FILM
SUBMIT YOUR
FILMS: WHY
FILM FESTIVALs
MATTER
Have you realized that
recently, our country
has seen a significant
increase in the number
of film festivals in the
country? If you’re a
filmmaker and you’re
not interested in film
festivals, then rethink!
17 | Colossium . March 2020
The first-ever international film festival
in Ghana was the Black Star International
Film Festival (BSIFF), which was founded in
2016 by Juliet Asante, the newly appointed
Chief Executive Officer of the National Film
Authority. And from early 2018 till date,
we have seen several other film festivals
introduced into the country. I believe this
recent development is good for our film
industry but it is not good news enough until
the Ghanaian filmmaker can appreciate the
importance of film festivals and decide to
participate in them. BSIFF opens submissions
annually for independent filmmakers’,
providing a platform for celebrating and
honoring them for their great films that make
it into the Festival. During the 4th edition
of the Festival in 2019, Ghanaian films like
Azumah, Nirvana by Richard Governor and
Divine 419, went on to win top awards and
gained international recognition during and
after the film festival which was held in
August.