Launching Benpaali – Ghana’s Youthful Film Fest

We have the Environmental Film Festival of Accra which i’m fairly sure everyone has heard about (not really), and then we even had the Annual Francophone Film Festival held in accra in march I believe. Apart from that i have not been able to glean much from the internet (which is where i found these two).

Now we have a brand new film festival directed at the youth. Not youth as in political youth, which happens to be 55 and below, but real youth that are 30 and under. Film festivals are an amazing way to discover up and coming talent in the film industry and i feel this is especially needed in Ghana where our film industry is intermittently punctuated by often strange acting and stories of cheating lovers spiced up with a hint of magic and spiritualism.

Tonight ushers in the launch of the Benpaali Young Filmmakers Festival (Accra). A gathering with the aim of bringing to light new young talent as well as engaging the youth in how to enhance their craft as well as the business of it. Be prepared to see original stories taken with a unique perspective.

Team1000words will be bringing you the fun as it happens and we will be ushering a brand new service as well!

Stay tuned, informed and definitely entertained.

———————– UPDATE ———————–

So we’re halfway through the launch of the film festival. The turnout is appreciative of the nature of the film festival. We have short filmmakers, university professors, international visitors as well as members of the loving Ghanaian public 🙂 We just finished watching our first short film, an interesting angle on education and student life in America.

———————– UPDATE ———————–

We had an entertaining musical interlude by Ghana’s own Efya. Despite a few keyboardical-technical issues it went marvelously with the crowd enjoying every moment of it. Her performance was stellar as usual, and to top it off she appeared free in support of the film festival!

We are also having an auction at this very moment of a beautiful painting on wood, we’ll update you as the auction continues.

———————– UPDATE ———————–

The Auction started pretty steep, and another painting was added to the frey!

In the end both painting were sold and the proceeds went to help young filmmakers in Ghana. All in all the launch was a resounding success witht he support of the talented poetic MC, Efya, the Benpaali team, the participating Educationalists and filmmakes as ofcourse – Team1000words.