Open Air Cinema Profile: Eric Kabera of the Rwanda Cinema Center

ERIC KABERA is the Chairperson of the Rwandan Film Festival, renowned producer of ‘100 Days', forefather of the Rwanda Cinema Center and many young film makers in Rwanda attribute their success to him. The reason being: ‘His work has yielded fruits'.

Since the inception of Rwanda Cinema Center in 2001, Kabera has trained people on how to produce films for a period of three years. His hard work later materialized with the introduction of the Rwanda Film Festival which was officially launched in 2005. Kabera said: I had watched several movies produced in Rwanda by foreigners and the idea of the local people producing their own movies clicked in my mind thus leading to the formation of the Rwanda Film Center.

Like any humble beginnings, the organisation (Rwanda Cinema Center) was started within my house but later with the help of different parties like; Ministry of Sports and Culture, SIDA, NPA and several others, it become productive. It was the passion and desire to give something to the countrymen that drove me into starting the center.

During this year's 6th Edition of the Rwanda Film Festival, amazing short movies and comedies produced by locally upcoming movie directors and producers portray the fabulous work conducted at the Rwanda Cinema Center. ‘Africa Celebrated' is this year's theme according to Kabera, ‘one can celebrate even their challenges'. He has produced over ten independent movies and his favorite is ‘Ingali lwa Alphose' (Alphose's bicycle). ‘Africa United' is Kabera's upcoming adventure movie yet to be released in September this year. Born on July 5th, 1970 in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo to Mr. Pheneas Kabera and Mrs. Immaculate Niyonambaje, Eric Kabera is one of the last siblings in the Kabera family.

He attended primary school at Primarie Karisimbi, Keshero Secondary School, Goma Institute of Education where he attained a Diploma in Education and Child Psychology. After dropping out of a Law School (Institute of Faculty of Law in Goma) he came to Rwanda in 1994 and worked as a Freelance Journalist for several Media Houses such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Writers Agency.

I extensively worked with several foreign Media Houses after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, the Writers Agency  in 1997 offered a special course in London regarding Media broadcast, writing International News which I participated in and attained a certificate, Kabera explained. I embarked on making documentary films and in 1998 I teamed up with Nik Huges of Vivid Features and made the first Genocide film ‘100 Days' which I produced, he said. In 2000 Kabera went to Hollywood for a special training in Post Production, Directing and Editing with top Hollywood Producers and Directors.

Although the course was expensive since it cost $250 per class and they were ten of them, I came back with the idea of strengthening the film industry in Rwanda hence the beginning of the long journey, the enthusiastic Kabera explained. Besides being a movie maker, Eric Kabera is a family manhe is married to Alice Migonne Kabera and they are blessed with three lovely children; a boy and two girls, Emika, Erica and Celeb respectively. With the spirit of Eric Kabera, many are tutored and daily Rwanda's Film Industry is heading towards a brighter future.

Source: https://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14358&article=4039&week=29