Cinemas on motorbikes launch in two African countries

mobiCINE launch in Dakar, Senegal and Bamako, Mali

14 cinemas-on-a-motorbike invent urban video guerilla

Since Monday May 9, 7 mobiCINE mobiCINE cruise in Dakar, 7 more in Bamako next June.

mobiCINE tests a pathbreaking screening system in 2 African capital cities, proposing a new way of watching films in places where all legal movie theaters shut down.

Soon on mobiCINE screen : Henri Duparc, Faro, Ezra, Benda Bilili, Kirikou, Océans, etc.

People no longer go to the movies, the movies shall come to the people

Every week, the 14 mobiCINE units will make 2 to 300 hundred screening in comunity venues and schools. Viewers pay 300 FCFA (0,45€) or attend for free when an NGO or brand finances the show.

A fantastic line-up thanks to the support and trust of African and European rights owners

mobiCINE prioritizes African productions, which have been deprived of public and cash by piracy. More than 30 deals where therefore signed with African production houses, completed by the empathic support of top companies from France and Belgium : AGORA FILMS & DOMINIQUE CABRERA - ARDECHE IMAGES PRODUCTIONS - ARTE with 50+ titles - BELLEKINOISE, FUNNY BALLOONS, STUDIO 37 - CHIC FILMS - CIPANGO - DOC & FILMS - EKLEKTIK PROD – FILMS DISTRIBUTION - Galatée films & Jacques Perrin - ICTV SOLFERINO – MEDIATOON - PRIMA LINEA - REZO FILMS - ZARADOC, etc.

Over 200 features, cartoons and docies from Africa and Europe suitable for all ages and tastes. Focus on the youngest: 400 screenings in schools already on the go, sponsored by the City of Dakar.

Simple and safe field application of edgy digital tech

Each moped carries a ‘balack box’ (a flight-case lodging a 1.300 lumens beamer + a laptop), self-amplified loudspeakers, a 2,40m screen and a power generator. Plus 50 buckets for people to sit.

The film files that are loaded on the laptop are encrypted, and can be unlocked only by a digital ‘token’, which is prepaid by the exhibitor (PlaySmart DRM technology by OnlineLib, Germany). All cables and plugs of the PC and beamer are sealed, so as to prevent any unauthorized show.

A new cultural job, a path-breaking business model

The exhibitors sign a franchising contract and are eager to increase the box office... as their net earning will be what’s left of it once they’ve paid the equipment rental and a screening fee that goes directly to film owners. The objective is to validate a ‘3 tiers’ business model, along which each stakeholder finds his win : décent wage for the exhibitors (~200 €), fair rolyalties for the producers, and : sustainability without public money for mobiCINE.

A very modest test-market for a very ambitious vision

After 6-9 months of market-test, the whole statistics will be screened by a Steering Committee that will analyse the sustainability and fairness of the mobiCINE model. If it proves fair and sound, mobiCINE will consider a roll-out in more cities and countries, seeking microcredit backers for spreading it swiftly.

mobiCINE is driven by IDmage (Paris – Enrico CHIESA ) and SOON (Dakar – Vincent LAGOEYTE), in partnership with SARAMA FILMS (Bamako - Salif Traoré) and STUDIO SANKARA (Dakar - Didier Awadi). mobiCINE is developed in synergy with the legal downloading portal Africafilms.tv, ‘’VOD 100% AFRICA’’(www.Africafilms.tv) .

Project developed thanks to a strong funding (0,5 m€) from ACP Films, the ACP-EU co-operation programme for the support of the ACP (Africa Caribbean Pacific) film sector, currently supported also by : French Ministry of Culture and Embassies, Swiss Co-operation in Mali, Stichting DOEN, Jan Vrijman and Lettera 27 / WikiAfrica foundations, TV5MONDE, The Cities of Dakar and Bamako, the Cinema Center of Mali. It counts with a network of talent scouts in Europe (African Film Festivals of Tarifa, Spain and Verona, Italy) and throughout Africa (Goethe Institut, Instituts français, Spanish Embassy, etc.)

Meet AfricaFilms.tv at Cannes Film Festival, May 11-21 -’Cinémas du Sud’ Pavillion, international villageEveryday 10 to 12 / presentation 16 mai 10:30
Contact / Béatrice Boursier catalogue@idmage.fr Tel +33(0) 6 60 66 55 10