The extravagance and glamour of filmdom, without doubt, draws the attention of the masses and the classes alike, anywhere in the world. As far as Africa is concerned, the Nigerian film industry is considered to be the largest by way of annual films, revenues and popularity. Pan the camera over West Africa and its lens will capture “Ghallywood” (Ghana’s film industry) which is gradually catching the world’s eye. Now “Kumawood” has taken its place and is producing films and TV programmes by reviving Ghana’s creative industry.
The cinema industry of Ghana predominantly began entertaining Ghanaians since 1920 and saw the establishment of the Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) founded by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and President, Kwame Nkrumah of the country in Accra. In 1981, Ghana’s well-known filmmaker Kwaw Ansah shot the country’s first independent film – “Love Brewed in the African Pot”. In 2016, the ‘Development and Classification of Film’ law was established to thwart the notoriety of the rising “Ghallywood”, to regulate and advance the country’s film industry. Ghana has its own film school – the state-run National Film and Television institute.
The film industry is set to contribute significantly to Ghana’s GDP and the Box Office revenue in Ghana is expected to yield 1.1 million U.S. dollars in 2023.
Efforts are being made to regulate the exhibition of films in Ghana by classifying all audio-video materials such as movies, television programmes and music videos among others for public viewing. A twelve-member Film Classification Committee has been inaugurated by the Governing Board of the National Film Authority (NFA). It was a move to bring refinement in content largely for the benefit of viewers in Ghana.
