The National Film and Television Institute NAFTI has matriculated sixty-one level 100 students including one foreign student to undertake undergraduate programmes of the institute.
Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, Head of the Language, Literature and Drama Section of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, who chaired the ceremony, cautioned the new students not to sink into complacency at the joy of being formally accepted into NAFTI.
“For those of you who are talented and/or already experienced in a particular domain of the cinematographic arts, these attributes consist of a double edged sword, for as much as they can assist you in undertaking the programmes at NAFTI, they can also be a hindrance if you walk around here thinking you know everything already”, she advised.
The Rector of NAFTI Prof. Linus Abraham, in his welcoming address said the new students were entering NAFTI at a very promising time as the Institute has experienced great growth over the last couple of months with regards to its training programme.
He said, “NAFTI is gradually, but systematically, realizing its aspiration of becoming a centre of excellence in film and television training in Ghana and Africa, with the ultimate aim of improving the levels of professional work in filmmaking in Ghana”.
The Rector added that “NAFTI has revamped its undergraduate curriculum to make it more African centered. In the process, the Institute has expanded and enhanced the liberal arts aspects of its curriculum for greater scholarly development in support of a more professional training. As we say in NAFTI, we are training not media artisans, but scholarly professionals who can critically reflect on the African society and provide images and representations that enhance the African society”.
CEO of TV Africa Mr. Kwaw Ansah, urged the matriculants , to do stories that make great movies, which will have an impact on the African society around them and as such, there is no need to look at copying what Hollywood or Nollywood is doing.
“Deal with the story that is familiar to you. Such stories are around you but sometimes you are so blinded to them that you feel like telling some farfetched story, which has no impact on the Ghanaian or African society”, said Mr. Ansah.
Prof. Mahama Duwiejua, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), congratulated NAFTI on its efforts to re-equip itself and restructure its curriculum to face the challenges of the contemporary media training environment. He also expressed the support of his office and the NCTE in NAFTI’s drive to migrate from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Education in order to have the deserved recognition and access to funding available to educational institutions.
By: Murtala M. Bako