Popular Ghanaian actor, Prince David Osei has disclosed that the Ghanaian movie industry deserves lots of credit for evolving over the years in terms of content and quality production.
In a presentation as a panel member at the third edition of the Graphic Showbiz forum, the actor said:
“With regards to Ghana’s movie industry, I can say that tradition is giving way to transition because things have evolved, we are growing in quality with regard to production.
“I have been in the movie industry for the past 17 years and I’ve seen a lot of growth when I look back to the movies I was part of and starred in, I can say we’ve really come far”.
Prince David Osei
The forum saw a number of industry players in the film sector hold relevant conversations on the state of Ghana’s movie industry and the way forward.
Other panelists for the forum were a lecturer at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and Public Relations Officer of The Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), George Bosompim, a film director and CEO of Oldfilm Productions, Peter Sedufia, film producer and CEO of Farm House Productions, Ivan Quashigah, and Head of Marketing, MultiChoice Ghana, Afua Kissi-Nyame.
The forum held is the third in the series by Graphic Showbiz Forum after the maiden event held in 2020, themed: Moving from Promises to Action, A Discussion Of Party Manifestos On the Creative Industry.
The second edition was held on the theme, Maximising the benefits of Digitisation in the Covid-19 Era.
Also, Panelists of the third edition of the forum dismissed widely held perceptions that Ghana’s film industry is dead.
They expressed hope about its growth and noted that they were still very much capable of making progress if intentional steps were taken.
They asserted that filmmakers were making progress with the insufficient resources at their disposal and could even break barriers with the right support from the relevant stakeholders.
They also shed light on the potential of the film industry and were of the firm belief that concerted efforts were needed to create a platform that would enable filmmakers to receive help for growing their businesses and growing demands.
Prince David Osei details how he was maltreated at the early stages of his career
Ghanaian actor Prince David Osei disclosed that his rise to stardom in the movie industry was characterized by backstabbing and hatred by industry persons who did not want him in the space.
He mentioned that even though the likes of Ivan Quashigah believed in his abilities, there were other film producers who worked behind the scenes to hinder his efforts.
The actor said there were times his roles were even taken from him because some industry persons felt he didn’t qualify for them.
He said:
“I felt unwanted in the movie industry. There was this feeling like ‘Where is he coming from?’ I felt that bad energy but all the victimization kept me going.
“When I got cast for ‘The Dead’, people made mockery of me. Sometimes you go on set, they don’t give you room, you wear something and they tell you it’s too nice. At a point, it was me and Martha Ankomah, Opera Square stopped selling our movies”.
Prince David Osei
Speaking on the sidelines of his experience in the Ghanaian movie industry, he urged up-and-coming actors to remain steadfast in their commitment and persevere in the face of deliberate attackers from the industry.
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