The Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II has attributed the slow pace of Ghana’s film industry to the sale of GAMA Film Company Limited, formerly Ghana Films Industry Corporation (GFIC), more than 10 years ago.
His Royal Majesty, addressing a delegation from the National Film Authority (NFA) led by the Chief Executive Officer, Juliet Asante, recalled how notable Ghanaian drama series like Kwaw Ansah’s ‘Love Brewed in an African Pot’ and King Ampaw’s ‘Kukurantumi: The Road to Accra’ in the 1980’s surpassed movies produced in Nigeria.
He expressed worry about the swift shift, with Nigeria now leading Ghana in the movie industry.
He attributed this change to the absence of Ghanaian movie production companies like GAMA Films, which previously contributed to the creation of high-quality local content, creating a gap that has allowed Nigeria to take the lead.
“I believe the sale of GAMA Films disrupted the Ghana Film industry because they were producing local content. Today, TV series such as Obra, Osofo Dadzie, are no, more when they were strong communication tools to tell our stories,” he said.
According to him, the void left by the decline in local content has been filled by telenovelas dubbed in local languages. Despite their popularity, they fail to reflect and promote Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and traditions.
This trend, he noted, has led to a cultural disconnect, where foreign values and narratives are being embraced at the expense of authentic Ghanaian stories and perspectives.
“These foreign telenovelas dubbed in our local languages shouldn’t be encouraged. We watch the actors in their traditional costumes among others which results in us embracing other cultures at the expense of ours,” he stated.
He also called on Ms Asante and her team at NFA to ensure the development of more local content to project Ghana’s culture and traditions.
“There are many stories that could be told about the Ga State which has rich content that could be explored. For instance, an anthropologist can help NFA with the history of Gas which can tell rich stories about our customs and culture of Gas. These stories and content will teach generations upon generations about our culture and traditions,” he added.
The three-day event, starting from 7th to 10th October 2024 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, aims to bring stakeholders from the cinema industry value chain across the world to Africa.
The summit focuses on the peculiarities in the African cinema space as well as the challenges and the numerous opportunities the industry offers.
This is a result-oriented summit, skewed towards creating a compelling and conducive avenue for participants to network, foster partnerships, generate leads and possibly close deals during the event and thereafter.
The maiden edition in 2023 brought together various filmmakers from 20 African countries to Ghana for varied conversations on growing cinema on the continent.
This year’s edition aims to further consolidate the progress made in the African cinema industry, fostering collaboration, innovation and sustainable growth.
The 2024 summit will focus on the growth in quality of local content production and consumption driving the case for increased cinema investment.