Ethiopian filmmaker on making local films attractive

As a child Theodros Teshome Kebede wanted to be an actor and at a young age, the Ethiopian born filmaker is set out to achieve this dream. “I used to write poems and short stories at school,” Theodros says, before adding, “I was fortunate there was a studio in my neighbourhood where I used to study photography and at the age of 12 years, I had mastered the art.” This was getting him closer to his dream but there was a hitch: “You can’t be an actor if there’s no filmmaker, so I became a filmmaker,” he says. He was later able to make his first film and has since never looked back. With over 20 years experience in making films, Theodros has established himself as one of the most respected filmmakers in Ethiopia. He is the brain behind some of the best Ethiopian films of all time like Abay vs Vegas, Red Mistake and Triangle-Going to America which was screened at the opening night of the recently concluded 11th edition of the Rwanda Film Festival. The film also won the Best Audience Award. He is also the owner of several movie theatres in Ethiopia including Sebastopol Cinemas in Addis Ababa. Married with three children, the 45-year-old filmmaker is a graduate and also studied film at the Los Angeles Film School, in 2011. However, he says making movies in Ethiopia has its challenges such as high taxes and shortage of funds but this is positively countered by encouraging local audiences. “We’ve many Ethiopian film enthusiasts that are willing to pay to watch their local movies; it doesn’t happen in most of the world other than Hollywood or Bollywood. We are among the few countries with audiences that enjoy locally produced films, but you have to work harder for that to happen in Rwanda,” says Theodros. Asked about the possibility of making a joint project with Rwandan filmmakers, Theodora says the idea is in the pipeline and they will “see how it goes.” He urges aspiring film personalities to turn their dreams of filmmaking into reality: “Make it, make the film, don’t only dream, work towards realizing your dream. Take the first step now, whether you have a budget and the equipment or not, if you don’t have the money, go to somebody else you know, go to the bank. If you don’t have a script, write it.” After years in the film industry, Theodros has learnt some principles, he says, “It is always never too late, this is the principle I got from being a film maker, and you can always start fresh.”

Entertainment

Ethiopian filmmaker on making local films attractive