01/01/2026
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End-of-Year Message from the Chairman
Sierra Leone Film Industry Labour and Marketing Guild (SL FILM Guild)
Every great industry moment arrives at a defining time, after years of struggle, persistence, and belief, when a long-awaited door finally opens. For the Sierra Leone film industry, that door has now opened.
Fellow filmmakers, colleagues, and members of our growing film family,
As we step into a new year, we do so at a critical turning point in the history of our industry. For decades, filmmakers in Sierra Leone have worked under difficult conditions, without clear structures, with limited resources, and often without recognition. Yet, we never stopped telling our stories. We endured because we believed that a time would come when our craft would be recognized as a legitimate pillar of national development.
That moment has come closer than ever before.
The approval of the National Film Policy 2025 by Cabinet and the official declaration by the president is a landmark milestone that signals a new era for the Sierra Leone film industry. On behalf of the membership of the Sierra Leone FILM Guild and the entire film family, we place on record our heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency the President Julius Maada Bio and the Government of Sierra Leone for their decisive support. We also commend the The Ministry of Information and Civic Education for championing this process and for the inclusive stakeholder engagement that led to this historic achievement.
As an industry, we must now rise to the responsibility that comes with recognition.
I wish to speak directly to those who aspire to lead within this industry. This is the time to prepare yourselves, not through noise or division, but through service, knowledge, integrity, and respect for structure. We are moving toward organizing our first official National Congress as a Guild, a defining milestone that will shape the future governance of the industry. Leadership will require maturity, credibility, and a genuine commitment to the collective good, not personal ambition.
At the same time, I strongly encourage every filmmaker to take their rightful place within their respective professional guilds, actors, directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, editor, Makeup Artist, Costumer, and all other technical experts, and marketers. Guild membership is not a barrier; it is a bridge. It strengthens coordination, clarifies representation, and makes development more effective. Sierra Leone is a small country with enormous creative potential. We do not need endless splinter groups to move forward. What we need is organization, clarity, and unity of purpose.
The SL FILM Guild remains steadfast in its mandate: to protect the welfare and rights of film professionals, to promote fairness and professional standards, and to ensure that the industry we are building works for all practitioners, young and old, emerging and established. We will continue to advocate, to engage, to guide, and where necessary, to take principled positions in the best interest of the industry.
As a Guild, our commitment is simple and firm: to expand training and mentorship, to build sustainable value chains, and to ensure that filmmaking becomes a reliable and dignified career path, particularly for our youth, women, and underserved communities. To achieve this, we need partnership, from government, from industry stakeholders, and from the Sierra Leonean public. We call on investors, civil society, the private sector, and every citizen who believes in our stories to support this journey by watching, sharing, financing, and creating opportunities for Sierra Leonean film.
In 2026, we will accelerate efforts to support policy implementation, develop training programs, mobilize and facilitate exchange programs, and build platforms for distribution at home, across the continent and abroad. But policy alone is not enough. It must be matched by collective action, responsibility, ethical practice, and pride in our craft. Let us therefore rededicate ourselves to excellence and collaboration.
This moment calls for unity, not uniformity, but unity of purpose. It calls for us to see one another not as rivals, but as collaborators in a shared mission. It calls for patience, professionalism, and a clear understanding that sustainable industries are built over time, not overnight.
To you, that young filmmaker, this is your signal that your future is possible.
To you, that veteran practitioner, this is confirmation that your sacrifice mattered.
To those preparing to lead, this is your moment to rise responsibly.
To the entire film family, this is an invitation to help shape history.
The future of Sierra Leone’s film industry is no longer a distant vision; it is a responsibility now in our hands.
Thank you for your resilience.
Thank you for your belief.
Thank you for standing firm.
On behalf of the SL FILM Guild -Unity in Creativity- I wish you and your families a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Together, let us turn this promise into lasting livelihoods and a cultural legacy that will make Sierra Leone proud.
Together, we move forward. Together, we organize. Together, we build an industry that endures.
May God bless all filmmakers
May God bless Sierra Leone Film Industry
May God bless Sierra Leone
With respect and unwavering commitment,
Daramy A. Kabba
Chairman
Sierra Leone Film Industry Labour and Marketing Guild (SL FILM Guild)
