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Black Star International Film Festival returns from September 18-24
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The 8th Edition of the Black Star International Film Festival [BSIFF] has been launched under the theme, “Tech in Film: Exploring the Role of Technology in Filmmaking in Africa,” with the aim of focusing on the huge role technology is playing in filmmaking on the continent.
This anticipated edition of BSIFF is scheduled to take place from 18th – 24th September, 2023 in Accra, Ghana.
The Director of the Black Star International Film Festival(BSIFF), Philippa Bentuma Arthur, said that, “the theme reflects the Festival’s commitment to celebrating the advancements in cinema on the Continent and advocating for an industry that continually pushes boundaries.”
The CEO of the National Film Authority and Founder of BSIFF, Ms. Juliet Asante added that, “the future is tech and filmmakers need to advance with the times.”
In attendance at the launch was the Ambassador, European Union of Ghana, H.E. Irchad Razaaly, who was a guest speaker at the launch. H.E Razaaly emphasized that the EU will continue to support the filmmaking sector and creative industries in Ghana because, “they value investment in youth and their creativity and thus, want to create more opportunities for young people.”
Highlighting several initiatives undertaken by the EU for the film and creative sector in Ghana, H.E said, “with the EU’s support to BSIFF we want to continue in the same vein in encouraging conversations on film across communities, cultures and languages thus we will be supporting with some workshops and the Awards & Closing Ceremony of the Festival this year.” The EU hinted that they will also provide some European films throughout BSIFF 2023 from September 18th-24th.
The 8th Edition of the Black Star International Film Festival is supported by the European Union, Mann Robinson Distribution, WiFlix, Indie Rights, Tecno Ghana, Silverbird Cinemas, Spanish Embassy, NAFTI, University of Ghana – School of Performing Arts, Infocus BCW, CompuGhana, the National Film Authority, Black Market Records, Hype.Flix, Ghana Cinema Week, Goethe Institut, GHMovieFreak and Elewa TV.
Highlights of the 8th edition of the Black Star International Film Festival are:
Film Screenings: Attendees will have the opportunity to view a diverse and thought-provoking selection of films from talented filmmakers across the globe. These films will showcase the innovative use of technology in various aspects of filmmaking, from pre-production to post-production.
Workshops and an Industry Summit: Industry experts and tech enthusiasts will lead interactive workshops and panel discussions, shedding light on the latest trends and breakthroughs in film technology. Filmmakers and attendees will gain insights into how technology is transforming the filmmaking landscape in Africa.
Black Star Vibes: BSIFF in partnership with Hype.Flix, Afro Cinema Plus and the Ghana Cinema Week will offer fun and engaging film activities at the Black Star Square. Activities at the square include: Drive-in screenings, our Shorts on Shots program, the Blackstar Music Concert [BMC], a film museum, Film Games: A BSIFF E-sports tournament, amongst others.
Awards Gala: The festival will culminate in a grand Awards Gala, recognizing exceptional filmmaking achievements with up to 10 awards up for grasp.
The festival will serve as a hub for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and other industry stakeholders to connect, collaborate, and foster partnerships. This networking environment will encourage the sharing of ideas and the exploration of potential collaborations.
Join BSIFF from 18th to 24th September for a week filled with cinematic excellence, insightful discussions, and unforgettable experiences.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged the government to place all 54,985 candidates affected by the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) placement exercise in schools and publish the final outcome.
The party says the government must ensure that the affected candidates secure actual school places rather than merely being allowed to access the self-placement portal.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the NPP Policy Co-ordination Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the party expressed concern about the situation facing the candidates.
The NPP said the government had announced that 53,887 of the affected candidates could use the self-placement system after initially being told that they had not qualified for secondary school.
It, however, argued that access to the portal did not guarantee that candidates would secure their preferred schools or programmes.
“Ghanaian parents and candidates will judge the resolution of the challenge by one thing only: how many of the original 54,985 are sitting in a classroom, not how many were allowed to open a website,” the statement noted.
The party said the government’s own figures showed that the country had 859,828 declared vacancies for 623,072 BECE candidates.
It explained that the main challenge was the concentration of demand in a small number of highly subscribed schools.
The NPP noted that 313,283 candidates selected Category A schools as their first choice, while those schools had 76,417 declared vacancies.
It therefore called on the government to explore ways to improve schools with available spaces, including providing teachers, laboratories and better programmes.
The party urged the government to use the 85 private schools participating in the Free SHS programme to absorb candidates who remained without placements.
The NPP further called for clarification of the rule and pass mark used for this year’s placement exercise, saying parents were entitled to know the standard before their children sat the examination.
It urged the government to take urgent action to ensure that the affected candidates were not left behind in the transition to secondary education.
By: Jacob Aggrey
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
