Framing change

Filmmakers carry powerful stories — ones rooted in lived experience. A young man deciding whether to migrate again after a failed attempt to stay. Women challenging long-held patriarchal norms and sharing stories of violence to heal. Communities watching their livelihoods collapse because of climate change or economic forces beyond their control. The ideas and storytellers are there.

But for many of these talents, getting a film made is an enormous challenge. And every story left untold is an opportunity lost. That’s because film can be more than entertainment. It can be a space for communities to see themselves represented on screen, for audiences to meet realities far from their own. It becomes a tool for understanding, connection, and even resistance.

But the international film industry is still dominated by players in Europe and North America. They’re largely the ones who decide who gets seen, who gets heard, and who gets the green light — and funding — to move forward with their projects. Filmmakers in Global Majority countries often aren’t on their radar.

In many of these countries, the infrastructure required to create a film is thin: Equipment is expensive or outdated. Training programs, if accessible, rarely cover the full production process, focusing on camera work or editing while leaving too many producers without the business skills a project needs to survive. Even when a film does get made, distribution throws up another hurdle. Festival recognition brings prestige but seldom connects films back to local audiences. Cinemas clustered in major cities might show them, but rural communities often lack screening venues. Creative stories that depict lived reality rather than Hollywood fantasy vanish after a handful of viewings.

Filmmakers and film organizations across these regions have always pushed forward. Their dedication, industry knowledge, creative vision, and commitment to their communities drive their work. What they have lacked is consistent backing and the resources that allow that expertise to thrive.

Through its engagement with the film sector partners across Africa and in Lebanon, Uzbekistan, and Colombia, DW Akademie identified the obstacles, but also the existing strengths and worked to build on them. The aim is to support all aspects of film production — skill building, development, financing, and distribution — and boost the impact a film can have when it reaches the communities it speaks to.