Recognized Ghanaian movie producer and director, Richmond Afrane, has leveled accusations against the National Film Authority (NFA), claiming that they have neglected the Kumawood industry and have no plans to support its growth.
Kumawood has emerged as the leading film production hub in Ghana, making Afrane’s concerns all the more pressing.
In an interview with MyNewsGH.com, Afrane emphasized his point by highlighting the NFA’s failure to prioritize the Kumawood movie industry.
He expressed disappointment that the NFA has not taken concrete steps to help the industry bounce back from its current challenges.
Afrane specifically criticized the NFA for organizing major events, particularly during the Christmas festive season, exclusively in Accra, without considering Kumasi as a potential host.
He argued that events like the Ghana Cinema Week, which took place from December 15 to December 22 in the capital, could have been held in Kumasi instead.
The Ghana Cinema Week, a weeklong event organized by the NFA, aims to boost the viewership of Ghanaian films and establish a sustainable distribution network for locally produced movies. Afrane also pointed out that the Africa Film Summit, organized by the NFA in Accra, could have presented significant opportunities for filmmakers in Kumasi if it had been hosted there.
“It is sad all 2023 programmes by the National Film Authority were held in Accra without considering having a single one in Kumasi which has lots of producers”, Mr Richmond Afrane said.
He further urged the Government of the Republic of Ghana to put systems in place to have a good environment for investors to invest in the film industry which creates dozens of jobs for the youths”.
“NFA though doing their best yet what we need is identifying the major problems of the industry and fix it with key players for it to bounce back again”, he added.
Credit: Mynewsgh.com
