusted to office by a General Assembly comprising producers, directors, actors, technicians in the presence of observers.

Till December 2010, Mungwa and co will have to face the various challenges of the industry and particularly those specific to Buea. The good organization of filmmaking related activities and management of the people involved will definitely be top on the agenda. How actors in the various areas of film production are organized will be his team's major task. This could just start with the creation of guilds for the Buea branch, something that has not succeeded to happen since the coming of CFI in June 2008.

Also, Mungwa and his team are charged with the task of ensuring that films produced in Buea benefit from the widest exposure (media and otherwise). Such film however must be of good technical and artistic quality, in a bid to move away from the hitherto negative impression about Cameroonian movies. "We hope that gradually we would get there...I think it is absolutely necessary," the CFI Buea President said when TIPTOPSTARS quizzed on the possibility of setting up a censors board.

Furthermore, the pioneer elected Buea CFI executive will have to get Buea to the limelight and consolidate its place in movie production quantity wise. This means that Buea will have to open its movie tap let films (good quality) flow like water as is the case in Bamenda, at least for now. "Definitely, expect more films coming from Buea," Mungwa said soon after his team was installed at the Cameroon Cultural Centre in Buea.

These films are expected, not only to feature, but to top at the now famous Fako Film Festival hosted by Buea each year. The life and success of the festival will also depend on CFI Buea's contribution. At his installation, Mungwa mentioned he was going to work hand-in-hand with organizers of the FFF, now Buea pride.

Perhaps, the biggest challenge facing the Mungwa administration will be strengthening the bond existing within the CFI family in Buea. If by the end of their mandate, producers, directors, actors and technicians continue to relate amicably and speak one language as has always been the case, Mungwa and co would have succeeded to make the point. "It's such a huge responsibility that cannot be handled by the Executive Committee alone, rather, all of us have to work as one man and bring in the much desired changed we have clamoured for," he reiterated.

Mungwa Eric is taking the helm of CFI Buea at a time the town is making frantic efforts in film production. With young producers such Agbor Gilbert, Itambi Delphine, Wegmuller Ikome, Noah Epitime, Kamwa Anthony, etc, several outstanding projects have been carried out. They include Before the Sunrise, Blues Kingdom, Land of Shadows, A Woman's World, Not My Will.

Also, Buea runs the most prominent film distribution outfit - Magic Touch whose proprietor, Nche Francis, it's been acknowledged, has contributed enormously to the development of the industry.

The other members of the Mungwa Administration include:....................................