By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is billed to grace the maiden edition of the Africa Cinema Summit (ACS), scheduled to be held in Ghana.
The decision of President Akufo-Addo to grace the maiden ACS gives weight to the relevance Ghana places on the cinema agenda by making room for adequate policies and regulations to push the agenda. The organisers hinted.
The maiden edition of the ACS will take place at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra from Tuesday, November 14–16.
The two-day event, which is the first of its kind in Africa, is said to be a key commitment of the Ghana Cinema Agenda launched by the National Film Authority of Ghana (NFA) to revamp the film sector in Ghana since the authority, was established in December 2019.
According to the organisers, the summit is expected to bring together major players and decision-makers, such as government officials, film authorities, and commissions from various African countries, to explore ways to address challenges in the industry.
The Africa Cinema Summit will similarly provide a platform for stakeholders in the industry value chain worldwide to discuss challenges and explore potential and opportunities in the African cinema space.
Over 20 African countries and many global players will be attending the summit, including Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Nigeria.
Among them are South Africa’s Stekinokor, Century Cinemax, the largest cinema player in East Africa, the Association of Nigerian Cinemas (CEAN), Canal Olympio, and Pathe from French Africa.
Also, Warner Brothers will premiere the thriller ‘The Color Purple’, an upcoming American musical coming-of-age period drama film directed by Ghanaian filmmaker Blitz Bazawule, at the summit.
According to the 2021 UNESCO report, the film and creative sector is the largest employer in Africa, with a projected value of over 20 billion dollars.
The report also highlights that, with a population of 1.4 billion, Africa only boasts 1,700 screens. This means that roughly 80% of the population has never had a cinema experience.
The situation may perhaps be worse in Ghana, where the country only boasts of less than five functioning cinemas in the Greater and Ashanti regions, serving a population of over 35 million.
These gaps undoubtedly remain high, including the lack of infrastructure, funding, and adequate professional and expert training.
Hence the summit, which the NFA is organising in partnership with Filmhouse Group and Silverbird Cinemas.
Ghana falls within the broader agenda and objectives to highlight opportunities for cinema growth and the required roles of players in the sector.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NFA and the convener of the summit, Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, “the summit is premised on the two pillars of content growth and cinema screen growth on the continent”.
“It is imperative ACS become a national and continental dialogue, and we should be proud to have done the work to finally make this happen not only for Ghana but for the entire continent of Africa.
Everyone needs to get involved in this conversation. From the student, teacher, market woman, corporate organisation, and of course, to Government,” she insisted.