December 17, 2024
Supporting African Filmmakers: Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund awards TUI Care Foundation Award for 2024
Sustainability
According to UNESCO, Africa's film industry has the potential to generate over 20 million jobs and add US$20 billion to the continent's GDP. Despite this potential, African filmmakers face significant challenges due to underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of funding and policy support. To address these issues and to create better visibility for Africa's creative talents on the international scene, the TUI Care Foundation has partnered with the renowned Berlin International Film festival on its World Cinema Fund initiative. The TUI Colourful Cultures programme supports the World Cinema Fund, offering an annual award that provides financial assistance to outstanding film projects.
Founded in 2004 by the German Federal Cultural Foundation (KSB) and the Berlin International Film Festival, the World Cinema Fund has quickly become a leading institution in international film funding. Renowned for supporting innovative productions, it focuses on assisting the production and distribution of films across the globe. The TUI Colourful Cultures Programme will enhance this by specifically targeting filmmakers who create awareness for African narratives and themes. Through the creation of an annual TUI Care Foundation award over the next three years, film projects from twelve African nations are eligible to receive financial backing to help bring their visions to life.
For 2024, the World Cinema Fund jury panel has issued a funding recommendation for the project BENIMANA as this year's recipient for the award. Directed by Rwandan filmmaker Marie Clementine Dusabejambo, the feature film follows Veneranda, a survivor of the Tutsi genocide, working for reconciliation. Featuring mostly non-professional actors, the film also references the Gacaca courts, traditional community courts used in Rwanda to address the crimes of the genocide. Drawing from Dusabejambo’s own lived experience, BENIMANA aims to portray the emotional and psychological fallout of the past and the journey to healing. Currently in pre-production, filming for BENIMANA will start early 2025, with the project’s completion expected for Autumn 2025.
Alexander Panczuk, Executive Director of the TUI Care Foundation: “We are delighted to support the incredible talent of African filmmakers through the TUI Colourful Cultures Programme and the World Cinema Fund. This initiative is giving a voice to untold stories in the African continent, whilst also contributing to the growth and sustainability of its creative film industry. In partnership with the World Cinema Fund, we aim to empower talented creatives and provide them with a platform to share their stories with the world. Congratulations to Marie Clementine Dusabejambo and the BENIMANA team. We look forward to seeing your vision come to life.”
All films supported by the World Cinema Fund have been showcased at cinemas and prestigious festivals worldwide, with many receiving significant accolades, demonstrating the initiative's global success.
Building on the potential of tourism as a force for good, the TUI Care Foundation supports and initiates projects which create new opportunities and contribute to thriving communities in tourism destinations all over the world. Connecting holidaymakers to good causes, it supports education and training opportunities for young people; drives the protection of natural habitats and the marine environment; and helps local communities to thrive sustainably and benefit from tourism. The TUI Care Foundation builds on strong partnerships with local and international organisations to create meaningful and long-lasting impact. The independent charitable organisation was founded by TUI, one of the world's leading tourism businesses, and is based in the Netherlands.
