Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) has pleaded with Parliament for the passage of the Film Development and Classification Bill which has been in and out of the corridors of power for over 20 years.
Speaking at the launch of the Choice Film Awards at the Highgate Hotel in Accra last Thursday, Steve Asare Hackman, the FIPAG president, said the passage of the Bill would give policy direction and definite structure towards shaping the film industry here into a global giant.
“Films are having a meaningful impact on the socio-economic situation in this country by creating jobs for our teeming youth from pre- production stage to the sales stage.
“As a professional body and a major player in the film industry in Ghana, we believe more can be done if proper policy directions and institutional framework are put in place through the passage of the Bill,” the FIPAG president said.
The Choice Film Awards is an online competition for Ghanaian movies and is being hosted on the ReelAfrican YouTube Channel. Organised by inGenius Africa, ReelAfrican and YouTube, the competition is open to all Ghanaian films made in any language and of any genre.
“We believe this awards scheme will be a challenge to our members to extend their imaginative thinking. FIPAG supports and endorses the Choice Film Awards, and we are looking forward to a successful programme,” Hackman stated.
Giving details of the awards scheme, Kwame Boadi, the Managing Director of inGenius Africa, said it aimed at recognising hard-working local producers, increasing their revenue base and helping to showcase their work to a worldwide audience.
He said over 300 local productions had been submitted, and the eventual winner would be the film most watched by the public. There’s a prize of $US2000 for the winning film.
The Technical Director of inGenius Africa, Oliver Safo, added that the competition site could be accessed from any Internet–ready device including smartphones and computer tablets.
According to Safo, the cut-off date for submission of films is August 31, 2014.
The ten most-watched films would be announced by September 21 for the public to decide the overall winner. The awards night would be telecast live on the Internet on Saturday, November 22.
