In 1976, a time everyone was interested in greener pastures. I was about 19 years old and left for Liberia and secured a job in a beer factory/ brewery. Later got into the entertainment business promoting dance bands, cultural trips, etc. I rented theatres for shows. I rented a theatre from an Indian, Mr. Partel, who was so impressed by the audience, that he gave me one of the theatres to manage as a promoter for movies on radio etc. The first and second runs were so successful in 1985 he suggested I go back to Ghana to gather some African film to try out.

Ghana Films Theatre Accra, “Tom Rabio” and co, gave me the film Genesis Chapter X (8-10 reels) on condition of sending the film through the Ghana Embassy in Liberia and depositing to same, any proceeds made. Ghana embassy invited African diplomats for the premiere of the film. Subsequently, it runs for 30 days 6 & 9 pm every night in a packed cinema. This was my breakthrough. I also arranged for films like Kukurantumi Road to Accra, Nana Akoto, etc from Ghana on subsequent visits.

I arranged a deal for the exchange of American and Chinese films from Liberia to Ghana where Russian films were dominant. Warm December was the first film I brought which screened at executive cinema in Ghana. Returned to Ghana in 1989 with 50-60 celluloids. Various film agencies, “Dunia, Gaskia, Nankani,” came to rent 35 and 60mm from me. Willi Akuffo approached me for lights for the premiere of his Film Zinabu which didn’t go so well due to bad pictures and poor sound. I encouraged him through it all. Socrates Safo approached me to produce a film. I turned him down a few times owing to my experience with film distribution until we eventually agreed on the script. I asked him to bring artists and he brought Regina Pompo Nortey, Kofi Asempa, and JagaPee among others for our rehearsals at the rooftop of Opera Cinema which was a disaster.

We got a different group Kwesi Koomson, Dzifa Gormashie, Doris Sackitey, and Edinam Atatsi from the arts center. Mr Sefa from Ghana Films was the Camera person and my brother in Italy, upon request sent a VHS Panasonic Camera and Tapes. We bought security lights and nailed them to
wood for lighting because film lights were extremely rare at the time. We used a stick as a fish pole as the boom and 3-4 socks as the windshield.

Jim Awindor was recommended to direct by some of the artists but I rejected the idea and insisted, in a heated argument, that Socrates direct because it’s his story and Jim can assist. Mark Coleman and George AF-Teieh we Fpped for ediFng. Mark ended up being the editor, we had a few back-and-forths on the runtime which was 1hr 20mins. We started promoFng through GTV aNer designing the poster for promo. Doris Sackitey was instrumental. We got a deal to screen at the new theatre at Ghana Films for a 50-50 split. ScepFcal initially about the idea of Video Sales owing to possibilities of piracy and intellectual property rights. I discussed it with a friend from Barclays Bank who thought it a good idea. I
later discussed it with Socrates who shared in my skepticism but after we pondered over it for weeks we gave in.

Started with 5 tapes, did an ad in the newspaper and within minutes they were sold. Then 10 tapes, 100 tapes, and more were sold daily. Increased video decks from 2 to 100 to keep up with demand.

Baba Abdullai, a renowned film critic with the Times newspaper inquired about the motive for selling my films. Surprised, he shared his experience at FESPACO which was themed on why African producers are not selling their films. I was distributing celluloid. Socrates came along with the VHS idea for film which saw more industry players. I didn’t shoot on Beta. We shot on U-maFc and edited on beta. We were driven by the need to tell our own stories. To entertain and Educate. This was our system because if Indians can tell their own stories and make an impact we can do the same tackling family issues evolving around women because they were home most times.

We formed the Video Marketers AssociaFon in 1994/95 Ben Moro Called and pitched the idea of forming a Film Producers AssociaFon of Ghana. We started meeting at Mr. Gadu’s office in Newtown, Accra. I created DistribuFon and Marketers AssociaFon; we had a task force that went around to arrest people who were into piracy. I was summoned to court. We later concluded the forming of the NaFonal AnF-Piracy Committee involving Producers, distributors, marketers, and artists in the presence of myself, Socrates, Akwetey Kine, etc. This is how FIPAG came to be.