By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Nov. 4, GNA – Madam Dzifa Ablah Gomashie, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote the growth and sustainability of Ghana’s audiovisual and creative industries.
In a speech read on her behalf at the commemoration of this year’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in Accra, she said the works of pioneering filmmakers must be preserved, while stakeholders continued to support and train the next generation of practitioners.
Madam Gomashie said the Ministry would pursue programmes and policies to strengthen the creative economy and create opportunities for Ghanaian creatives to reach wider audiences.
“We will remain engaged with stakeholders to create an environment where creativity is rewarded, talent is nurtured, investment is encouraged and our cultural heritage is protected,” she said.
“Let us celebrate our pioneers, support present-day practitioners and invest in the next generation. Let us ensure that the stories, sounds and images that define Ghana are never lost to time.”
The 2026 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage was commemorated on the theme, “Your Window to the World”, to raise awareness about the need to protect films, videos, recorded sounds and digital media to ensure their long-term availability and accessibility.
The event was organised by the Faculty of Digital Media and Design of the University of Media, Arts and Communication-Institute of Film and Television (UniMAC-IFT), in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
It also honoured the works of the Reverend Dr Chris Hesse, a veteran filmmaker and former presidential cinematographer to Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Madam Gomashie paid tribute to pioneers of the audiovisual industry, emphasising the need to preserve their works for future generations.
She said the Ministry would encourage investment in the industry, support skills development and promote partnerships to enable practitioners to compete effectively in the global digital content space.
She added that the Ministry would strengthen the audiovisual industry’s value chain, from content creation to distribution, exhibition, marketing and preservation.
Dr Jim Fara Awindor, President of the Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), said Ghana’s audiovisual heritage faced threats from inadequate resources and obsolete technology.
He called on partners and stakeholders to support efforts to preserve historical materials, stressing the need for trained personnel, sustainable digital storage systems and technical expertise to transfer, catalogue, restore and maintain video recordings.
Dr Awindor also called for appropriate frameworks to regulate copyright, ownership, access and the responsible use of audiovisual materials to protect the rights of creators and custodians.
“Our stories should not remain inaccessible because the materials that preserve them are deteriorating or because the institutions responsible for their care lack the necessary resources,” he said.
“The past does not speak for itself. It speaks through the records we preserve, the stories we recover and the care we take to make them available to those who come after us.”
Mr Edmond Moukala, Head of the UNESCO Office in Accra, commended Rev. Dr Chris Hesse for his contribution to preserving Ghana’s audiovisual heritage.
He said UNESCO was implementing a project titled “Advancing the Preservation and Accessibility of African Documentary Heritage at Risk” to strengthen the capacity of institutions and raise awareness of the importance of documentary heritage.
Dr Rebecca Ohene-Asah, Dean of the Faculty of Digital Media and Design at UniMAC-IFT, said the University would continue to train students in emerging archival methods and programmes that met the demands of audiovisual preservation.
She said the Government, through the 24-Hour Economy Authority’s “Show24” sub-programme, had secured funding to digitise Ghana’s audiovisual materials stored in obsolete formats, including celluloid.
She urged students to continue creating exciting content while prioritising digital preservation for future generations.
“The audiovisual heritage we protect today becomes the foundation on which tomorrow’s generations understand their past and imagine their future,” she said.
“What you choose to film and preserve today is truly your window to the world.”
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Writer’s email: [email protected]