The National Film Authority of Ghana wants to show the world why it should be considered a leader in the movie industry. It has forged a new strategic partnership with Nigeria’s FilmOne Group and its own Silverbird Cinema to host the inaugural Africa Cinema Summit in Accra this winter, according to Deadline.
The event, scheduled to take place over three days, will be a showcase of contemporary African films alongside industry-focused sessions, which will include business matchmaking events, panel discussions, keynote speeches by African industry leaders and dedicated networking sessions for visitors.
The announcement is a timely one. This past March, Idris Elba, who is of Ghanaian descent, partnered with Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu to focus on talent and production from Africa through their respective companies: Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Abudu’s EbonyLife TV. Once the SAG-AFTRA strike ends, Elba will presumably resume work on an untitled Ghana project, which he will direct and star in.
The summit is set to take place at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra this November, but you don’t have to wait until then to see some great African cinema. Here are three beloved films from Ghana you can check out today.
Ghana Must Go
It’s an in-law showdown when a Ghanaian woman brings home her fiancé, who happens to be Nigerian. The sparring families must learn to put away their differences for the sake of love. This 2016 comedy is one of Ghana’s highest-grossing films.
Love Brewed In the African Pot
Considered the first film produced in Ghana, this 1980 romantic drama centers around Aba, a woman born to a family of privileged settlers, who falls in love with Joe, the son of a fisherman. Their relationship goes against the wishes of Aba’s father, who has already chosen what he deems a suitable husband for his daughter.
Away Bus
What do you do when you need to raise funds quickly to aid your ailing mum? Try to commit a highway bus robbery! That’s what sisters Bibi and Kiki attempt to do to raise 20,000 Ghana cedis in this 2019 action drama.
