The best of African cinema will be on view in Britain during the Africa at the Pictures festival to be held in London from 25 February to 20 March. A special seminar, looking at the business aspect of African film making, is expected to go a long way in addressing the constant problem of financing for African films. Anver Versi reports.

African cinema, the world's youngest and perhaps smallest such industry has been performing well above its league standing. Despite the lack of resources available to African film-makers, they have produced some of the finest pieces of celluloid art over the past three decades.

However, unlike the dream factories of Bombay, Hong Kong or Hollywood, African film-makers cannot count on large domestic audiences for their income. There are many reasons for this - perhaps the main one being the huge diversity of languages and culture often found in a single country, let alone the continent. Secondly, African films face what some describe as unfair competition from abroad, especially from India and to some extent from Hollywood. Audiences have become used to watching three hour long glossy, slick Indian musicals and are often reluctant to pay for the more serious and often more spartan African productions.

Nevertheless, several African films have crossed national and linguistic barriers and become huge box office hits. The Ghanaian Love Brewed in an African Pot, which was first released in the 1970s is still drawing large crowds all over the continent. The Zairean musical, starring Papa Wemba - la vie est belle - was another box office success. Apart from classics such as Yeleen by the Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cisse and The Silence of the Palaces by the Tunisian Moufida Tlatli, there have been a host of films that have not only won international awards but also shown good returns at the box office.

Nevertheless the problem of raising finance remains an intractable one. Some African governments, such as Tunisia and Senegal support their film makers but in most cases, producers have to scour the world to raise the money needed to make their films.

It now seems that things may be improving for African film makers. International festivals, such the one being held in London from 25 February to 20 March and the biannual event held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, have brought African films to an ever widening range of audiences. Satellite television is a new avenue for African film-makers to reach large audiences all over the world. The more people watch African cinema, the easier it will be to find the money to make yet more productions.

The London event, Africa at the Pictures is bringing a selection of prize winning films from the 16th Festival Panafricain du Cinema de Ouagadougou (FESPACO) which was held in February 1999. The season will begin with a universities and schools programme followed by the festival at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), the Barbican Screen and the Cine Lumiere in London.

One of the most important aspects of the festival will be a seminar, Takin' care of Business - African women in Film to be held on February 26 and 27 at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. Women film makers who live in Africa and the diaspora, who often find it extremely difficult of obtain resources, will be able to meet each other to discuss issues of mutual concern and also representatives from organisations such as the UK's Channel 4, Germany's ZDF, Arte Canal Plus from France and Mondial television.

The seminar will aim at developing partnerships in production, distribution and exhibition, identify resources and inculcate an entrepreneurial culture among female African film-makers. Some 18 producers and directors, including Sofi Faye (Senegal), Fanta Nacro (Burkina Faso), Kasi Lemas (USA), Euzhan Palcy (Martinique) Moiufida Tlatli (Tunisia) and Chantille Bagilishya (Rwanda) are expected to attend.