Celebrated American filmmakers Will Ferrell, popularly known for his comedic acting in films like "Anchorman", and Jon Turteltaub are on a private visit in Rwanda.

The two filmmakers were first spotted in Kigali on Tuesday, July 23, at a meet and greet session with their Rwandan counterparts and other creatives held at Kigali Multimedia Hub, Nyarutarama.

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It is Ferrell&039;s first visit in Africa while Turteltaub previously shot films in different African countries, including Rwanda, where he collaborated with various film makers including Rwanda’s Eric Kabera, the founder of Kwetu films.

During the meet and greet session, organized by Curious Africa, the two movie stars engaged enthusiastically with attendees, sharing insights into their careers and experiences in filmmaking.

According to Ferrell, who is known for his Saturday Night Live editions (SNL), there are countless opportunities in the film world and it is time for Africa to shine.

Ferrell believes that once you are eager to learn with zero fear, filmmaking and comedy will be a smooth journey.

"Confidence matters especially in comedy. You just have to not fear anything and stay focused on camera,” Ferrel said, advising dozens of creatives that attended the session.

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For Turteltaub, the creative industry is very profitable and Hollywood is a good example to the rest of the world, especially creatives struggling to adopt this culture.

"I learnt that when someone aspires to be an artist in Africa, their parents end up disappointed, yet there are many talents on the continent that can thrive. I believe that there is potential in Rwandan creatives to change this narrative,” he said.

The two celebrities urged their fellow Rwandan creatives to have a social media strategy that can help them separate their famous roles in the film industry and personal lives.

Speaking to The New Times, Eric Kabera said having an office operating in California helps him meet a lot of celebrities and interest them to visit Rwanda with a motive of exploring the creative economy of Africa and Rwanda in particular.

"What interests us is actually the arts and culture, the creative economy. And Jon has been here before and he has been interested in just connecting people to people and having all kinds of conversations.

He believes in the vision of Rwanda; he believes in what we&039;ve been trying to do over the years. So, he always tells his friends to come to Rwanda,” Kabera said in the interview.

According to Rocky Try, one of the creatives who attended the session, meeting the two Hollywood stars inspired her to keep pursuing her fashion and film career.

"I just got a new film, and they were very supportive by just telling me to trust myself. There's a reason why I was chosen for the role in the first place, and for me to just immerse myself in the character, it's not that I didn't know, but to hear from a great actor makes me realize that I am doing the right thing and I'm going on the correct path,” she said.

Both Ferrell and Turteltaub are scheduled to visit various tourist destinations of Rwanda as well as meet other talents in the country.

About Will Ferrell

Born July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California, United States, Ferrell is an American comedy actor, writer, and producer known for his impersonations and for his portrayal of dim-witted but endearing characters.

He attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he studied sports journalism. He graduated in 1990.

Ferrell was invited to join the television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1995 and remained a member of the cast until he left in 2002 to focus on a film career. With his manic energy, outlandish gags, and energetic commitment even to a failing joke, Ferrell became a fixture on SNL.

In 2006, Ferrell and long-time collaborator Adam McKay launched Gary Sanchez Productions. Through that company they produced several movies in which Ferrell starred, including Step Brothers (2008); the buddy-movie parody The Other Guys (2010); Casa de mi padre (2012; "My Father’s House”), a Spanish-language send-up of Mexican telenovelas; the political satire The Campaign (2012); and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).

About Jon Turteltaub

Born in New York City, United States, Jonathan Charles Turteltaub is an American film director and producer. He is one of two children born to comedy writer Saul Turteltaub—best known for his work on Sanford and Son —and his wife, Shirley Steinberg.

Turteltaub, 60, has directed successful mainstream films for the walt Disney Staudios, including 3 Ninjas (1992), Cool Runnings (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Phenomenon (1996), Instinct (1999), Disney’s The Kid (2000), National Treasure (2004), as well as its 2007 sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010), as well as The Meg (2018) for Warner Brothers.

Turteltaub produced the CBS television series Jericho. He also directed the show's first three episodes. In 1996, his production company Junction Entertainment had a film deal with Disney, and in 2006, signed a deal with Paramount Television, which would soon become CBS Paramount Network Television.

In 2020, Turteltaub directed two episodes of NBC’s musical TV series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist including the episode "Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch", which The Hollywood Reporter listed as one of the 10 best episodes of television that year.