For the past four years, AfriDocs, an initiative of the multi-awarded South African documentary production and distribution company, STEPS, in partnership with the Bertha Foundation, has broadcast some of Africa’s awarded documentaries via a DStv broadcast stream. The selection of films was broadcast on the ED Channel until February when a move to BET Africa saw the stream reaching an expanded audience.
However, the limitations of the reach of the paid satellite TV model were clear to the team and provided the impetus for STEPS to add an additional, and an increasingly more accessible viewing option, for those across Africa who would like to be able to access a library of African (and international) documentaries.
Via the website, AfriDocs is now available for viewing anytime from any device – computer, laptop, or mobile. With no subscription or fees required, the service aims to make the films as accessible as possible and to leverage off of the growing access to broadband and related data services across Africa.
AfriDocs executive producer, Don Edkins, says, "The launch of AfriDocs Anytime heralds a new era of distribution for the continent. The combination of a primetime broadcast opportunity, followed up a by a free online streaming mechanism, means new opportunities for filmmakers as well as the chance to develop audiences for the best in African film."
AfriDocs Anytime includes a full catalogue of African documentaries, including classics such as South Africa’s Mama Africa and The Cradock Four, Kenyan films For Kibera, Ghana’s Accra Power, and Homegrown, as well as international documentaries such as CitizenFour, The Act of Killing, and Gulabi Gang.
You can find out more about AfriDocs Anytime here.
AfriDocs can be seen every Sunday at 22:00 (CAT) on BET Africa, DStv channel 129. AfriDocs Anytime can also be viewed on the AfriDocs website.
For more information, visit www.afridocs.net. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.