Film Classification Committee in Ghana

Very close to the equator is Ghana, a small tropical West African country Located right in the center of the world. Ghana’s population is incredibly diverse, its citizens speak at least 79 different languages and dialects . The two main languages are Twi, spoken by the Ashanti community in the southern and central region, and Dagbani by the Dagomba people in the north. English emerged as the language of choice to bridge cultural differences in Ghana. It is the official language and even the national anthem is sung in English.

Ghana’s many tourist attractions include a year-round equatorial climate, diverse wildlife, the Kintampo and Wli waterfalls, Lake Volta-the world’s largest man-made lake (by surface area), palm-lined, sandy beaches, caves, mountains, nature reserves and national parks.

Movies were introduced in Ghana (then known as the British colony of Gold Coast) in 1923. It was a luxurious pastime and only handful of people could afford it, mostly the colonial masters. Due to the interest and focus of Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s first president, the film industry began to take off in the 1960s . The president founded the Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) in Accra, the country’s capital city. Nkrumah sent many Ghanaians abroad to learn filmmaking for the purpose of running the GFIC efficiently. 150 GFIC productions were made during this time, all intended to reverse the negative Ghanaian stereotypes promoted by the previous colonial government. This run ended in 1966, after the Nkrumah government was overthrown.

In the 1980s, an independent booming video film industry evolved in Ghana. Since funds for cinematography dried up for both the state owned GFIC and for independent filmmakers, people in Ghana began making their own films using VHS video cameras. The independent filmmakers wrote their own stories and scripts, assembled actors-both professionals and amateurs-and produced successful films-especially in the capital city.

Accra continues as the film industry capital. The movies generally center on issues facing urban Ghana. Nigeria, whose film industry is colloquially known as Nollywood and is immensely popular in the region, produces over 600 films annually is planning to set up partnerships with Ghanaians. International media companies are starting to notice the country’s creative landscape, which is evident from Ghanaian films on Netflix

In 2016 the government passed a new film act to promote and develop the Ghanaian film industry and lay the groundwork to establish the National Film Authority (NFA) to oversee such development, including establishing an industry code of ethics, creating a committee to approve and classify films, and managing a new film fund. The contemporary law repealed Cinematography Act of 1961 and the Cinematography Amendment Decree of 1975 since these were outdated.

On May 14, 2020, the National Film Authority established the Film Classification Committee (FCC). The  twelve-member committee categorizes, classifies, standardizes, and previews viewer content. Its purview consists of movies, television programs and music videos.

The committee is headed by popular film producer, Socrate Safo, who is also the Director of Creative Arts at the Commission for National Culture. NFA’s president, David Dontoh, describes the Classification Committee as a very important arm of the NFA. He declares classification  integral to the National Film Authority’s overall mission and recognized by law. Though audiovisual materials’ classification was suspended in 2016, it was reinstated because, apart from being legally mandated, it is also important that all material for public exhibition, whether film, documentary, advert, music video or soap opera, be classified. The NFA did not make specific reference to content on online platforms.

Barbara Oteng Gyasi, the Ghanaian Tourism Minister, in her speech stated that she is confident the classification committee will open a new chapter in Ghana’s film industry development and its work will ensure that the impact of culture, economic, historical, political and technological dimensions will change narratives of film making in Ghana protecting viewers in the best interests of the country.

Viewers’ protection is the driving concept as Socrate Safo declared , it is very important for the committee to protect Ghanaians identity so that acts of future generations are not informed by outside culture. Chairman of the National Film Authority (NFA), David Dontoh rallied support and cooperation with the newly inaugurated film body to make its work seamless.