The brainchild of Zigoto Tchameni and his friends, Zoomers Pictures started as a theatre troupe at a high school in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in 1997.  Now, the Chevening Scholarship student plans to use his company to help other young people in his country.

‘Film making can be one of the fastest means of transformation in a community,’ he says.

It certainly gave his own life direction. ’As classmates and friends, we started by doing stand-up comedy, and created a group called Zoomers Theatre. We then went to university and some of us studied performing arts and participated in international theatre festivals. We then incorporated film making, since it was also part of our studies. We learnt about camera work, light, sound and editing, and found pleasure in making our own films,’ says Tchameni.

Tchameni was the first film maker to receive the British Council’s Chevening Scholarship, which he is using to further his studies at Kingston University, London. He expresses gratitude to the British Council for giving him this opportunity. ‘The scholarship has helped me a lot because I am now linked to the film world professionally. I have developed skills not only in film making, but also in project management, capacity building, sustainable development and teaching. Before obtaining the Chevening Scholarship I promised that I would share the skills I acquired from my studies with others so as to improve living conditions in my country and any needy part of the world,’ he says.

‘The British Council’s scholarships help change the lives of many young people across Africa,’ he says. Because of the power of film to improve lives, he feels the British Council should support at least one film maker every year.

Director of British Council Cameroon Paul Norton says the Chevening Scholarship has been in existence for the past 25 years.

‘We have sent 93 scholars to the UK. Most of Chevening alumni are in top positions in business and they have set alumni groups which aim to engage with the British Council.

‘We value the scholarships’ ability to identify leaders and equip them with skills that will enable them to make a difference in society, and establish a close relationship with the UK,’ says Norton.

Asked what it means to be working for an organisation such as the British Council he says, ‘for me working for the British Council is a unique opportunity to experience life overseas and to play a small part in making a contribution to the future of the country while helping the UK understand Cameroon and visa versa.’

‘We also do programmes that enable us to interact with other African countries such as Connecting Classrooms which is communicating with UK and Ethiopia, we are trying to create triangle clusters so that Cameroonians can learn about different programmes running in other countries,’ he says.

Zoomers aims to help keep young people away from crime and offer an alternative to the stereotype that the government is the only source of survival. Tchameni says the company can teach youngsters how to use digital equipment, video cameras and editing software so that they can explore the issues that affect their lives.

‘We want to create happiness in people’s lives and help ensure that young people from underprivileged communities do not wallow in ignorance. We are out to use film making to empower and build confidence in young people.’

Tchameni hopes that Zoomers’ connection with the British Council will help raise funds to enable film makers to travel to remote communities where they will train and support children. He and his Kingston University classmates have already visited the village of Babessi in Cameroon, where he made a film about the effects of a dam-building project.

He also hopes that Zoomers will contribute to the evolution of Cameroon’s film industry and make an impact on cinema around the world.

Tchameni acknowledges the film makers who have worked hard to put Cameroon’s name on the industry’s map. ‘Cameroon’s film industry is growing. We have had great film makers like Jean-Pierre Dikongué Pipa, Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Alphonse Beni and Basseck Ba Kobio who have touched the international film scene and inspired others. The industry has evolved since Cameroon’s independence in 1961: in the period from then until 1979, films were based on the classics of folklore – stories about families, marriage, witchcraft and rituals.’

It’s a big world and film audiences will be seeing more of Cameroon if Tchameni realises all his dreams. ’If you would like to get hold of Zoomers Pictures, you can drop them an email here. Read more about British Council events and Programmes here.

Are you a young entrepreneur and would like to showcase your skills? Find out about opportunities and learn more about past International Young Music Entrepreneurs here. Read our latest news in our News in Africa section.