Veteran Kumawood actor Bill Asamoah is among those making the call
The Kumasi-based local movie industry, Kumawood, is advocating proactive measures to resuscitate the sector.
In the estimation of the key players, the once vibrant industry had taken a nosedive, and was no longer able to compete keenly at the international level as expected.
The actors and film producers argued that there was the need to inject the requisite capital, technological devices and innovativeness to bring the industry to life.
Additionally, the government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC), should create avenues for the key players to continually build their capacity and knowledge for better performance.
Mr. Bill Asamoah, an ace Kumawood actor, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on the sideline of a stakeholders’ engagement in Kumasi, said the industry employed thousands of people along the value chain.
However, it lacked the vital physical structures and state-of-the-art facilities, including a film village, to underpin the aspirations of the local movie industry.
“We have been left behind in terms of the use of ultra-modern equipment to stage and market our films,” he told the GNA.
According to the ace Kumawood actor, the credibility of any film was judged by its sound quality and pictures, story contents and good performance.
The onus, he said, lied with the government to come to the rescue of Kumawood by supporting the industry with the necessary incentives to help create jobs in the creative arts industry.
Mr. Samuel Nyamekye, a film producer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Miracle Films, sharing his views on the future of the local movie industry, told the GNA that some actors and film producers had decided to find alternative jobs.
“They no longer find the industry attractive,” he affirmed and called for changes in the way things were being done.