The Black Star International Film Festival, a film forum, advocacy platform and a bridge between the local and international film industry with a focus on the business of film, has been officially launched in Accra.
Present at the launch was the Deputy Minister for Communications and Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Dzifa Gomashie.
It was also attended by key stakeholders from the Ghanaian and Nigerian movie industries, government agency, and development partners.
Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of the Film Festival, Juliet Asante said the event will go a long way in preserving the country’s heritage.
“We believe that the images we see and the stories we tell, are important to who we are as a people. Through the Black Star International Film Festival, we are opening the door to stories that drive the narrative of Africa and for African film makers to share their experiences with an international audience while allowing international film makers to share in the rich culture of Africa. Ghana is poised to welcome filmmakers from around the globe annually to celebrate the Art of Filmmaking,” she added.
Femi Odugbemi an award-winning Filmmaker, Writer, Producer and a respected voice in the Nigerian movie industry and an Executive Director of the popular I-Represent International Documentary Film Festival Lagos, expressed admiration for the initiative and pledged his support to the success of the Festival.
In a meeting with executives of BSIFF, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Dzifa Gomashie noted that the event is “a timely platform being created to help take our movie industry to the next level. I encourage all stakeholders to make the initiative a resounding success. The need for intellectual discuss around the opportunity the festival offers cannot be over emphasized and I am very happy that this initiative is taking off. You can count on the support of my ministry to move this forward.”
The BSIFF’s overarching theme is “face forward” and the goal this year is to highlight the importance of film as a cultural diplomacy tool, as a global connector, as a trade enabler and as an employment creator.
The Festival will take place in August. Submissions open in March. The international festival will welcome movies in different categories from across Africa and the world.
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Credit: Black Star international film festival