Film Makers Petition Parliament Over Siting of Film Village

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Film makers in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday petitioned Parliament of Ghana over the decision of the government to establish a film village in Amanfrom Akyem Abuakwa in the Eastern Region.

According to them, the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta when presenting the 2019 budget, stated that the government had identified and acquired a 200 acres of land for the establishment of a film village.

They added that the president of the Creative Arts Council, Mark Okraku Mantey, later, confirmed that Amanfrom Akyem Abuakwa had been earmarked for the project.

Presenting the petition which was received on behalf of parliament by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and leader of Government business, who also doubles as Majority leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, actress, Nana Ama McBrown, charged parliament to reconsider the location.

According to her, Ashanti Region was known to produce a large number of films produced in Ghana, with the narrative centred on Ghanaian culture and societal issues, making it the hub for movies in the country.

She said it would not be appropriate to establish a film village in another region aside, the film hub of the country.

Speaking to The Spectator, Mr Samuel Nyamekye, who led the delegation of film makers in the Ashanti Region, said, the chief of Kunsu in Ashanti Region, Nana Agyemang Badu Duah, had provided 250 acres of land for the project.

He said that considering the vibrancy of the industry in the Ashanti Region and the contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it would make business sense and good use of scarce resources to establish the film village in the Ashanti Region.

The Majority leader, Mr Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, on behalf of Parliament, assured them their petition would be given the needed attention.

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