The National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana has signed a partnership agreement with Pixel Ray Studios LLC for the construction of a state-of-the-art film studio.
Pixel Ray Studios, a global television and film studio development and production company, is expected to build 10 sound stages within the studio on over 200-acre land.
The facility will have production space and equipment and post- production suites with globally and locally trained crew to serve all production needs.
The partnership was signed and announced at the Inaugural Africa Conference (AFRICON) event held in Los Angeles, U. S. A.
AFRICON is the conference that brings together pop culture, music, food, innovation, activism, education & more from the global Black Diaspora.
The event, which coincided with Africa Day, aims at celebrating the diversity of the African Continent and the Diaspora through the lens of entertainment, media, technology and leadership.
As part of the partnership, the National Film Authority will develop and implement the legal framework and regulation of the Ghanaian and African film industry.
It will be geared towards the nurturing of growth and development of the industry through the distribution, exhibition, and marketing of films and associated visual and audio content.
Ms Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Film Authority, said, “the partnership is timely as Ghana positions itself as a film hub, a friendly shooting destination, and a cinema gateway to Africa.”
She said earlier in the year, NFA launched the “shoot in Ghana project” to promote the agenda of positioning Ghana as an ideal location for film productions and attracting the international filmmaking community to come and make films.
“Ghana has great locations, it is very safe, and it costs relatively less to shoot in Ghana than in many other countries. Ghana is the second-largest producer of films on the African continent, according to the UNESCO 2021 report. As the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA), headquarters, it is just right that Ghana opens its doors to the world of movie makers,” the CEO, said.
The project is estimated to create about 11,000 jobs for the local economy.
Mr Audu Maikori, Co-Founder of Pixel Ray Studios, said he was honoured to be part of the partnership since the goal resonated well with the work, he had done over the last twenty years.
“I have worked to promote African content and entertainment through Chocolate City, one of Africa’s foremost 360-degree media and entertainment companies comprising a record label, marketing agency, and talent management company,” he said.
“I’ve always dreamt of creating even more avenues to tell our unique African/Black and Caribbean stories by providing the critical infrastructure that will create jobs, sharpen skills, Pixel Ray Studios and our partnership with the NFA provides a platform for that,” Mr Maikori added.
National Film Authority is a government agency in Ghana, mandated under the Development and Classification of Film Act 935 to regulate, develop and streamline the film sector in Ghana.
Pixel Ray Studios is a multimedia and content production company focused on building the first-ever black-owned film production hub on the continent of Africa, which will serve both local production needs, that of Hollywood and other international markets.