The Public Relations Officer of Film Producers Association of Ghana, Abro has disclosed that the government will establish a Film Village in the Ashanti Region and Film Cultural Centre in the Eastern Region.
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, her deputy – Dr. Ziblim Iddi and other members of the creative arts council visited Chiefs who donated lands for the Film Village project to show their appreciation.
The delegation also met with the newly elected FIPAG Executive to discuss issues about the Film industry.
The FIPAG PRO debunks rumours that Government has acquired lands to site the Film Village in the Eastern Region.
He explained that the statement about the Film Village was misconstrued by the media.
According to him, a document they [FIPAG executive] were privy to states that the Film Village will be built in Kumasi and a Film Cultural Centre will also be established in the Eastern Region.
He disclosed that Nana Agyemang Badu Dua I, Chief of Kunsu in the Ashanti Region and husband to actress Mercy Asiedu has given three hundred [300] acres of land to the Government of Ghana for the project.
Abro added that Nana Agyemang Badu Dua I added seven hundred [700] acres of land to the 300 making a total of one thousand acres [1,000] of land for the film village and other creative arts projects.
According to Abro, the Sekyerehene, Offinsohene and Nana Wiafe also promised to add more acres of lands for other creative arts projects.
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Barabara Oteng Gyasi also promised the Executive of FIPAG to do everything within a means to halt the showing of foreign contents on Television screens.
“We’ve had enough lands for the projects. The minister promised us that she will do everything within her space to stop the showing of foreign contents on television and replace them with local Contents.
“She also told us about an ongoing negotiation between her Ministry and a bank to give loans to creative arts stakeholders to help boost their work.” Abro stated
The FIPAG PRO urged media to propagate the right information and also help to get the Film Act passed into law to help establish a Secretariat for the National Film Authority.
Reacting to the Film Village issue discussed by the PRO for FIPAG, Frank Kwabena Owusu popularly known as Franky 5, a member of the delegation told Kojo Preko Dankwa, all issues about the project discussed with FIPAG Executive are suggestions to be considered and not to be taken as the final approval by all stakeholders of the Arts industry.
“The Minister, Deputy and other delegations expressed interest to meet with the new FIPAG executive.”
Franky 5 disclosed that the land as discussed with the Chiefs will purposely be used as a Creative Arts Village which will also feature the Film Village.
“We also met with the two Chiefs who donated acres of land for the building of CREATIVE ARTS VILLAGE of which FILM VILLAGE plays a large role in there.
“Creative Arts Village will encompass a lot of the arms under the arts sectors. It will be right to call it Creative Arts Village than a Film Village.”
According to him, there were suggestions that the Government should build a Cultural Village in the Eastern Region and build a module of a Film Village in Kumasi.
“The discussion about the Cultural Village in the Eastern Region and the Film Village in Kumasi will be discussed by stakeholders before final approval.” He added
In a move to boost the creative arts industry, the government has announced plans to establish a Creative Arts Village which would also be the hub of filmmaking for the struggling industry.
