TIPTOPSTARS

Things may never be the same for film directing in Cameroon. A new vision is built, a new foundation constructed, new goals set and the men and women who call the shots are ready to give directing a completely different garment. They have started implementing some of the urgent decisions taken at their maiden guild meeting that took place in Kumba a fortnight ago. “There is no time to waste any more. We are now ready to work in a professionally accepted and acceptable manner. We must give film directing an honourable representation,” a director told TIPTOPSTARS just before we put this report together. To the shot caller, film directing had previously suffered under the oblivion of unprofessionalism, giving room for people who refused to be serious to jump at it simply because they had the chance to. “From now henceforth, it will not be the case,” he said emphatically.

For one thing participants at the Kumba meeting agreed that they need to have a working statute, which constitution opened up by making Directors’ Guild of Cameroon, DGC the official appellation of the syndicate.   It was also unanimously agreed that though it would not be subservient in any way to the CFI, the DGC will be an arm of the CFI as would the other guilds of the Cameroon Film Industry.

If the guild is going to change the phase of film directing in Cameroon, the shot callers agreed that only serious people be members of DGC. Such members must be able to register with a sum of 50,000 FCFA. Also, to be referred to as a director, one must have to had at least three productions with at least one that is released and is circulation or being screened on TV or have been submitted to a festival.

Chaired by Tenning Nova Productions’ Musing Derick, alongside Alfred Amandi (Chief whip) and Awah Oliver (session secretary), these decisions were taken in the presence of big names such as Waa Musi, Neba Lawrence, Esua Julius Fossung, Nkeng Derrick, Molimi Cletus, Maru Gatscaya, Mofor Clementine, Billy Bob Ndive, Mbole Dennis, Asaba Ferdinand aka Penda, etc.

Amongst the media outfits that covered the maiden DGC session were MBS Mountain Broadcasting System, MBS, a Kumba-based TV Station with audience from Muyuka to Loum, The Herald Newspaper and TIPTOPSTARS.

There is a growing anxiety within the Cameroonian community in Germany as all roads now lead to Berlin, the beautiful German city you would love to visit and visit again after a first experience. Beginning Friday May 17 2013, Cameroonians living in the diaspora, especially the ones in Germany will converge to kick off with activities of this year’s Challenge Camerounais, the annual socio-economic and cultural fair which has been confirmed one of the biggest Cameroonian events in the diaspora.

An observer once described Bamenda as the Lagos of Cameroon. Bamenda is the regional headquarters of the North West of Cameroon while Lagos, former capital of Nigeria is the economic nerve centre of Africa’s most populous country. Lagos is as active and dynamic as its inhabitants. Lagos thrives by itself. Its inhabitants love and master business. They hold success in business in high esteem. This same description fits Bamenda.

Over the years, Bamenda has experienced an amazing progress development wise. In infrastructure, Bamenda has moved many steps forward. The mentality of its people is said to have metamorphosized a great deal. This mentality evolution has been noticed in the area of private business initiative.

For some time now, sons and daughters of Bamenda and people of the region in general who identify with Bamenda have been building themselves as individual business entities. There are scores of successful business initiative linked to people of the region. Some of these people have been recognized in the Cameroon’s hall of fame and their works appreciated.

On the other hand, there have been an interestingly increasing number of entertainment initiatives, coming alongside the now blooming music and film sector in the North West region. This has brought about the huge sprouting of fast-growing entertainment outfits and individual artists who are printing their names in the golden books of Cameroonian and African entertainment.

Having established themselves, the business class and entertainers have now thought that coming together to showcase their successess and create more opportunities through a platform known as the Project New Bamenda, PNB. According to the architechs behind this project, PNB is a process of developing the economic atmosphere in the North West Region. “It is designed to propel the region into a new business and entertainment era to its full bloom,” the PNB website states. According to the site, PNB will be celebrating the emergence of the North West Region into a phenomenal era in business and entertainment, uniting townsfolk and its visitors through a series of cultural events, seminars, concerts, etc.

Objectives of the project include exploring talents, strengthening the structure of the entertainment industry, redress the carefree attitude of economic operators, instilling the spirit of confidence in the townsfolk, promoting cultural development, create investment avenues, recognizing excellence, etc.

Sponsors of the PNB include Think Tank Plus, Kibonen NY, Belle Muse and Imagine Bakery. Some of the popular names traced in the project are Ntumngia Walters (Project Director) and USA-based Kibonen Nfi.

Dallas-based Cameroonian HIP-HOP singer Yunick Yuniwo has been filling his own pages in the history book of African music. Yunick who favours the option of musical collaboration has been working with a good number of artists on the continent. This weekend, the young and musically energetic Yunick thrill fans in a highly publicized concert he and Ivory Coast’s DJ Arafat are offering folks in Dallas, Texas.

To Yunick, featuring in a concert with Arafat is a great opportunity to amass quick experience. DJ Arafat who is the current winner of the All Africa Music Awards, KORA has been on a tour in the United States and is making his Texas stop this weekend. Reports say there is a huge mobilization within the African community and other fans of the Coupe Decale ‘Commandant’, as the skilful dancer is fondly called. According to organizers the concert which begins at 930pm will take place at Nai Sports Bar and Grill, 15375 Addison, TX, 75001.

Meanwhile, Yunick will be one of the guests on African Cocktail, a show presented by Ernest Kanjo on Afrikka Radio which broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, North of America. The show comes up on Saturday from 9am to 11am and can be listened to on www.afrikkaradio.com or by dialing 832-280-0016.