Somali Film Agency
Encyclopedia
The Somali Film Agency was a film regulatory body based in Mogadishu
, Somalia
.
in 1969, the production, distribution and importation of films in the country were nationalized
by the new-established Supreme Revolutionary Council
. Privately-owned movie theaters were subsequently replaced with government-controlled film houses, and about 500 films were projected annually.
The Somali Film Agency was established in 1975 as an adjunct to the federal Ministry of Information and National Guidance, growing out of the Ministry's visual aids arm. The SFA's duties included overseeing the importation, distribution and censorship of movies in the country. It later also oversaw the production of both long and short films. Most of the imported films were brought in from Egypt
, Italy
, the Soviet Union
and East Germany. To facilitate processing and post-production, the SFA also forged a working partnership with British Films LTD, a British movie company.
The annual Mogadishu Pan-African Film Symposium (Mogpafis) was organized by the Somali Film Agency, and brought together an array of prominent filmmakers and movie experts from across the globe, including other parts of Northeast Africa and the Arab world
, as well as Asia
and Europe
.
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
History
Following a bloodless military coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1969, the production, distribution and importation of films in the country were nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
by the new-established Supreme Revolutionary Council
Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)
The Supreme Revolutionary Council was the governmental body that ruled Somalia for most of the period from 1969-1991.-History:On October 15, 1969, while paying a visit to the northern town of Las Anod, Somalia's then President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards...
. Privately-owned movie theaters were subsequently replaced with government-controlled film houses, and about 500 films were projected annually.
The Somali Film Agency was established in 1975 as an adjunct to the federal Ministry of Information and National Guidance, growing out of the Ministry's visual aids arm. The SFA's duties included overseeing the importation, distribution and censorship of movies in the country. It later also oversaw the production of both long and short films. Most of the imported films were brought in from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and East Germany. To facilitate processing and post-production, the SFA also forged a working partnership with British Films LTD, a British movie company.
The annual Mogadishu Pan-African Film Symposium (Mogpafis) was organized by the Somali Film Agency, and brought together an array of prominent filmmakers and movie experts from across the globe, including other parts of Northeast Africa and the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, as well as Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.