Produce good movies and stop complaining movie industry is dead -Juliet Asante to GH film-makers

THE Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), Juliet Asante, is charging Ghanaian filmmakers to produce good movies and that, the movie industry is dead.

And that any producer complaining that the movie industry is dying or dead probably has nothing good to offer.

Ms Asante mentioned this during an interview with Graphic Showbiz last Thursday September 21.

“I don’t know why anyone would say the movie industry in Ghana is dead or dying. We are doing amazingly well. More than 20 movies have been released this year. I have watched most of them and they are incredible.

“I would therefore encourage movie producers to do more because the industry needs compelling stories told. Any producer who sits there and complains simply has nothing good to offer,” she said.

According to Ms Asante, who is also the founding president of the Black Star International Film Institute, organisers of the annual Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF), Ghanaians are ever ready to patronise good movies if they are well executed.

“We all love to watch movies and I don’t believe Ghanaians will reject any good one. See, why are Yvonne Nelson and Shirley Frimpong Manso filling the cinemas anytime they bring out new movies? This shows Ghanaians have love for our films. We just have to do more,” she added.

As a way of getting Ghanaians to patronise local movies, she said the NFA has collaborated with movie producers to screen more local movies at the Ghana Cinema Week which began last year.

“The NFA is on the agenda to get more Ghanaians to watch our movies and we are doing that with Ghana Cinema Week in December.

“Last year, we had a lot of Ghanaians come to the Black Star Square to watch great movies from our producers and we are doing same this year. We will screen more than 10 movies and we entreat our people to come in their numbers to watch,” she stated.

Ms Juliet Asante who is a filmmaker and an actress has featured in movies including Twin Lovers, Fresh Blood, Tears of Blood, Ripples, Thread of Ananse and Deadly Voyage.

Her film, Silver Rain, was nominated for Best Film in West Africa and Best Costume at the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA).

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