The National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana has met with the organizers of the Africa Monologue Challenge and the two finalists representing Ghana in the competition. The CEO of the Authority, Madam Juliet Asante, commended the organizers for their innovative initiative to promote the African creative industry and encouraged them to persist in the face of any challenges they may encounter.
During the meeting which was held at the office of the NFA, Madam Asante also offered words of advice to the finalists, urging them to invest in their craft and themselves. “See how difficult it is to be one’s self, much less playing and going into the head and lives of the numerous characters you play, whiles still remaining grounded in your own spirit and detached from the many parts you play, that may not even resonate with you and your core values.
“Actors have to train; actors have to pay attention to mental health and be self-aware; actors have to hold on tight to self-respect; actors have to invest and invest in self-growth at a lightening pace. I give full respect to Mawuko Kuadzi for continuing to throw the spotlight on actors. Associations that represent and seek the welfare of actors have to step up bigly.”
“I also want to congratulate all the winners of the Africa Monologue Challenge, but particularly the two Ghanaians that made it through. I know in my heart that your dedication to the craft will create its own way for you. In all we do as a sector, the actor and actress remain the face and must be accorded all respect and due”, She stated.
The meeting was attended by Benjamin Dwomoh-Doyen, Executive Director of the African Chamber of Content Producers; Mawuko Kuadzi, CEO of MK Casting; Kenny Jim Parku and Brian Angels, the two Ghanaian finalists; Abigail Aferi, Personal Assistant to Juliet Asante and Kofi Adinkra, Head of Business Development and Marketing at NFA.
The Africa Monologue Challenge is an annual competition that seeks to promote acting and storytelling skills among African youth. The competition is open to participants from across the continent, and finalists are selected based on their performances in a series of online monologue submissions.
The Ghanaian finalists, Kenny Jim Parku and Brian Angels, were both ecstatic to have been selected for the competition and expressed their gratitude to the organizers and the NFA for their support. They also promised to do their best to represent Ghana and Africa at the competition.
Speaking at the meeting, Benjamin Dwomoh-Doyen, Executive Director of the African Chamber of Content Producers, emphasized the need for African countries to invest in their creative industries to promote economic growth and development.
The final event will be held with the ten finalists from Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Zambia, Cameroon, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana on the 27th May 2023 at the National Theatre.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with all present expressing their commitment to supporting the growth and development of the African creative industry.
Madam Asante with the finalists.