Toolkit: Ethiopia and Amharic Cinema

Thomas, Michael W.

Abstract

A commercially viable Amharic-language film industry emerged in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2002. The industry depends on theatrical releases inside Ethiopia to make viable profits. This economic model encouraged the opening of privately-run, single screen cinemas across the country, all devoted to screening the latest locally produced films. The centrality of cinemas in the industry sustain a diverse cinemagoing culture drawn from young adults who make up the urban lower/middle classes in Ethiopia. Roughly 60% of these cinemagoers are women and this gender dynamic is reflected in the films themselves, which often follow the stories of female protagonists.

Citation

Thomas, M. W. (2020, March). Toolkit: Ethiopia and Amharic Cinema. Presented at Decolonising Film and Screen Studies Nigeria Workshop, University of Lagos

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: Decolonising Film and Screen Studies Nigeria Workshop
• Start Date: Mar 16, 2020
• End Date: Mar 18, 2020
• Acceptance Date: Feb 27, 2020
• Publication Date: Feb 27, 2020
• Deposit Date: May 4, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 4, 2020
• Publisher URL: https://screenworlds.org/resources/ethiopia-and-amharic-cinema/
• Additional Information: Event Type : Workshop