The African Export-Import Bank, commonly known as Afreximbank, has officially unveiled its highly anticipated US$1 billion Pan-African Film Fund and appointed industry veteran Lavaille Lavette as its Chief Executive Officer.
This fund has been established via Afreximbank’s development impact investment arm, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA). The Pan-African Film Fund aims to invest in a diverse portfolio encompassing content production, infrastructure, and distribution, using a combination of equity, quasi-equity, and structured financing.
Afreximbank intends to focus on projects deemed “commercially viable” and “export-oriented,” with significant global distribution potential. This will be facilitated through collaborations with studios, streaming services, and various distribution channels.
In addition to production financing, the fund will provide resources to address what Afreximbank identifies as “structural constraints” in the industry. This effort will aim to enhance the global distribution of African content, expand digital streaming and exhibition platforms, and develop production studios and post-production facilities across the continent.
Lavette, who has a strong background in publishing, previously served as the Managing Partner at One Street Studios and co-founded JVL Media alongside Academy Award winner Viola Davis and producer Julius Tennon. FEDA and One Street Studios will act as Co-General Partners of the fund.
In a statement, Lavette described the Pan-African Film Fund as a pivotal moment for Africa’s creative sectors. “Through the Pan-African Film Fund, we will mobilise long-term capital that supports creators, enhances production capabilities, and establishes sustainable global distribution channels for African narratives,” she expressed.
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Cairo, Afreximbank has regional offices located in Zimbabwe, the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Barbados. The bank has backed significant projects, such as “Clarissa,” by filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri, which premiered in the Quinzaine competition at Cannes and is set to be distributed later this year by Neon.
