Hollywood Movie Star Edris Elba is set to build a multi-million-dollar movie studio in Ghana. The Africa-British Movie star made this known during his visit to the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, at the Jubilee House in Accra.
In his remark, the actor stated, “The National Film Authority has done the work. Put together a comprehensive plan to propel Ghana into the forefront. It needs to be robust. It needs to be competitive. We believe for sure, and I know you believe in your legacy that you want to leave behind, that Ghana should step up to start attracting those filmmakers.”
“What I want to do is that I have a film that I’m directing, and I’m hoping to bring that film, or at least some of that film, to shoot it in Ghana. That film will be here in December. We start pre-production in August. In two or three weeks, some of the films will be in Ghana by December,” he said.
This initiative will be the second time the actor has been shooting a film in Ghana since 2015 after he shot Beast of no nation. The project is coming on the heels of a deliberate campaign by Ghana to position Ghana as a content hub and a shooting destination in the region. This drive is under the National film Authority of Ghana, led by the dynamic CEO, Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, both a creative and a formidable business woman herself.
Under the leadership of Juliet, Ghana mapped our an audacious plan. One of the key pillars of the plan, is the shoot in Ghana drive. The country is calling on anyone looking to shoot a movie in the region to Shoot in Ghana. According to Ms. Asante, Ghana is well positioned with great locations, skill levels, equipment landscape, great weather, and a friendly environment, and now working to attract all the needed infrastructure, including studios, into Ghana to serve the region. She also shared that the policy Idris references during his meeting with the President of Ghana is a Tax Incentive policy. This Tax incentive policy is finally completed by the National Film Authority In consultation with all relevant stakeholders. We are picking up that the world of film can be excited that Ghana is working on an extensive Tax incentive for the film sector.
Shoot in Ghana seems to have taken off nicely. It was announced that Girls trip 2 would also shoot in Ghana, with the full cast returning, at the just-ended Sundance film festival in Utah in the United States
The world is still responding to the largely successful initiative of the Ghanaian government targeted at the Diaspora called the “Year of Return”. The initiative attracted hundreds of international stars, tourists and investors worldwide, especially from the United States.
Africa’s potential as a creative powerhouse is vast. The continent already boasts of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, and by 2035 sub-Saharan Africa will have more working-age people than the rest of the world combined.
A study by UNESCO estimates that about 2.4 million people were employed in the creative industries in Africa and the Middle East in 2015 and that the sector achieved $58 billion in revenues.
A recent UNESCO report also found that Africa’s largely untapped film industries could quadruple their revenue to $20 billion and create an additional 20 million jobs.
Private investors and development institutions, including IFC, recognize Africa’s creative industries’ growing strength and future promise.
As the Ghanaian government sustains the push to place the country on the front stage of global reckoning, movies will no doubt play a key role in maintaining the push while creating jobs and wealth for the teaming population.
