The ‘Bɛnpaali Youngfilmmakers’ festival,’ also seeks to create a single platform for young filmmakers between the ages of 15 and 30 to exhibit their talents.
The festival, which was launched at an impressive ceremony at the Kaya Energy Bar, Cantonments, is being organized by Firebeads Media, in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology & Heritage Studies (School of Arts, College of Humanities, University of Ghana), NAFTI and the United States Embassy.
Speaking at the launch, an executive of Firebeads Media, Dr. Susan Wilcox, told the gathering of artists, academics and others that 'bɛnpaali' (connoting a new dawn in the Buli Language of the Builsa people) is novel in many respects.
She said the three-day festival will create a unique opportunity for young artists to tell stories that otherwise will never be heard.
Dr. Wilcox revealed that the festival opens on June 4, 2015 at the Department of Archaeology & Heritage Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon and will start at 12pm and end 8pm for that day.
Under the guidance of a US filmmaker, Loira Limbal and Prof. Kodzo Gavua of the University of Ghana, selected films entered by young filmmakers between the ages of 15 and 30 under the theme, ‘Stories that Matter,’ will be screened to both local and international audience.
The side attraction will be the screening of the Black Panthers.
The event continues on June 5, 2015 between the hours of 12 and 6:30pm at the same venue.
On June 6, 2015, an award ceremony at NAFTI will climax the festival.
At the launch of the festival, a 12-minute short drama about teenagers coming of age was shown to set the tone for the event.
Dr. Wilcox said the film was an example of what young people elsewhere in the world are doing.
bɛnpaali paintings donated by Musah Swalah and Dele, were auctioned to raise money to support the festival.
The high point of the event was performances by silky voice, award winning artiste, Efya and poet, Chief Moomen.
Efya serenaded the audience with her voice in the rainy evening on the lush gardens of the Kaya Bar.
Present at the launch were Prof. Gavua, Prof. Akosua Adomako, Prof. Benjamin Kankpenyeng, and Prof. Caesar Apentik as well as lecturers and officials from NAFTI and the US Embassy.
Rebecca Oheneasah Hesse, an executive of Firebeads Media, said, the festival will “Connect emerging artists with those that are more seasoned from both Ghana and the United States. Through presentations and in workshops youth will learn and receive coaching from key resource people having expertise in various aspects of the industry.”
She encouraged young enthusiastic filmmakers to take advantage of the opportunity being provided and register for free by emailing benpaali@gmail.com.
Source:Myjoyonline.com
