Accra-Ghana, Aug. 24, GNA – The 2023 Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) will focus on sensitising Ghanaian and African filmmakers on how to leverage technological tools to improve the quality of their films.
The 8th edition of the BSIFF, slated for September 18–24, 2023, would provide filmmakers with a platform to elevate their talents and offer film enthusiasts the opportunity to network and exchange ideas.
The week-long event would witness film workshops, an awards gala, film viewing experiences, and a music concert at the Black Star Square on September 22–23, 2023.
This year’s edition, co-funded by the European Union, is themed “Tech in Film: Exploring the Role of Technology in Filmmaking in Africa” and has film submissions from 43 countries.
Speaking at the launch, Madam Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante, the Founding President of BSIFF and Chief Executive Officer of the National Film Authority, stated how the festival has aided the progress of Ghanaian films in recent years.
She stated that the BSIFF, which started in 2016, had become a key cultural event in Ghana, providing filmmakers with a platform to improve the quality of storytelling.
“The BSIFF was set up not only to celebrate filmmakers but also to develop the marketplace or business of the film industry to enable filmmakers to recoup their investments.
“One of the things the film festival focuses on is aligning filmmakers with top distributors, which is key to developing markets and also gives filmmakers the necessary skill set,” she said.
Madam Juliet Asante further stressed how pivotal technology would be in telling our stories in an authentic manner so that worldwide audiences would appreciate African cultural heritage.
Mr. Irchad Razaaly, Ambassador of the European Union to Ghana, was delighted to be a partner of the festival, which sought to celebrate the rich and diverse Ghanaian, African, and European film industries.
He stated that the EU has in the past years organised film festivals in Ghana and recently held a film screening in Jamestown, all aimed at promoting access to culture for all.
“With our current support for the BSIFF, we want to continue and encourage the concession of films across communities with regard to their culture and languages, and that is the beauty of film as it resonates with people from different backgrounds.
“Film does not only promote cultural exchanges but also creates jobs and business, and the filmmaking sector has great potential for job creation in Ghana and Africa,” he said.
Some films to be shown at this year’s festival include “Choima,” “Otukunor,” “Gazing at Stars,” “Long Live the Dead,” “The Prison Promise,” “Moon Over Aburi,” among others.
Partners and distributors of this year’s BSIFF are Silverbird Cinemas, TECHNO, and Compu Ghana, and some distributors including MR Distributions and Indie Rights Movies, among others.
