Hollywood’s Elba set for mega investment in the film industry

AN English and Hollywood actor Idris Elba sets out to install a modern film studio that will revolutionise the film and arts industry in the country.

The Director of Presidential Communications, Zuhura Yunus, revealed the actor’s plan during her press briefing on Monday at the State House in Dar es Salaam on the outcomes of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s recent trip to Davos, Switzerland, at the 53rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

She noted the plans come a few days after the British actor, who is also a humanitarian and UN Goodwill Ambassador for International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), met with President Samia at the Forum in Switzerland and had the honour to speak to her.

“President Samia met with Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina; they showed interest in investing in our country. They have put plans to set up a film studio in the country.

“Discussions on the project have just begun, and if successful, the project will help not only Tanzania but also Eastern and Central Africa,” she said.

In 2020, Idris Elba married his beautiful wife, Sabrina Dohwre, and after being wedded, the two birds flew to Tanzania for a honeymoon at the stunning Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

After their honeymoon in Serengeti, Elba’s wife captioned a picture she posted on her Instagram account, “Thank you to Beverly and Wesley at Grumetifuns for educating us on all the important work they do for the ecotourism in the Serengeti.”

Last year Elba expressed his love for Africa through an interview with a South African press, revealing that the continent is his most loved place for filming.

“Certain places in Africa where the amenities are not the same, it’s just a different experience, and the way you make the film is slightly different,” he explained.

He added that one of the main reasons he loves to shoot in Africa so much is that locals are very proud of their hometowns in many countries and cities.

“When you do not have the fancy hotels, and you do not have fancy restaurants, you are eating the local food… So you submerge into the culture a lot more.”

The Tanzanian film industry sets for a new dawn, for such investment, will bring glory to the industry. Apart from the stakeholder’s investment, the government has also played a significant role, including establishing an arts fund where artists are offered loans to develop their efforts.

Also, artists receive their royalties’ distributions through their regulator, the Copyright office of Tanzania.