Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts calls for calm over Gollywood brouhaha

The Academy of Film and Television Arts urged stakeholders to maintain the approved name

The Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA) is calling for calm following the tension from the supposed renaming of the Ghana Film Industry at the recent Ghana Film Summit as Gollywood.

The organization, dedicated to the advancement of excellence in the art, craft and science of the motion picture industry, in a press statement states that though there was no consensus on the rebranding and naming of the industry with stakeholders, the group has decided to step in to calm nerves of stakeholders who seem worried over the re branding issues.

GAFTA has therefore asked the creative arts industry to maintain the approved name captured in the Film Act 935.

“The Film Act 935 captures the industry as the Ghana Film Industry and therefore we do not need to name the industry but rather work together to fix it to contribute to our National GDP.”

The organization commended the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture – Hon. Catherine Afeku, the Attorney General’s Department and the Copyright Office for their support in the ongoing drafting of a Legislative Instrument for the Film Act 935.

Read the full Press Statement below.

PRESS RELEASE

The Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA) is a private, professional organization Dedicated to the advancement of excellence in the art, craft and science of the motion picture industry – Film, Video, Television and New Media.

The Academy wishes to call for calm in the wake of the tension from the supposed renaming of the Ghana Film Industry at the recent Ghana Film Summit as Gollywood.

This decision is simply on the grounds that there was no consensus on the rebranding and naming of the industry with stakeholders.

The Film Act 935 captures the industry as the Ghana Film Industry and therefore we do not need to name the industry but rather work together to fix it to contribute to our National GDP.

In many other jurisdictions the nicknames of industries evolve over time based on the impact of the industry in the jurisdiction hence there will be no need for a special ceremony to unveil a name or nickname.

In the interest of developing the Ghana Film Industry to the benefit of this nation Ghana, the Academy wishes to call on all groups and individual to seek consensus of all stakeholders in taking any such steps regarding the brand naming and any such action that impacts on the image of the Ghana Film Industry.

The Academy is dedicated to the advancement of excellence in the art, craft and science of the Ghana Film industry as its core mandate and therefore wishes to call on Government and all Government Agencies, Ministries and Departments to carry out proper due diligence on individuals and groups that approach them in the name of the Ghana Film Industry.

We applaud the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Attorney General’s Departments and the Copyright Office for their support in the ongoing drafting of a Legislative Instrument for the Film Act 935.

It is our hope that the establishment of the National Film Authority will go a long way to deepen the unity and progress of the industry and curtail actions of any other Guild or Association from causing further damage to the image of the film industry and by extension Ghana. There is therefore the need to keep close counsel of all industry stakeholders and Government like never before to work together for the good of the Ghana film Industry.

God Bless the Ghana Film Industry.

God Bless our Nation Ghana.

Signed by

President of Governing Board;

Dr. Jim Fara Awindor

(President)

Koffi ‘Zokko’ Nartey

(General Secretary)

Cc: All Film Industry Stakeholders

All Media Houses

Catherine Afeku,

Hon. Minster for Tourism, Arts and Culture

Office of The President