Third edition of GhMovie-Con ends

The third edition of GhMovie-Con, a convention-style event that brings together filmmakers, aficionados, investors and stakeholders in the movie industry was successfully held at the Snap Cinemas in Accra on Saturday, January 29.

The annual event, which started in 2019, has become a reputable platform for the announcement of film projects and innovations in the year as well, as a means for players in the industry to market and promote their works.

It is done through presentations, exclusive reveals as well as a panel discussion featuring forward-thinking creatives who are actively contributing to changing the narrative about Ghanaian cinema.

With a greater part of the conversation surrounding film as a form of art and business venture, the speakers- Gene Adu, Esi Yamoah of Yamoah Entertainment, Mark Coffie Jnr of Rootflix, Magdalene Martin and makeup artiste, Kruz K challenged participants to have confidence in the Ghanaian film industry and not downplay its potential.

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In his presentation, movie producer/video director, Gene Adu pointed out that it was very important for scriptwriters to improve on their skills to produce films with captivating storylines.

He also talked about the need for movie producers and directors to seek new talents outside the popular faces since there were good actors to be discovered.

“It’s very important that auditions are held for roles because there are probably talents who may play a particular role better than a popular actor. But the truth is that we like to focus on the popular ones which are not so encouraging,” he said.
 
Esi Yamoah called for more collaborations among industry players, one that she suggested was key to the advancement of the film industry.

Using the conference to promote his streaming service, Rootflix, a unique movie streaming platform revolutionising the distribution process for budding filmmakers, allowing fans and critics access to film festival-quality films from around the world, Mark Coffie Jnr encouraged Ghanaian filmmakers to patronise the service.

GhMovie-Con was a collaboration between XscapeDigital Consult (XDC) and CASSETTE and is focused on showcasing films and projects coming out, particularly from Ghana.

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In his address on the event’s theme, “Improving Our Storytelling, How to Reach the Rest of The world”, Tony Asankomah, the CEO of GhMovie-Con charged Ghanaian film creatives to take pride in projecting the African story.

He mentioned that even though organising the event had been an uphill task, the commitment of contributing his quota to the development of the industry had helped him out of the dark moments.

In an earlier presentation, the Executive Director of National Film Authority (NFA), Juliet Asante, described as unfortunate the bad description of the Ghanaian film industry.

She tasked movie producers to work in hand for the growth of the industry since there were many untapped prospects.
 
The event, which was hosted by actress Sitsofe Tsikor, was attended by some players in the industry including Socrate Safo and Salma Mumin.