The Ghallywood Academy of Film Acting, one of the pioneering film acting and training schools in the country would soon launch its own radio and television stations.
The President of Ghallywood, William Akuffo who announced this, said it would provide content that would be positive and uplifting, unite Ghanaians and encourage all to bond as a people with one destiny.
Speaking at the school�s 5th graduation ceremony held last Saturday in the African Film Village of the school at Dawa on the Aflao road, he said it was sad that suddenly what makes news in Ghana are the negative items that would not benefit majority of Ghanaians.
�Ghallywood TV will change all this and provide news from all over the districts, news that will impact on our people positively and encourage them to do only what will move our country forward�
The graduating class was the fifth batch of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) Youth in Film Making Module.
The ceremony held on the theme, � The nation�s preparations for a peaceful election: The role of the entertainment industry/media�, saw 500 students graduating after three months of study in film acting, editing, script writing, lighting and sound techniques and other various departments of film making.
The well attended and colourful ceremony saw students of the academy display to guests their acting skills as they put up some brilliant acting and cultural performances to the delight of guests.
Welcoming guests and students to the function, president of Ghallywood, William Akuffo noted that Ghallywood was aware of the need for Ghanaians to tell their own stories in the districts, communities, regions and the country in general and expressed optimism that as the students leave the academy they will not only become film makers and practitioners of the industry but will be equipped in their various groups to employ themselves.
William Akuffo was full of praise for the students saying �It is amazing and extremely gratifying to see these young men and women who came in meek and lacking in confidence, grow in confidence and through knowledge, gain strength and self esteem when their talents and skills are sharpened to enable them face the hazards of the job�.
He noted that the strength and confidence and other attributes that the school inculcates in the students have already started yielding positive results from some past students of the school such as Majid Michel, who won the best actor award at the African Movie Awards recently, Akua, the reigning Ghana�s Most Beautiful, the Vodafone Icon Noella Wiyaala of Black and Peace fame and Miss Ahiama.
Willie Akuffo assured that Ghallywood would produce many more champions in the film and entertainment industry who will lead the crusade in turning the industry into one that will be the envy of the continent.
The national Coordinator of the NYEP, Abuga Pele in a speech read for him expressed confidence that the crop of new professional film makers and practitioners would also further improve the quality of film making in this country.
He was happy that the NYEP and Ghallywood have been able to empower the youth to employ themselves adding that the NYEP and government would continue to offer its support in the area of self-employment.
He said as this year was an election year, it was the duty of film makers and practitioners in the media to educate the people to avoid violence and not to use any inflammatory language that will bring conflict.
The Director of Television of GBC, Mike Amon Kwafo who delivered the keynote address commended Ghallywood, especially the president, Willian Akuffo for putting into action all the talk about improving the movie industry.
He also commended the training schedule of academy and expressed the hope that the industry was ready to take the world by storm adding that Ghallywood was the true identity of Ghana �Where we can tell our own story�
He urged the students to be disciplined and place a high value on themselves since �The value you place on yourself is what the world would place on you� The function which was chaired by the President of the Ghana Association of Writers, Kwesi Gyan Apenteng saw other remarks from the ministers of Youth and Sports and Information.
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