Members of the Film Producers Association of The Gambia (FPAG) recently held a congress at the Kairaba Avenue office of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) to elect a new executive that will steer the affairs of their association. Prominent Gambian filmmaker, Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu was unanimously elected, unopposed, as FPAG President in a transparent process supervised by the NCAC Director of Performing Arts, Mr. Sana Jarju. Other elected members are Franklin C. Adim as Vice President, Tida Sanyang as Secretary-General, Abdoulie Khan as Public Relations Officer, Marie Marenah as Treasurer, Kayode Adeleke as Programme Coordinator and Fatoumatta Jallow as Assistant Secretary.
While expressing gratitude to the film fraternity for the trust and confidence bestowed upon him and his new team, Prince Sankanu encourages more collaborations among stakeholders towards the common good. With FPAG being the recognized collecting bargaining group for the creative audiovisual sector, it stands to promote solidarity, standards, ethics and professionalism. On the need for permanent structures, Mr. Sankanu expresses his desire to engage The Gambia Government, development partners and visionary investors in establishing “Gambian Film or Creative Village” and reviving cinema culture with the construction of cinema halls in the country. FPAG will also, encourage the creation of a Gambian Film Commission, operationalization of the Endowment Fund for the Arts, standardization of film training curriculum and completed films, among other plans.
Sankanu encourages “anyone who wants to seriously make films in The Gambia or invest in Gambian film projects to consult us at FPAG for professional guidance and due diligence as we can outline the risks and opportunities necessary for an informed decision-making. Ours is nascent industry and we will continue to support filmmakers and enthusiasts in building their capacities accordingly. We invite all those interested in building careers in the cultural and creative industries especially in the film domain to join FPAG as more benefits await them.” Mr. Sankanu, who is the Deputy Government Spokesperson and an audiovisual communication expert has been lecturing Film Studies at the University of The Gambia (UTG) School of Journalism and Digital Media (SJDM) since 2019. Sankanu’s film-related qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Film Studies from the University of Stirling in Scotland, UK, and Diploma in Digital Film and Amination from SAE Institute in Cologne, Germany.
As a pioneer in new Gambian cinema, Sankanu launched The Gambia’s first ever “Cinekambiya International Film Festival (CIFF) in 2015 (https://cinekambiyafilmfestival.org/).” From 2017 to date he has produced over five groundbreaking Gambian feature films and documentaries on various societal issues including Female Genital Mutilation, discrimination of children with disability and betrayal of trust among friends (http://www.youtube.com/@SanxaafiTV). Prince B.A. Sankanu, President of Film Producers Association of The Gambia (FPAG) The Sankanu-led Executive Members of the Film Producers Association of The Gambia (FPAG). Right to Left: Abdoulie Khan, PRO; Marie Marenah, Treasurer; Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, President; Fatoumatta Jallow, Assistant Secretary; Franklin C. Adim, Vice President; Tida Sanyang, Secretary-General and Kayode Adeleke, Programme Coordinator.
