Entrepreneur

Karen Merkel & Akim Mogaji, New Media Networks

Academic Partner

Dr Landé N. Pratt (lead), Professor Catherine McDermott and Dr Karen Cham, Kingston University London

Project Title

SCREEN-EXCHANGE: Connecting Film from Africa and its Diasporas

Project Description

For SCREEN-EXCHANGE Karen Merkel and Akim Mogaji from New Media Networks became entrepreneurs in residence with Kingston University London. The intention of the residency was to build new exchanges and markets for New Media Networks and London’s own creative economy. This would be achieve through the creation of a virtual exchange hub for creative content producers, bridging talent in sub-Saharan Africa with diasporic communities and London media producers. Thus the project would demonstrate the benefit African film markets can bring to London.

During a research period the residency conducted consultation with sample film communities in West Africa, particularly Nigeria, scoped already existing online environments that might prove useful inspiration and networked with Kingston Unversity staff. The residency managed to establish links with the Nigerian film industry, including production companies Cinema Kpatakpata Ltd and Flint Productions. A workshop was hosted, video archiving conservators with Nigerian film industry practitioners.

The output of the residency was an online film marketplace and exchange space for West and East African filmmakers called Griio. Unfortunately, since the residency the website has not been maintained and is no longer active.

Kingston University’s Dr Pratt has published a peer reviewed journal article based on the residency titled Good for ‘‘New Nollywood’: The Impact of New Online Distribution and Licensing Strategies’ which is available online. Dr Pratt was invited to present the paper and chair a panel at the Society for Cinema & Media Studies 2016 conference in Atlanta.