November sees the nation host the first summit on African cinema

 The two-day event will take place at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra from Tuesday, November 14, to Thursday, November 16, 2023.

The summit fits into the National Film Authority's (NFA) overarching mission and goals, which include highlighting potential for cinematic growth and the necessary duties of sector participants.

It will offer a forum for global stakeholders in the industry value chain to debate problems and examine prospects in the African cinema market.

The event is based on two pillars: expanding local content production and the number of screens across Africa.

This was disclosed by Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NFA and the summit's organizer, during a meeting with Ato Afful, the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL), in Accra.

The meeting was attended by Theophilus Yartey, editor of Graphic, Franklin Sowa, director of marketing and sales of GCGL, Gifty Owusu-Amoah, a staff writer for Graphic Showbiz, and a few members of the NFA's communications team.

Impact

The pan-African focus of the summit, according to Ms. Asante, would have an impact on the African film industry by promoting discussions on the necessity for Africans to tell their rich history, culture, and tales through films.

"Africans are storytellers and story lovers, and if we don't find a way to get the largest youth population into the cinemas, Africa will not be the only loser; major businesses may collapse and a great culture of going to the cinema may be lost to the world forever, depriving us of the magic of cinema," she said.

A population of more than 1.3 billion people is served by 1,700 theatres in Africa, according to the 2020 UNESCO Report on African film. This makes it the continent with the fewest movie theaters, with one screen for every 787,402 inhabitants.

As a result, the summit, which will bring together influential figures and decision-makers from various African nations' commissions and government officials, would examine ways to address challenges in the industry.

Activities

Activities lined up for the summit include a cocktail and networking session, film screening, conferences and exhibitions, awards night and studio presentations.

The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, will be the special guest. Speakers would include Juliet Asante, Moses Babatope, Co-founder of Film House Group; Funmi Onuma, Country Manager, Silverbird Cinemas; John Schreiner, Senior Vice-President, Theatre Development, Imax Corporation; Kene Okwuosa, CEO Filmhouse Group; Marie Lora-Mungai, Angel Investor; Daniel Damah, Producer, and Ope Ajayi, President of Cinema Exhibitors Association of Ghana.

Others are Motheo Matsau, Deputy CEO, Ster-Kinekor Theatres; Rob Arthur, founding partner, Entertainment Solution Services Ltd; Chinazo Onuzo, Filmaker, Inkblot Studios; Jotham Micah, East Africa Marketing Manager, Century Cinemax; Oliver Dock, Founder, Whitebench, and Khalil Staily, Head, Cinemanext Africa & Middle East.

Support

The conference will be supported, Mr. Afful promised, adding that the initiative will assist advance the Brand Ghana goal.

He claimed that despite the fact that the globe was growing increasingly interested in African originality, the continent was unable to satisfy the demand.

Film, according to Mr. Afful, is a powerful medium for presenting the story of Africa and has the potential to modify peoples' misconceptions of the continent, especially among young people.

"Film appeals to all people and crosses all barriers. Since the market values African themes in fashion, movies, and other segments of the creative industry, it provides a good platform for the global community to value Africa.

Graphic Communications Group Ltd., with a mandate to further the Brand Ghana agenda, would give this summit its full support, he continued.