The deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Ato Sarpong has assured the organisers of the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) of his ministry’s support in the upcoming festival.
The BSIFF comes off from August 25 to August 27 this year.
He said this when the organisers of the festival and other stakeholders called on him on Wednesday to brief him on preparations for the festival.
“It is a known fact that film can bring all of us together, we cannot underestimate the power of film which is also a major foreign exchange earner, “he said.
On her part, the Executive Director of the Black Star International Film Festival, Juliet Asante said she is excited about the upcoming festival which is focused on advocating for policies that enable film industry in Ghana to achieve its purpose of being a cultural diplomacy tool, a trade enabler, a global connector and an employment creator.
“In this direction, the BSIFF is advocating for Ghana embassies around the world to show a Ghanaian movie at least every quarter to their communities of engagement.
“This will create an avenue for engagement and ensure an opportunity for global communities to connect with Ghana, understand and appreciate our culture, develop curiosity that may lead to tourism and investment.
“This policy will help to propel an industry that creates massive employment for both low and high skilled workers as a film set typically employs between 20 and 50 people per project.
“We are asking the government of Ghana to demonstrate its commitment to the sector, as it has indicated on various platforms. The BSIFF is committed to working with government to achieve our shared objectives”, she said.
The upcoming BSIFF looks forward to welcoming a considerable number of filmmakers and film enthusiasts in August for the three-day film celebration and party.
Ms Asante added that films from all around the world will be screened around the city at places such as James Town, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kasoa, Accra Mall among others.
“The festival will create opportunities for networking, learning, business collaborations and Tourism. It will open an opportunity for Ghana to position itself as a credible and critical voice in the sector sub regionally.
“This will enable Ghana to attract more investments in the sector and help push forward the overall opportunities that film creates.
“We are happy to say that in one month of open submissions on FilmFree Way, we already have over 1000 film submissions from all over the world,” she said.
