National Film Authority – Action Group (NFA-AG), a creative arts industry pressure group largely made up of film industry stakeholders has given the government a 7-day ultimatum to allow cinemas to operate with immediate effect.
Members of the group have threatened to demonstrate should their warning to government fall on deaf ears.
Their outburst is, as a result of Government allowing the ruling New Patriotic Party to hold its campaign launch themed Creative Arts 4 More Grand campaign at the Snap Cinema in Accra but insensitively ignoring the pleads of the filmmakers to reopen the cinemas.
The group expressed its displeasure over the party’s decision to use the Cinema for its political gathering when the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his latest address to the state, imposed further Covid-19 restrictions on the cinemas.
The NFA-Action Group sent a message to the President, Nana Adoo Dankwa Akufo-Addo saying ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander.’
According to them, the President will be unfair to the film industry if he allows a party’s campaign launch to held in a cinema or a conference room yet refuse to open it for its right purpose.
The group claimed its effort to get the government to lift the ban on cinemas has proven unsuccessful hence the only message government understands is ‘demonstration’.
The Film makers said that the cinema culture in the country was deteriorating even before the pandemic and prolonging the restrictions worsen’s the problem.
Measures put in place by the NFA Action Group
NFA-AG believes their film activities would not breach the Covid-19 protocols when restrictions on cinemas are lifted.
In their address, the group indicated that it had evaluated the potential spread of the virus at all cinemas across the country and the attached risk assessment showed the residual rating as safe for reopening.
The group proposed nine Covid-19 protocols which would be strictly observed by authorities and customers.
An online booking system which will allow owners of cinemas to track and trace customers easily will be provided.
