Production
of celluloid films to be encouraged
Ho
schools cultural festival opens
Troupe
spreads AIDS awareness message in NR
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
The
National Theatre and Antwi International Company Limited (AICL), a US-based
entertainment service provider and film distributor, are to begin screening
35-millimetre celluloid films in a media arts programme aimed at reintroducing
celluloid films to the Ghanaian public.
In the venture ultimately geared at producing
35mm celluloid films in Ghana, the National Theatre would provide the venue
while Antwi International would bring in equipment and films, mainly US blockbusters.
This was
made known to newsmen at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday during which excerpts
of some of the films were screened.
Contemporary
Ghanaian films are increasingly being produced on video because of the lack of
equipment and high cost of producing 35mm films which is too high for local
producers to bear, a situation worsened by the low level of support for the
arts by the authorities.
Starting 22 March, several
"enlightening, educative and entertaining" American films would hit
the Theatre's screens from two cinema projectors installed with the support of
AICL which were test-ran during Kiddafest '99, the Accra International
Children's Festival.
Ms Korkor Amarteifio, Director of
Operations and Programmes of the Theatre, said she was hopeful that with
production of local films on celluloid, Ghanaian films would go international
and feature at film festivals where 35mm films are standard.
She said the new programme that would
showcase the best of cultures through films, would complement the educational
and entertainment programmes of the Theatre, such as Fun World, Concert Party
and Kiddafest,
Nana Yaw Antwi, Managing Director of
AICL, said his outfit has the blessing of all the major film companies in the
US and that Ghanaians should not worry about the films being pirated.
The initiative is a pilot project and
Nana Yaw said if it succeeds, big time US film producers could visit Ghana to
help develop its film industry, while Ghanaian films shot on celluloid could
earn money from the international market.
GRi../
Ho (Volta
Region) 15 March 2000
Captain
George Nfodjo, Ho District Chief Executive has called for promotion of cultural
consciousness in a way that will change the perception and attitudes of
Ghanaians to positive aspects of cultural practices for socio-economic
development.
"In
our attempt to retrieve out lost culture,
care must be taken not to revive certain aspects of our cultural practices
which are inimical to the development of the society.
Capt Nfodjo
said this in a speech read for him at the opening of a two-day basic schools
cultural festival in the Ho district at Ho. It was under the theme, ''culture,
discovery of the past is our strength'.
A total of
19 schools from the Ho circuit will compete in choral music, poetry recital,
language, sight reading, dance drummer and exhibition of arts and crafts.
Capt Nfodjo
said culture does not only entail drumming and dancing but it is rather the sum
total of our way of life, food, language, religion, literature, arts and
architecture, traditional norms and practices dealing with the past, the
present and the future of a people.
He
described as unfortunate the total acceptance of western cultural practices by
the youth who consider every aspect of our indigenous culture as primitive and
fetish.
Capt Nfodjo
therefore appealed to the youth to be careful in copying foreign cultures and
patronising night clubs and other activities which divert their attention from
their studies.
Mama
Agblatsu, the third, Ho District Director of Education asked the students to
avoid cultural practices that affect their general well-being.
GRi../
Tamale
(Greater Accra) 15 March 2000
The Behisum
Drama Troupe in Tamale in collaboration with the Musicians Union of Ghana
(MUSIGA), has started drama programmes in the Northern Region to increase
public education on HIV/AIDS.
The
programme, musical concerts and drama, portray the mode of transmission,
prevention and control of the disease.
Mr Hamidu Fuseini,
Organising Secretary of the troupe briefing GNA in Tamale on Monday, said given
the encouraging public response to the programme, there would be a breakthrough
in the control of the disease.
The troupe
also dramatises other events of national importance like the general elections
scheduled for late this year.
Mr Issah
Abdul-Razak, Vice Chairman of the troupe said it is planning another programme
with chiefs, religious, political and other opinion leaders to enhance free,
fair and peaceful elections.
GRi../