M-Net Offers African Film Library on Demand

JOHANNESBURG: M-Net is presenting the VOD offering of the African Film Library (AFL), featuring the world’s largest collection of award-winning African film content.

Managed by DStv Online, the AFL features films and documentaries from across the continent that are accessible to viewers worldwide. The AFL also delivers a new digital source of revenue for catalogue content and filmmakers. The catalogue currently has 110 titles available but following the initial launch, the catalogue will expand to include around 700 titles. The selections from influential directors include Ousmane Sembene’s Borom Sarret, among others.

Mike Dearham, the head of sales and library at M-Net, said: “We have been working on building and developing the AFL for three years, and to now see our labor of love launch to the world feels incredible. The AFL is a testament to the work M-Net has put in to making these films available and also to the strength of the African production industry. Without a doubt, the advent of digitization has catalyzed the pace and quality of our documentary production and the AFL is an important step in supporting our industry’s continued growth on the world stage. In making this content digitally accessible we are able to reach audiences right across the African Diaspora as well as to individuals with an interest in the continent’s wealth of culture, history and film—showcasing the quality of African film to the global audience and challenging preconceptions.”