It is long known that the local Amharic language film industry is struggling. Long gone are the heydays of the sector, now dominated by cinema hall corruption, increasing costs, lack of creativity, imitation of foreign films and a lackadaisical audience. Though there are high quality films released, audiences seem to have been numbed by the sheer number of inferior movies. To bring the sector out of its slumber, industry insiders recommend tapping into Ethiopia’s rich pool of cultural and historical assets, implementing knowledge-based film making, recognizing the broad-based positive impact of cinema, and garnering due attention from government bodies. EBR’s Kiya Ali takes a look.