The cost of producing quality and world class movies like the ones we have been enjoying from the camp of Ms. Shirley Frimpong Manso and her Sparrow Production is very high, and somehow disproportionate to even the returns.
Any well informed African movie lover can attest to the huge disparity between Shirley Frimpong Manso’s movies and the bunch of crap we have on our markets.
The difference in quality may be due to talent, experience and passion. However, the amount of money Sparrow Production pumps into its movies also plays a substantial part in influencing the quality of their movies.
It is greatly unfair that, no matter the quality and the amount of money spent in producing a Ghanaian movie, the default market price has always been 5GHC.
This therefore means quality movie production houses like Sparrow Production’s only hope and avenue of having a break-even is to be able to attract as many people (tertiary students and young workers) as possible to their premieres and cinema openings. By now, you should be aware that VCD sales yield nothing since piracy rules that corner.
Premieres and Cinema showings are the ONLY viable avenues sustaining these quality productions. It is poignant to hear that, some mucky elements within the ‘Ghana Film Censorship Board’ is hell bent on rendering this avenue useless by continuously leaking movies submitted to the ‘Board’ for approval.
Information reaching GhanaCelebrities.Com has it that, ace Director/Scriptwriter/Producer-Shirley Frimpong Manso is shocked and somehow mystified by the trend of developments concerning the ‘Censorship Board’ and the unsolicited leakage of her movies (Adams Apples).
Before any movie can be sold or given a public premiere inGhana, it must first be submitted to the ‘Censorship Board’ for a review and approval. Such a simple job intended to help the movie industry’s growth and clamp down on ‘useless soft porn’ movies seem to be rather killing the industry (leaking good movies) while allowing ‘soft porns’ to pass unto the market.
According to our insider, few days after Shirley Frimpong Manso submitted chapter 1 of her ‘Adams Apples’ movie which had the inscription ‘Preview Copy, Do Not Distribute…Property Of Sparrow Production’ to the ‘Censorship Board’ for review and approval, this copy ended up at the various university campuses in Ghana where students distributed the movie among themselves. The same thing happened to chapter 2 of ‘Adams Apples’ which got her very worried.
GhanaCelebrities.Com is told that, in order for those at Sparrow Production to narrow down on where the leak was coming from, they asked for the inscription ‘Censorship Board Copy, Do Not Distribute…Property Of Sparrow Production’ to be printed on the copy they were going to submit to the Censorship Board.
And guess what, this copy (with the above inscription) has also leaked and students fromUniversityofGhana, Legon, NIIT, Valley View and other institutions are currently enjoying the movie for free.
Where does this leave our movie industry? If a body (institution) under the Ministry Information entrusted to ensure the growth of our movie industry is involved in such silly and heart breaking activities capable of killing the passion of film makers, then where is the future of our movie industry?
From what GhanaCelebrities.Com has gathered, distressed filmmaker Shirley Frimpong Manso does not even know what to do next… By Law, she has to submit chapter 4 of ‘Adams Apples’ to this same ‘sick’ Board but then she probably fears that, like the other 3 movies, it will also be leaked.
When movies get leaked, no one even bothers to come to the premieres or buy the VCDs. Who will want to pay for something he/she has already seen for free anyway?
This is very pathetic and appalling…Who wants to work so hard for free? The industry has no support from the Government, no proper means of distribution and piracy rocks inGhanalike hell. With the latest addition of movie leakages, the guess can just be one; the industry is heading into a deep pit.
I heard the Censorship Board has launched an investigation into these incidents to fish out the bad nuts. Until then, let’s get talking…
Damn…how frustrating this must be. Who indeed wants to work hard for free…but I guess this is how all the film industry works will the whole piracy thing. I would be lying if I don’t watch pirate movies..but this is too too bad that the very people you are approaching are the ones causing the issues. Damn they are dumb though. Either the board don’t care or they were careless about how they went about it. It’s a shame though you know coz this will put of good movie producers in the long run and will end up with nothing but rubbish in Ghana and African movies.
Oh Ghana. This is why we never go forward. Why now? why is this useless Board doing this to this woman? She works hard on her movie and they are doing this to her? Some men with big pot bellies sitting out there to mess the few good movie makers we have up.
This is soo not cool…….
This is stupid. Shirley should not take it easy with this so called board at all. Who are even the members of this useless board? As Chris said porn movies are being passed by the board and good movies are being leaked to kill the business of the good movie makers, nkwasiasem ara kwa
@TiffanyBabe, I totally agree with you darling. Its so so daft! I am sure this is being done on purpose. Do you call this JOKE a censory board? If I were her, I would forget this people and just bring it out. If rubbush can get pass this poor excuse for a board, why should she be subjected to this treatment?
This is some crazy shyt. This is why we never go forward in Africa. Some big man on the board might be leaking the movies for his girlfriend who is a young student and it is spreading. Something must be done about now. This stupid board must be dissolve because it is useless even. All they do is approve soft porns anyway
This is beyond SAD….Sparrow Productions is one of the best things to have come out o the Ghana Movie Industry…..I’m really hurt by this.. ….. Who ever is responsible should face the consequences of his or her actions..
@naa asheley, I am very hurt also. Instead of this useless biard protecting her, I am sure they are th eones doing th eleaking to sabotage her. Thats the blackman for you.
Fuck this Board. what the fuck are they trying to destroy the only best director we have in Ghana? We Ghanaians do not like anything good indeed
well..thats a shame.. dis ppl and their pull-him-down syndrome is becoming unbearable…hmmm
thGuys, unfortunately this is the system in Ghana. the is no respect for copyright. It is a mafia world out there. For instance if you create a tV show and want to air it on any of the networks, you are asked to submit a copy of your program for review.(which is the right thing but). After the “review” you either get one of the following answers
“Oh sorry we are not interested in your type of program” or ” Oh we have similar program in the works so cannot screen yours” Believe me to be, you have just handed these crocks your show for free. And remmember you are paying for the airtime so it is not like you getting it for free.
Sue them Shirley, this is rubbish.
No wonder …. is this the first time it has happened? I hope and pray this will be the last….i cant bare the thought of SFM moving her com out of Ghana
i hope they find whoever is behind this leakage soon.
I can imagine the frustration of this. Shirley should pray to God, this is all the work of the devil.They are trying to let get fedup and maybe give up her dreams and passion. She has to sue them for this nonsense
the problem is deeper than we think, its alright to come on here is criticize but to all you’s who buy pirated movies and download movies online for free…you are biggest part of the problem! The censorship board has to make sure the copies are kept before general release no doubt, but with corruption rife i think that would be hard to hold down. She may have to employ a professional body to find the source of the leaks and the culprits made to pay for her potential loss of revenue. Problem with piracy and its associated problems is the cost of monitoring and policing is not cheap. If we want to enjoy good decent movies, and do away with the nkatie burger seller wannabe actresses and directors, lets also do our part. piracy and illegal downloads is STEALING from the directors simple as…and lets get some half decent people at the censorship board too.
wikileaks is every where, even at the censorship board.
its not as if any one is trying to sabotage her. its as simple as this:
those at the censorship board copy the movies unto their lap tops after watching, their wives and kids happen to pounce on it and the chain continues..
its really a bad thing though its not deliberate
@jasef, really??? you sound like you are part of it.
Jasef, you are probably right, i dont think this is isolated case, but those at the censorship board need to be held accountable if the leaks are from them. Its sad when you see people reaping where there aint sowed. whether its pirated movies, counterfeit designer wears, illegal downloads, the norm seems to be if it aint affecting you or you aint loosing something then its all good.
Glad Shirley has realised, the leaks are causing her to loose out on cinema takings, next time in an interview, guide your words, because whether you are offering a service or selling a product, you NEED people. the larger the number, the greater the returns and the profits. you may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but dont alienate potential fans or customers.
I feel sorry for her. Enemies go shame, their time will come soon.