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Breaking Free: Juliet Asante’s Emotional Farewell as National Film Authority Executive Secretary

Published

5 months ago

March 2, 2025

In a heartfelt and candid post, renowned Ghanaian filmmaker and former Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), Juliet Asante, bid farewell to her role and shared her experiences, struggles, and triumphs.

Asante, also known as Yaa Asantewaa, took to social media to express her gratitude to the people of Ghana and the film industry for giving her the privilege to serve. She also shared her excitement about her newfound freedom, stating, “FREEDOM HAS COME.”

During her tenure as Executive Secretary of the NFA, Asante faced numerous challenges, including limited resources, inadequate office space, and a lack of support from some stakeholders. Despite these obstacles, she remained committed to her vision for the film industry and worked tirelessly to promote Ghanaian cinema.

Asante’s post was a testament to her resilience and determination. She shared stories of how she and her team had to overcome numerous hurdles, including financial constraints, to achieve their goals. She also expressed her gratitude to those who supported her and the NFA during her tenure.

One of the most poignant aspects of Asante’s post was her acknowledgment of the personal costs she incurred while serving as Executive Secretary. She shared how she had to use her personal resources to fund some of the NFA’s activities and how she was subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation by some stakeholders.

Despite these challenges, Asante remained committed to her role and worked tirelessly to promote the interests of the film industry. Her dedication and perseverance have earned her the respect and admiration of her peers and the film community.

Asante’s farewell post was also a celebration of her achievements and the progress made during her tenure. She highlighted the NFA’s successes, including the development of a strategy paper and the organization of several events that promoted Ghanaian cinema.

As Asante begins a new chapter in her life, she leaves behind a legacy of dedication, resilience, and passion for the film industry. Her story is a testament to the power of determination and the importance of staying true to one’s vision, even in the face of adversity.

Asante’s parting words were a message of hope and inspiration to her followers. She wrote, “May the universe bear witness to my words… Asè” (meaning “may it be so” in Akan). Her post was a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always hope for a brighter future.

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It will take 12 years to Produce another Male Gospel Star” – Veteran Producer John Mensah Sarpong Laments Industry Decline

Published

1 month ago

June 18, 2025

DerrickManny EveryWhere

One of Ghana’s most respected gospel music producers, Mr. John Mensah Sarpong, has expressed concern over the future of male gospel musicians in Ghana. In an exclusive interview with Kpdonline.net, the JMS Music Productions CEO predicted that it could take up to 12 years to produce another male gospel superstar like Joe Mettle, Ernest Opoku, Kweku Gyasi, etc

According to Mr. Sarpong, the downfall is largely due to selfishness among current male gospel artists, whose disregard for producers and executive investors has discouraged meaningful investment in the industry. He lamented that respected producers such as Big Ben and he have now diverted into other ventures, including selling mobile phones, due to the lack of return and appreciation from musicians.

He warned that unless these artists change their ways and adopt a more respectful, collaborative attitude, the industry risks stagnation. Mr. Sarpong concluded with a prophetic caution: “The saying shall come to pass if they do not play safe.”

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Films made with AI can win Oscars, Academy says

Published

3 months ago

April 22, 2025

Sunshynbaby

Films made with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to win top awards at the Oscars, according to its organisers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued new rules on Monday which said the use of AI and other digital tools would “neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination”.

Generative AI – which can create text, images, audio and video in response to simple text prompts – helped to produce some of the films awarded top industry accolades in March.

But the Academy said it would still consider human involvement when selecting its winners.

The Academy said its new language around eligibility for films made using generative AI tools was recommended by its Science and Technology Council.

Under further rule changes announced on Monday, Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category in order to be able to take part in the final round of voting, which decides upon winners.

The use of AI in film became a hot topic after Adrian Brody took home the award for Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist at this year’s Oscars ceremony in March.

The movie used generative AI to improve the actor’s accent when he spoke Hungarian.

It then emerged similar voice-cloning technology was used to enhance singing voices in the Oscar-winning musical Emilia Perez.

The technology’s ability to quickly alter or match the tone and style of an artist, or perform edits such as subtly changing someone’s appearance, has helped it become more popular in the production of music and film.

But AI use remains controversial, and artists and actors have voiced concerns over the material used to train such tools and its impact upon their livelihoods.

Concerns and limitations

Actors and screenwriters previously highlighted fears about losing work to AI during the 2023 strikes in Hollywood.

“If you can take my face, my body and my voice and make me say or do something that I had no choice about, that’s not a good thing,” actress Susan Sarandon told the BBC from a picket line.

And screenwriters are concerned studios would seek to cut costs and save time by using tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT for tasks such as researching, treatment and script writing, instead of humans.

Safeguards around the use of AI were established as part of the agreements reached between unions and studios that marked the end of the strikes.

But while some actors have seemingly embraced the technology, others, such as Scarlett Johansson, have issued warnings about its potential to allow abuse of their image or likeness.

Animators told the BBC in 2024 generative AI tools were not yet good enough to be able to replicate the quality of their work – certainly not to an award-winning standard.

“It’s like having a bad writer help you,” said Jonathan Kendrick, co-founder and chairman of global streaming service Rokit Flix.

“Sure it will get an outline done, but if you need something with emotional weight, an AI isn’t going to get you an Oscar.”

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Chelsea spend most on agents for second successive year

Published

4 months ago

April 14, 2025

Sunshynbaby

Chelsea have spent the most on agents fees of all Premier League clubs for the second successive year.

The Football Assocation has released, external the net total paid to football agents by every club in the top five divisions of English men’s football, and the top two tiers of the women’s game.

The figures, which cover the period between 2 February 2024 and 3 February 2025, show Chelsea spent a little over £60m for agents to help facilitate transfers for the men’s team.

This is the most of any Premier League side, although the figure is down on their 2023-24 outlay of £75.1m.

The 20 Premier League teams spent a combined £409.1m on fees, down from £409.5m in the previous period.

Manchester City again spent the second most on agents – a little over £52m – followed by Manchester United with an outlay of £33m.

Aston Villa (£25m) and Newcastle (£24.3m) complete the top five biggest spenders, with the current Premier League top two of Arsenal (£22.8m) and Liverpool (£20.8m) following behind.

West Ham (£19m), Tottenham (£18.4m) and Brighton (£16.5m) are in the top 10 for outlay.

The lowest spenders were Ipswich Town, who paid out just £6.2m across a period in which they were promoted to the Premier League.

In the Championship, Leeds United far outspent the rest of the division in their attempt to get promoted back to the top flight.

Daniel Farke’s side spent £18.8m on agent fees, with the 24-club league paying out a combined £63.2m.

The second biggest spenders in the Championship were Burnley, who paid a comparatively small £5.3m to agents in this period.

In the Women’s Super League, Chelsea were also the highest spenders on agents, with the champions paying £622,604 to intermediaries.

This is nearly triple the amount of the second-highest spenders, Manchester City – £288,628 – with the 12 WSL clubs paying a combined £2.1m to agents.

This means Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea were responsible for 28.6% of the division’s spending.

Source: BBC Sports