The National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana has partnered with the International Writers Lab (IWL) to showcase the Ghana Film Industry to Hollywood studios and streamers.
The IWL was launched in 2021 to increase the opportunity for Hollywood production of stories from film and television writers in Africa, beginning in Kenya.
Created by PMF Media Group, VentureLift Africa, and The Blackhouse Foundation, the IWL is a unique accelerator and fellowship program that combines a writers lab facilitated by the award-winning American filmmaker, Matty Rich (Straight Out Of Brooklyn and Inkwell), mentorship from writers with Hollywood credits, career and business advice from Hollywood agents, studio executives, international sales agents, and talent management companies, and a pitch-fest to receive feedback and advice from distributors to refine the Fellows’ projects.
Ghana’s film industry has continued to play a significant role in African filmmaking. Despite its huge commercial and financial potential, the Ghanaian creative sector has long been a sleeping giant for economic development and job creation in Africa.
When compared to Africa’s top entertainment hubs, Nigeria and South Africa, resources supporting outstanding film and television writers have had less visibility than other sectors of the Ghanaian economy. The NFA seeks to change this dynamic and broaden the global networks of talented African writers.
The Executive Secretary of NFA, Ms. Juliet Asante, views the partnership as “an opportunity that opens an important door for scriptwriters in Ghana. Writers are the backbone and skeleton of the film industry and its related disciplines. A good story is the beginning of any successful project. Without a well-told story and script, no amount of magic on set will be magical.
It is for this reason that the National Film Authority of Ghana places a premium on building the craft as a key pillar in Ghana’s strategy to position itself as a film and content hub in the region.
Authentic, well-researched, well told and well-written stories that make an impact, are the outcomes we expect from this partnership and magic always happens in films and real life when these come together”
According to Laure de Peretti of the StoryBoard Collective, a Swiss-based philanthropy that also supports African episodic writers through the AuthenticA Series Lab in partnership with the Realness Institute and a continuing partner of IWL, “engaging the Ghanaian creative ecosystem is exciting and has a huge potential with a dynamic local film industry.
IWL will benefit from very motivated talents who have the ambition to develop high-quality productions. We are eager to see these authentic storylines developed into on-screen feature films by these three talented writers.”
Three fellows were selected for the Ghana Cohort to refine their scripts for film, including Ms. Anna Segbefia-Hanson, Mr. Elorm Adjaho, and Mr. Fidaus Sulemana. The Fellows are experienced writers and emerging changemakers in the African and global creative ecosystems.
Pauline Fischer, Founder of PMF Media Group and visionary for the program, hopes that these “experienced and talented writers will emerge from the Lab with enhanced skills and broader networks to more successfully build their careers and expand their opportunities in Ghana, across the continent, and in the global entertainment industry”.
The 16-week programme aims to culminate in a trip to an international film festival, where the Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in additional programs and further expand their professional network.
For Wilmot Allen, Founder of VentureLift Africa, the IWL serves as a catalyst for leaving a stronger African imprint on the world.
“We are hopeful to facilitate a deeper ecosystem of talented writers across the continent so that the world will come to understand Africa better in all of its diversity, creativity, and originality.”
The IWL intends to expand its programming to include animation and gaming across the continent in the coming months.