The unfair discrimination against actors/actress in the Twi- oriented movie industry popularly called Kumawood when it came to a visit to the 64th festival de Cannes in France last year, has resurfaced again this year.

A recent press release on some mediums has the headline: “Final List of Ghanaian Movie Stars Going to Cannes Film Festival This Year”. This list has revealed the names of actors and actress who will be sent to this year’s 65th festival de Cannes. In all, they were 11 in number. The names are; Nadia Buari, Jackie Appiah, Van Vicker, Majid Michel, Yvonne Nelson, Yvonne Okoro, John Dumelo, Chris Attoh, Juliet Ibrahim, Prince David Osei and Martha Ankomah.

Going through the list carefully, one would note that none of our Twi-oriented actors/actress is/are in the list. Another cause for alarm is the fact that, the release says the above list is the final list.

However, the same headline includes; “Ghanaian Movie Stars”. The germane questions then are; are the English speaking actors/actress the only people in our movie industry who can be described or called Ghanaian movie stars? Are there not movie stars in the Twi-speaking movies? Why has the Twi-speaking actors/actress been drummed out of this year’s festival de Cannes?

Again, discrimination has been shown. This should not be the way to go. Such practices will only breed disunity, bad-blood and cause stunted growth of our movie industry. Whether Twi speaking movies or English speaking movies, they all contribute to the growth of our movie industry. To that effect, any opportunity or privilege which comes into the movie industry must be enjoyed by all-Twi and English speaking actors/actress.

At the time our movie industry was on the verge of collapsing, it took the timely intervention of the Twi movies to revamp it so if today privileges such as going to the prestigious festival de Cannes is concerned, they deserve to be considered because they paid their dues to the rising success of our film industry. Ghana Movie Awards should come clear on this issue. Until then....MOTWUM!!