The Embassy of France in Ghana, has officially premiered the airing of three animation films, produced under the framework of the Sankofa Support Project to promote higher education and research in heritage and tourism of Ghana.
The animated films were aimed at encouraging the promotion and dissemination of research findings on Ghanaian heritage to the general public.
In a short film launch event held online through a webinar and live on various social media platforms, the embassy indicated that the short animation films were written and created by Ghanaian archaeologist and heritage researchers in collaboration with Ghanaian and French animation film studios.
Two of the films premiered: Fort Amsterdam -by Kojo Derban, Architect and Researcher; and Begho a Market Town in 16th Century West Africa -by Daniel Kumah and Victoria Aryee, both Archaeologists -University of Ghana, were produced by AnimaxFYB Studio, which is a Ghanaian Animation Studio, with coproduction for the second coming from Past and Curious -a French Animation Studio.
The third; Salvage Archaeology -written by Edward Nyarko, a Creator and Researcher; was produced by IndigenX studio, a wholly Ghanaian Animation Studio.
It is worth noting that IndigenX and AnimaxFYB, the two Ghanaian studios 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.
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, and 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.
In attendance of the film launch was the Ambassador of France to Ghana, Anne Sophie Avé, Director of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Ivor Agyeman–Duah, Representative of UNESCO Ghana Abdourahamane Diallo, partners of the Sankofa project and other high-profile stakeholders from around the world.
