The 28-year old film producer’s dream is to help improve film production in Cameroon.

Serge Nguelo Ngouffo is a budding talent in film production. This 28 year-old artist has a pack full of talents. Serge is the co-producer of the film “The Blues Kingdom”, which focuses on female genital mutilation and breast ironing, an old traditional belief in parts of Manyu Division in the South West Province of Cameroon. Serge started acting when he was a student at Government High School, Bamenda. He joined the school’s drama club and acted in several fun-time shows. After high school, he picked up a job in one of the insurance companies in Yaounde. This notwithstanding, Serge was still organising shows until 2003 when he met the producer of “The Blues Kingdom”, Gilbert Agbor Ebot. He then joined him in film production and gained credit as a co-producer of Group Sky +Entertainment.

According to Serge, the problems encountered in the field are principally the lack of materials for production such as cameras, lighting system, microphones and, most of all, an editing studio. “If we can have all these equipments in Cameroon, we will not be inviting Nigerians to come and help us; we edit in Nigeria and we do mass production there,” he said.

Apart from lack of equipment Cameroonian film producers do not live by their productions. “What we are doing now is sacrifice to make fame,” he said. According to Serge, his idol is the American star, Denzel Washington, for the way he acts and the way he believes in being himself. His ambition is to enter a cinematographic school in future in order to help play a more important role in the promotion of film production in Cameroon and also to encourage other Cameroonian youths in the profession.

Elizabeth MOSIMA