Ghanaian Movie Stakeholders Boycott AMAA Nomination Party?

Major stakeholders in the movie industry in Ghana have decided to boycott the much-publicized party for the nominees of this year’s African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) slated for Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the plush Mensvic Hotel in Accra.

According to a statement issued on behalf of Members of Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) and the Actors Guild of Ghana (GAG) made available to exclusively to PEACEFMONLINE.COM, they have decided to boycott the event because they feel disrespected by their Nigerian colleagues especially organizers of the event.

The stakeholders led by FIPAG President, Mr. Augustine Abbey (Idikoko) and Actors Guild President, Mr. Odoi Mensah, say the AMAA organizers did not contact them or anybody in the industry to inform them about their nomination party.

“We can’t just allow anybody to enter our country and our industry for that matter and grossly disregard protocol or the people in charge of the movie industry in Ghana,” Idikoko said on Peacefm’s Entertainment Review programme today.

Their statement reads Unedited:

“Asking a child to run an errand for you without information the child’s parent is not in tune with our culture as Ghanaians.

Based on this, the Executive bodies of the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) in collaboration with Ghana Actors Guild (GAG) are by this announcement, informing the general members not to have anything to do with the AMAA awards. Our members are not to present any film for the AMAA Awards.

The organizers have not shown any respect for the Parent Associations (FIPAG And GAG). They have not contacted the associations which are Associations of Stakeholders in the Film Industry. The Association, therefore, disassociates themselves from the AMAA Awards. Hence our members are advised to do same to avoid sanctions.

In the future if the proper protocols are followed, FIPAG and other associations which seek the interest of the Ghanaian filmmaker would be pleased to associate with AMAA.”

However, as at the time of filing this report, organizers of AMAA, led by Peace Ayam Osigwe, CEO and Founder of the awards were meeting at the MUSIGA headquarters to sort out the issue for the party to come off this evening.