Ministers say £41,600.90 supported wider screen industry project — not the Watch Africa event itself

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has moved to clarify reports that more than £40,000 of public money was spent directly funding an African film festival in Cardiff, saying the payment was instead for a wider skills and diversity project across the Welsh screen industry.

Earlier figures showed that £41,600.90 was paid in February 2025 to Watch Africa CIC, the organisation associated with the annual Watch Africa Film Festival. The festival, launched in 2013, celebrates African cinema through film screenings, workshops, filmmaker discussions and cultural showcases.

However, the Welsh Government has told The Herald that none of the funding was allocated specifically to the festival itself.

In a statement issued to this newspaper, ministers said the money was instead provided to support Culture Connect Wales, a broader industry partnership initiative aimed at improving skills and promoting diversity within Wales’ film and television sector.

A spokesperson said: “We have not provided any funding for the Watch Africa Film Festival. The £41,600.90 was provided to Watch Africa to fund Culture Connect Wales, a wider industry partnership project aimed at boosting skills and promoting diversity across the Welsh screen sector.

“The screen sector plays a major role in the Welsh economy and is a key employer. The latest industry research data for Wales’ screen sector reports that film and TV production achieved £568m turnover in 2024 and is home to 695 companies that create significant freelance and trainee opportunities for our workforce.

“Creative Wales has invested in 72 productions through Production Funding alone, generating almost half a billion pounds in economic return to the nation, and these numbers continue to grow.”

The spending had previously been questioned by Gareth Davies, the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Sport and North Wales, who raised concerns about cultural funding priorities at a time of ongoing pressure on public finances and NHS waiting times.

Mr Davies said that while he supported cultural events operating in Wales, he believed limited public funds should be focused primarily on Welsh institutions and services under strain.

He also pointed to the closure of National Theatre Wales in 2024 after it lost core funding, arguing that established Welsh organisations had struggled while other projects received government support.

The Welsh Government maintains that the Culture Connect Wales programme is intended to strengthen the domestic screen industry, create jobs and improve opportunities for workers and trainees across Wales, rather than fund individual festivals.

The article has been updated to reflect this clarification.