African Movies has for the last decade almost single handedly relied on the sale of home videos on VHS, that transitioned to CD’s and subsequently DVD’s as the exclusive mode of distribution and providing access for content to viewers. Prior to that, there was once a vibrant movie theatre going audience in Africa where people troop in mostly over the weekends to catch a glimpse of the latest movie release and wind off a hectic week. A litany of problems however over the years crippled the venues and created a disincentive that crippled the market.

Management of the facilities was the prime factor. Movie goers wanted to be treated with respect and decorum. They wanted a place to wind down from the weeks hectic schedule and wanted a serene environment for that matter. But when they often times were met with untidy and unkempt ctheatre surroundings with lack of adequate cleanliness and often time stench smell, it became a disincentive. Legacy theatre/cinemas like Orion, Rex, etc that were left behind by the British after some Anglophone African countries gained independence ultimately became venues that guaranteed the least security.

Pricing was also a factor. Management of the theatres did not create a good value for money. There was a lack of pricing tiered system that incentivized people of all classes in African societies to patronize. On one hand, People were unwilling to pay for higher rates when the theatre interiors weren’t clean. On the other hand, overly low rates to spur on patronage demised leverage for quality.

In recent times however, there has been a revival of the theatre patronage courtesy of Silverbird theatres that made entry into the African Market with a mission. They understood the litany of problems, and set out with a well executable plan that has been beneficial to all; producers, celebrities and viewers alike. Stephanie Okereke broke the jinx when her movie, “Through The Glass” premiered at the cinemas. Other movies that have also made waves at the cinemas include “Tango with Me”; “Guilty Pleasure”; “Champions of our Time”; “Save our Souls,” and “The Game.” And it’s no surprise that the success of such movie premieres has spawned to allow for the production of sequel movie series like “Adams Apples” by Shirley Frimpong Manso.

AfricanMoviesNews.com

AfricanMoviesNews.com