By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK The Oruuano Artists Union will be holding two emergency meetings with its members this weekend in the capital and at Walvis Bay. This was announced by the union’s president Banana Shekupe, in response to the Filmmakers Association of Namibia’s (FAN) planned meeting in the capital Monday and Tuesday with the Minister of Broadcasting and Information. “It is important that our members meet to strategize and prepare for this all important meeting with the minister. We need representation, too, not only FAN, because our union also has an interest in the country’s film industry,” said Shekupe. It is general knowledge that FAN is the de facto bargaining power on behalf of all filmmakers in the country with the Namibian government through the Namibian Film Commission (NFC). A panel discussion will form part of Monday’s meeting with minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at a local hotel. All FAN members are expected to attend the watershed meeting, aimed at resolving the many problems within the country’s film industry. “The idea of our meeting is not to neutralize filmmaking efforts in the country, but to encourage our union members also to be actively involved in all spheres of the evolving film industry,” said Shekupe. The union executive will meet tomorrow with members at 10h00 at the Katutura Community Arts Centre (KACA) and on Sunday morning at the Kuisebmund stadium in Walvis Bay. All union members are encouraged to attend both meetings.