KOFAS Media declares support for FDGG

One of Ghana’s finest Filmmaker and Creative Director, Kofi Asamoah of KOFAS Media declared his support for the Film Directors Guild of Ghana (FDGG) and announced his intention of returning back to the Guild.

According to him, the Film Directors Guild of Ghana (FDGG) as it stands currently has been excellently positioned and is becoming an envy of all movie stakeholders.

Although he explained that he left the FDGG some months ago, he did that because he wasn’t comfortable with the leadership style the Acting President Richard Boateng.

Kofi Asamoah who was also a member of FDGG said he quit the Guild, because its leader was autocratic and the structure of the association was only to his benefit.

But, speaking on Zylofon FM, Kofi Asamoah said “I would want to be part of FDGG now because he has positioned FDGG in a certain way,” that even at the government level, their voice is being heard.

He however described Richard Boateng as a great initiator.

“That guy is a great initiator. We need people like him to move the industry forward,” he said.

Commenting on the change of Ghallywood to Golywood, Kofi Asamoah believes the new name which he said is a ‘nickname’ for the Ghanaian movie industry is apt and for that matter those opposing the initiative taken by Richard Boateng in that regard must keep their mouths shut if they do not have anything better to offer.

It would be recalled that Ghana Movie Industry which was called nicknamed Ghallywood was renamed by FDGG as Golywood during the 2nd Edition of the Ghana 60 Years on Film Summit.

Meanwhile, the new name had generated heated controversies and debates as other stakeholder groups like GAFTA as well as some individuals who believe the name Golywood is not creative and seem like a copy of Nollywood and Hollywood because it also bares “Wood.”

However, Kofi Asamoah believes that the movie profession itself is a copied profession and charged those who are speaking against the new name to also put their suggestions on the table rather than blowing cold air because the name did not come from them.

He said Golywood is like a nickname for the Ghana Movie Industry and that nickname is something people can resonate with easily.

Kofi Asamoah also noted that the initiators of the name were not finding a new name to replace the Ghana movie industry but rather a nickname which people can relate with easily.

“Look we need people to make things happen and so when you wait and allow somebody else to do what you are not and cannot be able to do, you now turn up to criticize. We don’t need to criticize the name or the person who initiated the whole idea, because it is not coming from GAFTA or whoever,” he said.

He also asked: “Those criticizing the name Golywood, what suggestion have they made? Some of these people if we give them time to initiate something; we can wait for them and never get anything from them.”

He however sees nothing wrong with the name ‘WOOD’ and averred that Ghana doesn’t have initiative drivers and that the few who are making it are becoming objects of ridicule, “This must stop,” he said.

He however appealed to the Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Hon. Catherine Afeku to ensure that people who have varied views about the name Golywood be given a chance to make their own suggestions in order to put to rest this whole bickering and criticisms over the new name.

“But if they can’t then they should rest, so the name Golywood stays.”