Samuel Gyandoh, a Board Member of the National Film Authority, has addressed some of the claims made by Juliet Asante, the former Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority, regarding the challenges she faced during her tenure.
In a recent Facebook post, Juliet Asante revealed that she had to finance the operations of the authority with her own money and office space in the early stages of her appointment.
She also highlighted the hostility she encountered from the Board, as well as instances of sexual harassment from two senior officials.
In response, Samuel Gyandoh, who is also the president of the Film Crew Association of Ghana (FICAG), penned an article to provide further insight into the issues raised by Juliet Asante.
The National Film Authority (NFA) was established in December 2019 after years of advocacy from various film guilds and associations, such as GAFTA and the Ghana Actors Guild. This marked a significant moment of unity among industry stakeholders.
Juliet Asante was appointed as the Executive Secretary, with Mr. David Dontoh serving as the Board Chairman. However, the board encountered several challenges from the outset, including a lack of initial funding.
Despite these obstacles, the board managed to achieve key milestones, including the establishment of a Film Classification Guidelines & Committee and a Licensing Committee & Guidelines.
Despite the accomplishments, the board faced issues such as the absence of a dedicated secretary, the formation of unauthorized committees, industry rebranding without stakeholder consultation, governance challenges, and financial transparency issues.
These challenges ultimately led to tensions between the Board and the Executive Secretary.
As a way forward, Samuel Gyandoh emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration between the Board and the new leadership, passing the Legislative Instrument (L.I.), appointing a strong and experienced Board Chairman, establishing a Film Development Fund, and investing in capacity building for industry practitioners.
