Cinema of Ghana

**Cinema of Ghana**, wey dem dey call **Ghana Film Industry**, dem nickname am **Ghallywood**, Everything start when dem first bring film making enter British colony of Gold Coast (now Ghana) for 1923. Dat time, na only big men dem dey see de films, especially de white people wey be de boss for Gold Coast. Film making for Ghana begin to grow for 1950 insyd. Cinema be de main place wey people dey go watch film until home video cam turn popular pass am. Film industry no get official name yet secof dem dey consult den engage plus stakeholders wen dem send petition to Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture wey suspend de use of de name **Black Star Films**.

## Cinema for de colonial period insyd
For 1920s insyd, some private people bring film enter Ghana (wey dem dey call Gold Coast den) by opening cinema for urban areas. By 1923, cinema cam turn new way wey people dey take enjoy, buh no be big men per dem dey see de films wey dem dey show for cinemas. Cinemas be for first class people, dat be de colonial leaders den top officials. Later, dem start use cinema vans for rural areas.

For 1948, when de colonial masters see say film, apart from de entertainment tins, dem fit use am brainwash den change society to follow de filmmaker way, dem decide to establish Gold Coast Film Unit for Information Services Department of de colonial government. Film cam turn anoda way, wey dem consider scientifically correct, to influence society. Gold Coast Film Unit use green-yellow Bedford bus go screen documentary films, newsreels, den government information films to de public. Dem no charge entrance fee. (Sakyi 1996: 9). De films dey include propaganda films about World War II, wey Colonial Film Unit (CFU) for London produce. (cf. Diawara 1992: 3).

After de war, de unit start produce educational films den feature films for dem African colonies. Dem design de films make dem show say Western "civilised" way of life dey better pass African "backward" way of life. Dem suggest say "superstitious" customs dem for stop am. (Diawara 1992: 3; Ukadike 1994: 44ff).

Gold Coast Film Unit, sanso produce films wey dey concern local people, make dem take encourage dem make improvements for health, crops, living, marketing, plus human co-operation. (Middleton-Mends 1995: 1; Diawara 1992: 5). For 1948, Gold Coast Film Unit start train local African film makers. Dem dey exchange films plus oda British colonies for Africa. (Middleton-Mends ibid.).

## Ghana Film Industry: Contemporary Ghana cinema
Cinema industry for Ghana, wey dem dey call **Ghana Film Industry**, formerly **Ghallywood**, start for early 1980s. Before dat, na only government of Ghana, wey inherit film industry from colonial government, dey produce films for de country. First presido of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, for 1964, establish Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) for Kanda, Accra, wey cam turn de country capital for 1877. GFIC now house TV3, private Malaysian TV station. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Presido of first Republic of Ghana, send plenty Ghanaians go abroad learn filmmaking, purposely for GFIC work. Ghana get professionally trained filmmakers wey government employ to produce films for socioeconomic development of de country. Legends like Rev. Chris Hesse, Mr. Ernest Abbeyquaye, Mr. Kwaw Ansah den chaw odas, all train by government, under Presido Nkrumah leadership. Dem establish GFIC make e use indigenous Ghanaian made films reverse de negative impact of films made by colonial government den restore pride of being Ghanaian den African for citizens. Ghana Film Industry Corporation dey make films make e serve purpose of building self-reliance for African people. More dan 150 feature den documentary films, GFIC produce by late 1960s. After Nkrumah overthrow for 1966, film industry for Ghana nose dive.

For 1981, de first independent film, *Love Brewed in de African Pot*, Kwaw Ansah produce am, one of de legendary filmmakers for Ghana. Dem shoot de film on celluloid film. After dat, King Ampaw, Ghanaian filmmaker wey train for German, sanso follow suit plus de release of ein film *Kukurantumi - The Road to Accra* for 1982. By de middle of 1980s, new generation for Ghana, led by William Akuffo, decide to adapt de new video technology wey dem introduce to de world for 1978, for de production of films. Dem use Video Home System (VHS) cameras shoot feature-length films from 1986 for Ghana. De idea be to tell Ghanaian den African story by African. Ghana be de first country for de world to use VHS cameras shoot feature-length films. By de end of 1980s, Ghana fit boast of plenty films wey dem produce for Ghana on VHS tapes cassettes

Since de late 1980s insyd, direct-to-video film ein making increase for Ghana insyd. Money for cinematography hard to get for both state own Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) and independent film makers. So, people for Ghana start make dem own films use VHS video cameras. Independent filmmakers create dem own Ghanaian stories den scripts, assemble actors, both professional den amateur, wey make successful films, especially for Accra. Money from these VHS video movies help support film industry. For 1980s, wen filmmakers start make video-films, GFIC rise against am bitterly. GFIC authorities no see say video technology go cam turn part of global format of filmmaking, so dem rise against am den make am difficult for independent producers for Ghana dat time. GFIC prohibit dem film directors to assist independent producers make video-films. Dis decision of GFIC cause Ghana lose professionalism for filmmaking. Producers force start direct dem own video-films. Dis culture of produce den direct without professional training for filmmaking go cam turn de culture wey dem no fit control for next three decades.

After some years, GFIC start offer technical support to VHS filmmakers in exchange for right to first screening for dem Accra cinemas. Dema film come make very popular since Ghanaians dey see true stories of who dem be thru de films wey indigenous Ghanaian filmmakers dey make. By early 1990s, about fifty VHS video movies per year na dem dey make for Ghana insyd. Over time, professional plus amateur filmmakers for Ghana produce films wey dey similar quality plus get equal respect.

For 1996, government of Ghana sell seventy percent of shares for GFIC to Malaysian TV production company, Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad of Kuala Lumpur. Dem rename GFIC to "Gama Media System Ltd". Dis one also affect de rising film industry for Ghana very bad. GFIC dey control about half of cinema-theatres for de country dat time. De sale of 70% of GFIC collapse cinema industry. De company no get interest for film making, so film industry for Ghana continue with independent film makers wey dem funding depend on popular appeal of de films. For example, for Ghana cinema, dey get one popular theme of darkness den occultism wey dem place for framework of Christian dualism, wey involve God den de Devil (see Meyer 1999a).

Dem dey call Twi dialect movies "Kumawood" films. English-speaking Ghanaian films sometimes dem dey call "Ghallywood" productions. And all de films wey dem make for Ghana dem dey refer to as Ghana Films since dem no get official name yet. Films wey dey show African witchcraft dey popular for Ghana, even though dem dey criticize dem. Ghana dey produce low-budget visual effects films. Dem include *2016* (2010), den *Obonsam Besu* (*The Devil Will Cry*).

About 1997, Ghanaians den Nigerians start dey make collaboration films wey introduce Nigerian film directors like Ifeanyi Onyeabor (a.k.a. Big Slim), Rev. Tony Meribe-White den later around 2006, Nigerian filmmaker Frank Rajah Arase wey Ifeanyi Onyeabor bring am in as ein personal anaa production assistant. He sanso grow make e cam turn movie director den collaborate plus Venus Films, Ghanaian production company, to produce plenty films wey bring out Ghanaian popular actors wey fit get work for Nigeria (Nollywood). Some of de actors include Van Vicker, Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel, Yvonne Nelson, John Dumelo, Nadia Buari den Yvonne Okoro. Some Nigerian producers film for Ghana where production costs dey low.

For 2017, dem establish Ndiva Women's Film Festival, African film festival for women filmmakers and audiences, for Accra..

## References


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