French Embassy officially launches 3 films on Heritage and Culture in Ghana

The Embassy of France in Ghana have officially premiered the airing of 3 animation films that were produced under the framework of the Sankofa support Project to higher education and research in Heritage and Tourism in Ghana. These animation films encourage the promotion and dissemination of research findings on Ghanaian heritage to the general public.

The film launch was made online through a webinar and live on social media. The short animation films were written and created by Ghanaian archaeology and heritage researchers in collaboration with Ghanaian animation film studios and a French animated series.

The 3 films that were shown and presented were

• Salvage archaeology: 60 sec., Edward Nyarko (Creator and Researcher – Script), IndigenX studio (Ghanaian Animation Studio – Production)

• Fort Amsterdam: 5 min, Kojo Derban (Architect and Researcher), AnimaxFYB Studio (Ghanaian Animation Studio – Production)

• Begho a market town in 16th century West Africa: 7 min, Daniel Kumah and Victoria Aryee (Archaeologists and Researchers, University of Ghana), AnimaxFYB Studio (Ghanaian Animation Studio – Coproduction) and Past and Curious (French Animation Studio – Coproduction)

The creators of the films briefly explained their ideas and mindset behind the movies whilst the animation studios also gave insights into what the production of the films entailed. They were thankful to all stakeholders who played a part in the making of the films and also expressed their joy in sharing with Ghanaians and the world at large, stories that lie within Ghana’s heritage and culture. The films were translated into 8 languages (English, French, Asante Twi, Fante Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, Hausa) to be easily accessible to a Ghanaian audience. The films will be uploaded onto main video platforms and social media and interested parties can have access to these educative films for free.

IndigenX and AnimaxFYB, the two Ghanaian studio who produced the films, were the first Ghanaian studios to be selected in Annecy’s animation film festival competition, the biggest animation film festival in the world, hosted every year in Annecy, France, respectively in 2019 and 2021.

In attendance of the film launch was the Ambassador of France to Ghana H.E. Ms. Anne Sophie Avé, the Director of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board Mr. Ivor Agyeman–Duah, the Representative of UNESCO Ghana Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo, partners of the Sankofa project and other high-profile stakeholders from around the world.