Government is working on transforming the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), into a world-class training facility.
This announcement was made by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra during the launch of the Presidential Film Pitch Series.
According to him, NAFTI is being retooled to enable it to provide the needed training for players in the industry, in the quest to make Ghana attractive to international film productions, as well as the hub of film production in West Africa.
“Forty-five million euros has been approved for NAFTI to reform it into a world-class training facility. The school is also introducing specialized courses in scriptwriting, as well as the business of film,” he said.
This, according to President Akufo-Addo, means that Ghana will now have graduates with a specialty in scriptwriting to feed the film sector and help build the needed structures for a vibrant film ecosystem.
Additionally, NAFTI will also be issuing its own degrees as part of the University of Media Arts.
The imminent completion of the Creative Arts Senior High School, in Kwadaso, the President noted, “will help open up the creative process from the secondary school level, making the arts sector a vibrant option for many students, by giving targeted training to young people, and offering them the opportunity for employment in the creative arts sector.”
He added that the Creative Arts Senior High School will also help prepare students who desire to further their education at NAFTI, thereby providing a stream of creative talents.
“As we gradually emerge from the pandemic, I would like to urge players in the sector to step up their entrepreneurial acumen. Film-trepreneurs must lead in the creation of new businesses, which would serve as an important ingredient for the development of a vibrant business sector,” the President stressed.
He, thus, entreated the youth, particularly women, to develop greater interest in the film value chain, assuring that “Government is determined to create an environment that fosters youth entrepreneurship which results in the creation of new business entities.”
