Legendary Ghana film producer and director, King Ampaw, has advised film makers in Ghana not to bank their hopes on government’s financial aid for their movie productions.
According to King who is popularly known for the 1983 movie ‘Kukurantumi: Road to Accra’, funds provided by governments for film productions usually don’t suffice for the real work.
He made this statement in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM‘s Showbiz A-Z over the weekend.
“Actually, to put the facts down, commercial productions have got very little, not much to do with government. It is purely private business because of the money involved,” he said.
King said the government can only give those funds which will cushion film makers but for a full production they need more than the government fund can support.
“Unfortunately, the young people here have been emphasising it most times. I think that has made us a little bit lazy.
After all, how much money can the government give to the so many film makers? Now, listen to this, the whole government film fund, I may use it for only one movie production. We might have to change our attitude and minds on that,” he said.
He also intimated that in his entire career as a movie producer, he has never taken money from the Ghanaian government to fund his movie. However, he said he got support from the European Union and the German government.
“It was through my own efforts. The European Union money, they call it Africa Pacific and Asia. The money is there in Paris. It is not the government which would apply for you. It is you the individual producer, you must write your script, you must approach them,” he noted.
King Ampaw therefore advised that Ghanaian film makers should always make sure the have good script that will attract investors.
In the meantime, the National Film Authority, mandated by the Development and Classification of Film Act (Act 935), has assured that plans are far advanced to set up the Film Development Fund.
The objects of the fund are to provide financial support for the development and production of full-length feature films which are the central focus of the fund, short and medium-length feature films,
and public education on attitudinal change and cultural values.
It is also aimed at offering financial support to television productions, television genres including drama, animated serials, sitcoms, soaps and comedy designed to facilitate attitude and behaviour change of the citizenry.
