11/09/2025
*Clarification on the Role of the Film Guild in the Formation and Development of the Sierra Leone Film Council (SLFC)*
The Sierra Leone Film Council (SLFC) wishes to set the record straight regarding recent discussions about the role of the Film Guild in the formation and activities of the Council.
1) The Film Guild that signed the original formation documents of SLFC is not the same as the current guild operating today. The name and structure have changed, and therefore, the present guild cannot claim to have been part of SLFC’s founding.
2) At its establishment, the Film Guild was only one of several signatories, including regional unions, film bodies, film stakeholders and other film entities. *How can one body claim ownership of SLFC?*
3) All signatories—whether guilds, unions, or bodies—hold equal rights within the Council in terms of establishment and ownership. *If one body chooses to go away why must the entire film Council dissolve?*
4) Regional unions existed before the formation of SLFC, and they already had guilds within their structures up and running back then.
5) The current Film Guild originally proposed closing down union guilds, which SLFC accepted in good faith for peace and inclusion. *Was that not big sacrify?*
6) The Film Federation also dissolved in the name of peace and merged its executives into SLFC, creating the positions of Co-Chair 1 and 2. After this, however, the Film Guild began opposing SLFC’s initiatives. *So sad. How can you bite the finger that feeds you?*
7) The proposal to rename regional unions as SLFC Regional Bodies (Eg. SLFC West-East , SLFC West-West, SLFC Western Rural etc) came from this current Film Guild and was accepted by SLFC for the sake of unity. *Another Sacrifice*
8) SLFC has always promoted peace, unity, and inclusion, even suggesting a joint interim executive to oversee and take the industry to an election, an offer SLFC accepted, but the Film Guild rejected. *What is their fear only God knows and them*
9) Since there was issue around the name to matained. Both SLFC and Film guild reached at a conclusion to drop both names, allow each guild to operate autonomously. That gave birth to Salone Film Union (SaFU). Film Council accepted and Film Guild back off from the process and said they wanted to be the one body government asked us to form. *So sad and mean*
10) This current film guild are moving from looking after the welfare and interest of the individual filmmakers but rather wanted to play oversight role on the activities of film unions and film entities and even run the administration of the film industry. To an extend forming forming a union in North-West region (Federation). *Can you imagine.*
11) The Film Guild has never involved SLFC in its meetings, elections, or activities. Especially at the planing and implementation stage. They have been doing things on their own without the involvement of Film Council. *But they wanted they opposite*
*This record is shared to ensure clarity, fairness, and truth in our collective history.*
*Signed: SDG*
