Mayor To Turn Gaborone Into Botswana�s �Hollywood�
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday January 22, 2018 15:53
Speaking at the Botswana content producers exhibition held in Gaborone last Friday, Thutlwe said the local content producers would have his full support to turn the city into the country’s own Hollywood.
“This is the time to turn our city around for it to be recognised across the world. I believe that since I have paved way for us, we can move forward together as a unit. We can turn this city into Botswana’s very own Hollywood,” he said.
The youthful mayor further called for persistence from local content producers urging them to produce materials that tell the country’s story.
“The time is now to believe we need to take a step (forward). There are a lot of local stories that you (content producers) can make movies or series from,” he said.
“So, I would like to urge you to sell the local content to the world,” he added.
For his part, workshop facilitator and renowned film producer, Pascar Proctor said they have come up with an initiative dubbed Botswana Opportunity that will help aspiring content producers sell their productions to international suitors.
He further echoed the mayor’s comments stating that originality would help local producers penetrate the international market hence urging the local content producers to produce local content, but was quick to acknowledge that resources could be a stumbling block in their course.
“We want to create a team, to be a team that can take the industry ahead, to export local content. Botswana Opportunity is here to inspire and motivate young content producers. We want to take a team of 10 to 20 local content producers to the international market to show our content. As a group, we need to take the local industry overseas. The world is short of people who can take it by the balls. We need to be those guys.”
“We would also run a programme to resource our local producers. We want to prepare ourselves as a team. We have seen where we failed and struggle. So we need to prepare ourselves as a team. It’s about time, the market has opened up. Our money is not in Botswana but abroad,” Proctor said.
The event attracted local content producers from across the country.