Film industry growth hinges on constructive criticisms — Ameyibor

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, former Vice President of the African Federation of Film Critics (AFFC), on Thursday revealed that the vibrant activities of film critics will transform and accelerate the growth of the film industry in Ghana.

He stressed that film critics play critical roles in the development and growth of the film industry as they serve as reliable sources of information, offer constructive criticism of the films with the aim of assisting film producers, and also market the film industry.

Mr. Ameyibor made the statement during a discussion with Mr. Charles Ayetan, former Communications and Media Liaison Officer of the African Federation of Film Critics, towards reviving the Ghana Federation of Film Critics and exploring opportunities for film producers and journalists to work together towards the growth of the film industry.

He noted that the digital age has given film audiences more access to film criticism and reviews through various mediums, sometimes unprofessional, which endangers the industry.

Mr. Ameyibor, who is the President of the Ghana Federation of Film Critics, also revealed that Ghanaian film producers need to work with professionally trained film critics to strengthen the industry.

He debunked the notion that film critics work against the film industry, explaining that “film critics enhance the work of film producers in particular and the film industry in general and serve as a major marketing channel for stakeholders.

Mr. Ameyibor, who has served as a jury at both the Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia and the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso, stressed that film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium.

He explained that film criticism is done by professionally trained individuals, including journalists, who use their journalistic skills to analyze films regularly and publish in newspapers, magazines, and other popular mass-media outlets.

Mr. Ameyibor explained that film critics do not aim at destroying the work of a film producer or the film industry; on the contrary, “we work to build the work of producers and develop the film industry.”

Mr. Ayetan, who is a seasoned journalist and film critic, appealed to Ghanaian filmmakers to collaborate with critics for the growth of the industry, stressing, "We all seek to inject modern dynamism into the industry."

He called for closer collaboration between filmmakers and critics, stressing that a film critic is an individual who gives his reason and brings out different ways of understanding a film.

The Ghana Federation of Film Critics, which is an affiliate of the African Federation of Film Critiques (AFFC), is also a sector of the International Federation of Film Critics (fIPRESCI).

In October 2005, a five-day sub-regional workshop on film criticism in Africa (managed by Olivier Barlet, France) ended in Accra with the establishment of the Ghana Federation of Film Critiques.

The workshop was attended by Ghanaian and Nigerian journalists as well as students of the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).

It was jointly organized by the French Embassy in Accra in collaboration with NAFTI.