The Ministry for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts on Wednesday,
October 26 held a press conference at the Accra Tourism Centre to
announce the passage of the Film Bill by Parliament.
Although
this came as welcome news for many in the film industry in Ghana, some
have accused the Minister, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare of jumping the
gun, since the bill is yet to be signed by the President to become a
law.
But speaking to Showbiz on Tuesday, Mrs Elizabeth
Ofosu-Adjare said the fact that the bill had passed through Parliament
was enough reason to jubilate.
“It is a new dawn in the film
industry because for the first time after 1961, Parliament has passed
the film bill. We have never come this close and so we should be
excited. The moment the bill went past Parliament, it meant the
difficult part has been done. I know that very soon the President will
append his signature and make it a law, she said.
Showbiz spoke
to some actors and industry persons to find out their views on the bill
and whether they believe it has any positives for the movie industry in
the country.
Speaking to Michael Ola, former PRO of the Film
Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG), said the film bill when passed
into law will improve the quality of films produced in the country. He
outlined that the film fund, which is a provision in the film bill will
ensure that there is adequate funds for film makers to finance their
movies.
Ola, one of the consultants who advised the
Parliamentary Select Committee on the film bill said there were various
control mechanisms which will also ensure that films produced in the
country are adequately reviewed to ensure that sanity prevails in film
production in the country.
”I believe the president would pass
the bill into law by the end of October. He has an interest in this bill
since he was one of the people who worked on the first draft of the
bill when he was with the Communication Ministry. The Attorney General’s
Department is also working on the Legislative Instrument which will
also outline punitive measures and other legal requirements for the
bill,” he said.
Speaking to the Chairman of the Ghana Culture
Forum, Akunu Dake, he also expressed the view that the bill would be
passed without much issues. “The Film Law has been a long time coming,
all the way back to 1961 and on previous occasions; it did not even pass
Cabinet. This time, it has gone all the way through Cabinet, the select
committee, the hall of Parliament and it is finally with the
President,” he said.
“The bill is a positive venture for
filmmakers both in terms of production and administration of film in the
country. There are various regulations and standards that are aimed at
improving film making in the country. Even more importantly, there are
provisions which are aimed at protecting the national interest as far as
film is concerned. Industry players now have the opportunity to take
control of the industry,” he added.
Bill Asamoah, President of
the Ashanti Regional Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) said
the Film Bill is a step in the right direction. “We as film producers
welcome it wholeheartedly since it will help streamline the industry in
Ghana. We are grateful to Parliament, the President among others for
making this a reality and I only hope it is implemented,” he said.
Bill
Asamoah cited the film fund as one of the provisions in the bill which
would be instrumental in boosting the growth of the industry.
“As
it stands now, film makers in the country are unable to produce capital
intensive movies due to the lack of funds but with the support of the
fund, we hope things will change,” he said
On his part, veteran
film producer, Socrates Safo was optimistic that the bill would
significantly improve the industry but he expressed caution that he was
keeping his fingers crossed until the President finally signed the bill
into law. “ This is not the first time the bill has reached this stage.
It went this far during Kufour’s era but it was put on hold due to a
petition from broadcasters to amend a clause. I pray it goes all the way
and becomes a law.
“However, it is my prayer again it doesn’t
remain just a law but backed with the necesaary support in terms of
funding among others. Otherwise, it comes to nothing and we are back to
square one.”he added.
