The National Film Authority (NFA) has held the first National Film Dialogue in Accra to talk about matters of concern to the film industry and the way forward.
The ceremony, which was held at the Cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana on Tuesday, September 16, brought together major stakeholders in Ghana's film industry and some government officials, necessitating the need for major collaborations.
Themed "Accelerating Industry Development", the dialogue comprised panel discussions, keynote addresses, and interactive consultations with stakeholders.
In a presentation, Chairman of the Board of NFA, Mr Ivan Quashigah reiterated the board's determination to revive Ghana's film industry through its 1% of Ghana's population initiative launched weeks ago.
The industry executive and award-winning director reflected on Ghana's rich film heritage, citing the challenges of today's filmmakers to break into the industry due to limited financing, infrastructure, and access.
He advocated for leveraging communications tools and creative talent to unlock the industry's potential by suggesting new policies, tax incentives, and corporate partnerships to allow Ghana's film industry to be profitable and globally competitive.
Quashigah highlighted Ghana's untapped market, and estimated that even 1% of the population could provide ₵16.5 million in box office revenues.
He revealed proposals to build a film-going culture, including mobile cinemas, films-in-schools programs, corporate sponsorship models, and film passports. Tax credit and incentive draft documents are being prepared for Cabinet.
He called for data-driven planning and improvement of film quality, warning that in the absence of reliable data, there can be no measurement of progress nor can global partnerships be wooed.
He called for recognition of quality, internationally competitive productions and international co-productions.
Reviving Ghana's film industry, Quashigah continued, goes beyond entertainment – it involves the creation of jobs, preservation of culture, and tourism development.
In a submission, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Hon. Yussif Issaka Jajah, who spoke for the sector Minister, reaffirmed government's strong commitment to the development of Ghana's film industry.
"Film is not entertainment alone but a mirror of our society, a keeper of our heritage, and an entry point to the world. Our stories need to be told, across Africa and the globe," he said.
He re-emphasized the government's vision to position the Creative Industry as a strategic driver of economic transformation, Cultural preservation, and global power.
He outlined some priorities for the film industry, including the creation of jobs, Promotion of Tourism, attraction of foreign investment, and promoting national identity.
He also called for legislative support and investment in infrastructure to make Ghana a competitive hub for film production in Africa.
There were also presentations from Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mr. Mohammed Adam Sukpa and Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene.
Dr Amoakohene urged players in the industry to appeal to the young ones with local content before they mature to have purchasing power.
"Because we also attempt to earn money, something crucial that has been said is that we need to invest. Most of the youth, especially those in SSS and below are losing control of our local content and that is one thing we need to work on.".
"At that level, we can offer it to them for free, so they will be hooked on the local content. When they get to the university where they can pay the 20 cedis or 50 cedis, we can chase them there because by then, they are already addicted to the local content," he said.
Executive Secretary of NFA, Kafui Danku-Pitcher, in a welcome address, acknowledged the huge talent and potential of the film sector, as well as its structural problems. She reiterated the need for stakeholders, including government, private sector, investors, filmmakers, and storytellers, to come together to forge a new path forward.
Major discussions were on innovative financing, corporate partnerships, and international exposure for Ghanaian films. Panel discussions had industry experts talking about digital innovation, new trends, financing, and distribution.
