The notion behind Rwanda’s ‘Hillywood’ captures the essence of movies produced in the land of a thousand hills. This year’s annual Film Festival dubbed ‘Hillywood’ is set to attract the who’s / who’s of the film industry.

The event, set for June, has been strategically placed, to coincide with the popular Gorilla Naming Ceremony, commonly known as Kwita Izina.

During the Kwita Izina ceremonies, hotels and tourist resorts are full to capacity. The premier tourism event attracts thousands of visitors to Rwanda each year.

Now what a good mix for visiting tourists, they will get to visit the naming of the rare primates, while at the same time having an opportunity to enjoy, the showcasing of Hillywood.

Through film visitors will get a feel of the local culture and way of life. Founder and Director of the Film Centre, Eric Kabera, emphasizes that the local film industry remains authentic and independent of other influences, as a way of preserving its richness.

Investment in the film industry is the right move to make considering that the script coming out of Hollywood, is quickly losing flavour.

Audiences are now seeking, innovative settings that have a different story to tell, a different portrayal of human life, of human dreams and their desires.

Africa and Rwanda in particular have a rich complex history and cultural experiences, with a huge potential for the Big Screen. A point to note is the Bollywood’s recent success with "Slumdog Millionaire” at the Academy Awards.

Now who would have thought little ones from Mumbai’s slums can rise to such fame?

Because they had a story to tell, one of hope, triumph, that has a resonance with viewers all over the world, they outshone Hollywood’s tired script. Interesting, that Hollywood had to seek fame in the slums of Mumbai.

We have much to emulate in telling our own story through film, we look forward to ‘Hillywood’ giving us a memorable Film Festival.

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