Give More to Arts, Says PDM

Celeste Becker, a Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian, has called for more money to be allocated to Namibia’s film industry.

The current national budget excludes and neglects the film industry, which goes against the aims of Vision 2030 and the country’s national development plans, she says.

Becker says the budget does not consider the severe impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the local film industry, which requires more commitment from the government and political leaders.

“The entire film industry in Namibia cannot be expected to survive on the mere N$3 million allocation the Namibian Film Commission receives from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology annually,” she says.

“This is a drop in the ocean compared to the complex equipment, talent and arrangements the film industry needs.”

She says the local industry continues to be grossly underfunded by the government despite calls from government leadership that local stories must be told by Namibians themselves.

“The Namibian Film Commission has consistently decried the neglect the industry receives from the government, and it has become clear that Namibian creatives and storytellers who work in the film industry will continue to feel the effects of this underfunding and neglect.

“The film industry acts as a powerful instrument to promote culture and the diversity of any country. The industry should be viewed as one that adds value to the economy through international promotion and marketing, while at the same time creating much-needed jobs in the economy,” Becker says.

– unWrap.online

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