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Kwaku Manu Who Was Arrested And 'Assaulted' By The Police Has Been Granted Bail

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Earlier reports indicated that Kumawood’s comic actor, Kwaku Manu was arrested and allegedly beaten by some policemen at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region has been granted bail.
According to reports, members of the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) such as CEO of Miracle Films, Mr Samuel Nyamekye, James Agyemang, Charles K. Bentum and others stormed the police station and secured Kwaku Manu’s bail.

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The Kumkum Bhagya Fans Should Look Away – Plans In Place To Limit Airing Of Telenovelas To Just Twice A Week

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Kumkum Bhagya

A lot of people in numerous roles in the Ghanaian movie industry, both English Language and Akan, have complained endlessly about the negative impact foreign soaps are having on their growth.
These soaps are immensely popular and on free to air tv, therefore the argument is that support is provided to them in terms of sponsorship and viewership at the expense of the local movies/shows.

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FIPAG Is Still ‘Attacking’ Foreigners – They Stopped Another Foreign Crew From Shooting An Advert in Ghana

Fipag

The film producers association of Ghana-FIPAG seems not to have resolved to leave foreign production companies that come to Ghana to shoot movies or documentaries alone – despite harsh criticisms from some art critics.

Leadership of FIPAG launched an all out directive for non-Ghanaians who make films in the country without having a work permit – a permit from the Ghana Actors Guild and a permit from FIPAG. The campaign, according to the Public Relations Officer for FIPAG, Michael Kwaku Ola, was meant to protect the Ghanaian movie producers and the industry as a whole and not scare off foreigners.

“People have in the past sneaked in and out of the country to shoot movies and documentaries among others without any work permit or permission from FIPAG. Well guess what, things have changed now. FIPAG, together with the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) will make sure that the right thing is done,” Michael Kwaku Ola told the media some months back.

A movie CD hawker at Opera Square in Accra Central called on GhanaCelebrities.Com to make a report that last week, the FIPAG pounced on some foreign production crew from South Africa who were shooting at Opera Square – bringing business to a halt amidst causing both human and vehicle traffic congestion.

In an interview with the head of the task force team of FIPAG, Mr. Samuel Ampadu, he confirmed to GhanaCelebrities.Com that “it’s true we disrupted a South African production company from shooting at Opera Square after getting notification that they were shooting without permit.

“It was after we stopped them from shooting that they showed us a permit letter from the Ministry of Information.” Per FIPAG’s directive, foreigners who come to Ghana to shoot movies must pay a certain amount of money to the association.

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Hollywood Actor-Idris Elba Snubs FIPAG & Ghana Actors Guild Making Them UPSET

Idris Elba & Ama K Abebrese
Idris Elba & Ama K Abebrese

According to Razz Newspaper which comes out each and every Wednesday in Ghana, the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) and the Ghana Actors Guild are upset with Hollywood actor-Idris Elba and his team, who recently came to Ghana to shoot a movie.

According the Newspaper’s report, when Idris Elba and his team touched now in Ghana, they failed to follow protocol and failed to meet the leaders/executives of the above mentioned Film bodies in the country.

The President of Ghana Actors Guild, Mr. Samuel Nii Odoi Mensah told the paper that Idris Elba and his crew did not officially introduce themselves to him and his Executives. Mr. Odoi said, “This cannot be done anywhere! You can’t do this in America! If you are a foreign actor in another country, it’s most appropriate to meet the executives of their actors’ guild.”

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Read below for the full report by Razz;

President of the Film Producers Association of Ghana, FIPAG, Mr. Asare Hackman is very bitter at prominent British actor, Idris Elba, for snubbing the association’s directive for foreigners who come to Ghana to shoot movies.

Graphic Showbiz reported about a month ago that Idris Elba and his crew were in Ghana to shoot some scenes for his new movie – ‘Beasts of No Nation.’ They earmarked Koforidua, Takoradi and other places as locations for shooting the scenes.

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FIPAG to Organise Ghana Movie Awards | You Can Organise Whatever You Want But Cut Your CRAP!

Fred Nuamah, Founder of Ghana Movie Awards
Fred Nuamah, Founder of Ghana Movie Awards

Few weeks ago, it emerged that the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) has somewhat come to a decision that, the organizers of the existing Ghana Movie Awards, led by Mr. Fred Nuamah have not given them the necessary recognition and have failed to accord them the needed respect—over the years.

The above together with the obvious weakness of the Ghana Movie Awards scheme have made it necessary for them to organize their own award scheme, to reward excellence within the Ghanaian Movie Industry.

Even though I doubt the competence of FIPAG and I cannot foresee any reason why I should think they will be good award organisers or planners, I still believe they have the right to organise an award scheme—more like a constitutional right to do certain things which are not prohibited by law.

Therefore, FIPAG can decide to organize 50 awards in a year to award their members and non-members who are interested. They can even decide to organize an award for just themselves or organize some for their unborn children—no one can really stop them from doing so.

However, they need to cut the CRAP—and by this, I mean, they do not have any standing authority or right to ask, compel, request, direct, bully or put under coercion anybody (be it their members or non-members) not to participate in other award schemes.

Do those championing this absurd directive or whatever they call it think we are under some celestial dictatorial rule, with them being the supreme leaders or what? You cannot even make such illegitimate call in North Korea, and you want to do so in Ghana—where people have freedom of association and have a right to submit their intellectual properties to whoever they consider fit.

The unpardonable attitude of monopoly and fear of competition entrenched in the minds of certain Ghanaians need to evaporate—because we live in a perfect competition market. If already there is a Ghana Movie Award scheme and for whatever reason FIPGA wants to organise their own, they can go ahead and freely do so.

But this gross act of sabotage being peddled on unjustified threats to the members of FIPAG by its leaders, backed by some dark cult of production and distribution ‘mafia-rism’ should not be tolerated.

For Christ sake, if Fred Nuamah is pushing his award scheme down the drain and you do find any existing prestige left in the award scheme, organise yours and let him do whatever he wants (that is if he wants to continue down the drain or fix things). You cannot employ some illegal Soviet Union tactics to tear down his award scheme, simply because you want to erect your own.

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FIPAG In Talks With IGP To Help Ghanaian Filmmakers Get Accoutrements For Films

Stephen Asare Hackman
Stephen Asare Hackman

Around the third quarter of last year, news broke on Peace fm that, the Ghana Police Service would not allow filmmakers to use the service’s accoutrements in their films.

Speaking to the then Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Mr Cephas Arthur, he explained on ‘Entertainment Review’ that the service is forced to come out with such directive due to the image most Ghanaian filmmakers put out there about the Ghana Police Service in their movies and also, majority of the filmmakers do not secure the service’s dresses through the proper procedures.

In his own words, Mr Cephas Arthur said “we have put a ban on the use of our police accoutrements by our filmmakers. We came to that conclusion after we realized that some of them do not seek proper permission from the service before using our accoutrements.

Also, the acts by some of the actors who play the role of police men in the movies are a total misrepresentation of what the Ghana Police Service is. Their depiction of the policemen or police service cuts a slur on our image.

I must emphasize however that, we are not saying we will never allow any filmmaker to use our accoutrements. They should use the proper procedures to acquire them and paint the right image of what the police service is and stand for.”

Asked what the police accoutrements meant, he disclosed that it’s a collective noun for guns, handcuffs, attire, police station, personnel, cells, etc. that the police or security services use for their profession.

Some filmmakers in Kumawood came public, crying foul for the Ghana Police Service to rescind their decision but no one heard any response from the police service or a plea from the quarters of the then FIPAG executive headed by Mr. Augustine Abbey aka Idikoko to the police authorities.

With new executives in FIPAG, GhanaCelebrities.Com called in on the office of FIPAG and spoke with the President, Mr. Stephen Asare Hackman on this issue. “Well, I once heard the Ghana police service came out with such a directive.

However, I wish to inform you that the executives of FIPAG have been in talks with the current IGP to help remove the ban on the use of the police accoutrements in our movies. That issue is being resolved I must say.

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Socrate Sarfo Says Yvonne Nelson’s Ban Has Officially Been Lifted…

  Who even cares any more after weeks of ban lifted and ban not lifted stories? Anyway, if you care to know, the PRO of FIPGA, Mr. Socrate Sarfo who came out some few days ago to say FIPAG has not officially lifted Yvonne Nelson’s ban has now confirmed the official lifting of the ban… … Read more

If I Were Yvonne Nelson, I Would Serve My Entire Ban & Then Ban Myself After…Says Ghana Movie Awards’ Founder ‘Fred Nuamah’

Yvonne Nelson

We have read and heard a lot from various industry stakeholders on the controversial ban which was imposed on Actress Yvonne Nelson nearly a year ago. As at now, the state of this ban (whether it is still in force or not) cannot be clearly ascertained.

Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG), the industry machinery behind the ban has strongly insisted that the ban is still in force whiles Abdul Salam-the person Yvonne Nelson was said to have grossly subjected to contempt is saying he has forgiven her. Though Salam’s recent statements to a greater extent suggest that the ban has been lifted, we are still kept in the dark by FIPAG.

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