The Founder and Executive Director of the Black Star International Film Festival Juliet Asante, made this known at a press briefing in Accra.
According to her, films are a source of national pride and identity , a cultural diplomacy tool; employment creator and also attracts investments.
“ South Africa has also made significant strides in passing friendly policies that attracts a lot of co-productions . Ghana can learn from these”, she added.
This she said, an international film festival has been opened up in Ghana. “The Black Star International Film Festival will take place every year and will bring the world to Ghana. This year alone , over 3300 films were submitted of which 40 will be screened with every continent represented”, she explained.
According to her, the industry in Ghana is picking up fast. This she said, the opening film for the festival is NAKOM. And it is a Ghanaian film set in the north and in the local language.
Nakom has been featured in the New York Times and it is the first Ghanaian Film to screen at Berlinale (second largest film in the world). GidiBlues from Nigeria also beat the competition to win the coveted closing film spot.
Adding that, this year’s theme for the festival “Shaping the mind of a generation “ has informed the decision to make all screenings and panels free to all people aged 20 and below.
“We believe that this generation is the future of the film and the time to begin impacting them is now. It is our hope that in the next 3 to 10year’s this generation will begin to set new standards”, she emphasized.
The opening event which takes off on August 25th will be splattered with industry players, film enthusiasts , stars , Government officials and respected leaders and individuals.
The Black Star International Film Festival, is a film forum and advocacy platform, aimed at bridging the gap between the local and international film industry.
By: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo/NewsGhana.com.Gh
