CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

Please post this anywhere and quote me!
I am so ashamed to call myself African, or black, even. 

Film Producers' Association of Ghana ... or so.

Christ! FIPAG! These people never stop! I received a couple of emails about these group of people endangering investment in Ghana based on sheer greed! So called filmmakers (and I use that term very very lightly) threatening to seize the camera of fellow filmmakers. That's a taboo!

ACTORS - PICK YOUR POISON

a scene from #Poisonebait (Bex, Naa Ashorkor)

Very, very, very nice to be back to constant internet and my blog. As I wait for these files to render, I'd like to share a brief word of advice to actors. Both the made ones and the ones yet to be 'made'.

What Ellen Degeneres and Delta are really teaching us - African filmmakers.

I was on a filmmaking panel sometime back and I was asked the belabored question: how can African films or Nollywood films break into Hollywood.

The Curious Case of Movie Credits

I was watching a trailer of a Ghanaian film today and I saw a single card credit "An Angela XXX Film." I thought Angela XXX (I made up the name) was the director, only to find out that Angela XXX was the producer. Why was this person given a directors credit then? To tell the world the movie belongs to her.

Now that, is ridiculous.

FIPAG Vrs Fred Nuamah. Ringside Tickets.

It is only in Ghana that two peas cannot exist in the same pod. One will try to kick the other out. Unfortunately we are quick to forget that though the teeth and tongue fight sometimes, they exist in the same mouth and work together, despite their differences, for the body's health.

I was not surprised to read that FIPAG and all the other AGs are mounting a boycott of the Ghana Movie Awards. Read here.

The Road to Accra

I screamed so loudly when I came upon this film on youtube. I practically danced around my house, got me a plate of food, sat down on my bed and drowned in its glory!

Exactly what do Ghana Actors do when they go to Cannes?

Really, what's the obsession with Cannes? I'd think they'll aspire for the smaller ones that actually get you close to people in the industry. South by SouthWest, Los Angeles Film Festival. It's like they are all just waiting for Cannes.

What are you going to do there?

Let's talk about bleaching

Personally, I have no problems with anyone who wants to bleach their skin. It's not my skin, is it?
Putting on make-up is also very damaging to the skin. Some choose to change the color of their skin, others the texture of their hair, others lashes, lips, boobs, etc.

An African City. The morality clause

Pretty girls, high fashion, foreign accents, high end life-styles, the been-to flavor; enter An African City.

I truly delight in watching this show. I think the acting from some of the cast is pretty believable. It is beautifuly photographed. I love the color technique, the shooting style is almost cinema verite and I love that. I find the topics touched on very funny, and some quite relate-able, especially the scene at customs which was episode 4. I remember my numerous customs experiences. Please do not make me digress. I love the variety expressed in the looks of the characters. Light skin, dark skin, slender, big boned, natural hair, weave, dreadlocks. Different shades of beauty. Every woman can be beautiful. I love that.

SHORT STORY CORNER: Closely Guarded Secrets.

Model: Actress Gloria Huweiler

This blog is for me to keep writing, right? I'm introducing short story time on here. I gotta thank my Mama for raising us on stories. This is a short I wrote back in 2012. An oldie but a good start.

Dealing with rejection

We all hate rejection. You'll burn down your boyfriends car for dumping you. Boys would gang rape a girl for rejecting them. We hear of people shooting because someone rejected them.
No one likes rejection. I know I don't.

Jonivi aka John Dumelo's facebook megahit.

My Jonivi aka John Dumelo, my sugar brother made history today, hitting 1million likes on facebook!!
I am very happy for him, but what does this really mean?
It means he has a huge fanbase but what is fanbase? In the grand scheme of things, it is what matters? In my opinion, it is the quality of those fans that make a difference.
By quality, I mean what those fans do to support your career.
Have we ever sold 1million copies of films with a Ghanaian title? be it in Ghana alone or worldwide? I've spoken to many distributors and that has never happened. Not to a Ghanaian movie.
This is largely due to quality of the audience. I bet that 900,000 of Johns fans would rather wait to watch his films free on youtube, rather than dip into their pockets and support their role model with their substance.
John will continue to make low budget films that circulate within Africans in the diaspora only unless his fans change their mentality towards the art he creates.
I think 1million fans is a great thing if those fans can benefit the filmmakers John works for. It's a give and take thing. The more Johns' fans support his work, the better work he gets to make. Good filmmakers will take a chance on him in any title and budget, knowing it will yield dividends.
I recently had a meeting with a studio executive who wanted to know how they could tap into the African market and first thing out of my mouth was, USE AFRICAN ACTORS. If Africans see their countryman in a big film, of course they gonna go support the film.
When I'm called into another meeting, pulling up Johns facebook page and saying "look, this is an extra million in numbers for you if you use this guy in the package", will add something small to the argument, don't you think so?
But my argument will be futile if the quality of the fans remain the same. Free free free.

Jonivi, it would be great to use your platform to sensitize the audience. Talk to them about the need to support the arts instead of downloading films onto their drives.

I hear filmmakers talk about financing. No one is going to give you money when they know one act of piracy would dry up the capital invested. Instead of whining about lack of funding, use the time you have now to do some house cleaning. Support each other to educate the audience on the adverse effects of piracy. Journalists and bloggers, please take it easy with the "hips don't lie" headlines and use those pages to educate and sensitize. You are ultimately helping yourselves too.
I remember when I was fighting UTV on twitter for showing bootleg movies on their channel, I got attacked by a swarm of bees, interestingly, not one chirp came from any other filmmaker who all have this same piracy issue. They are all scared of being tagged "controversial". If your leaders who fought for your independence had that same fear of being tagged controversial, you'd not be wearing Brazilian wigs cos you'd be cleaning houses for a white man and picking 500 pounds of cotton on a plantation and be raped by your master. If Moses had that fear, you'd still be in Egypt building pyramids.

People think that when they extend a hand to help others, it takes away from them. it doesn't. Anytime you help someone, you have made an invested that one day you'll cash against. Doesn't happen all the time that way but, who's counting?

Like John's fb page here: Jonivi

LIFE LESSON: It's ok to be SELFISH.

Although my family history is a grace to grass one, my parents sheltered us regardless. We grew up in Ho and if you know Ho, you know nothing ever happens there. It's a small town, no one is competing with anyone and everyone knows ya business.

What is "Humble"?

Jackie Appiah

I believe it was two years ago, at Godwin Kotey's funeral and his daughter, Naa was sitting with me and I was trying so hard not cry. It was a whole lot of things to process at that event.  Across from us was someone I consider a legitimate celebrity in Ghana by virtue of how she carries herself. Ms Jackie Appiah.

Deconstructing

It was a very hectic and busy week for me. sorry for the absence. I know I need to tie you guys over. I've been writing and writing and writing.

GULLIBLE. How many times do you think about this word?
Internet. Blogs. Opinions. Judgement. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. With the social media rampage ongoing, we hear everyone's' opinion whether we like it or not.

Deconstruction. How often do we do this?

Grants for Short Films

Folks reach out to me always about funding for film, so I figured it will be helpful to share some resources. Please do not ask me about any individual grants. email or call the numbers below directly and they'll answer your questions.
Hope this helps.

REGRETS -- I HAVE HAD A FEW

When I'm invited to speak or when I speak to people or even when I write, I make a lot of references to my personal life. I do that because that is what I draw from, that is what I am, that is why I am who I am and I have to be honest about the things I got wrong and be proud of the things I got right. Above all, someone might learn from my experiences.

Protecting the Brand - 50,000 vrs 500,000

A NORTHERN AFFAIR

I have come under a lot of fire from folks who have seen A Northern Affair. Even from my family. My sister Karin gave me a side glance and asked 'Why doesn't it look like anything else you've done"
Ama K Abebrese said. "Chic, I know you know this is far from your style of work"

Djimon Housou is back Y'all!! - Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

Djimon Hounsou is back on big big screen (he's not been gone he's not done anything memorable per se).

Ok, he's back and he plays a villain named Korath the Pursuer.

10 Men Christian Women Should Never Marry

Don’t allow a man’s charm, looks or financial success (or his willingness to go to church with you) push you to compromise what you know is right. “Missionary dating” is never a wise strategy. If the guy is not a born-again Christian, scratch him off your list. He’s not right for you. I’ve yet to meet a Christian woman who didn’t regret marrying an unbeliever.

THERE ARE BITTER PEOPLE OUT THERE

Psalm 23, He shall lay a table before you, in the presence of your ENEMIES.
Seriously, if you don't have haters, how would God lay a table for you in their presence? If you don't have haters, people who hate you and call you names for no reason, then you are not doing something right!

Ghanaian Cinema - Have we sold our birthright?

There seems to be a thought abroad that Ghana needs to make more movies. As in, we need a lot more movies to have a successful industry. More producers, good or bad. Cattle.

Reason: To be noticed by CNN.

Not only do I find that submission preposterous to the arts, I find it very naive.
I doubt CNN is the standard. Being on CNN does not mean you've made a good film. Being on CNN means you are in the news. It can go both ways; good or bad.

New Faces vrs Old Faces. African Cinema

Jackie Appiah

In this blog post, I will teach aspiring actors how to get noticed by producers and casting directors the right way. Things you must do to shape your career and polish your skills.

AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY

Again, I'm browsing facebook and come across this article... Arabs Create Rain

Whiles Christian are seeking after material things, looking for who that witch is in their lineage and commanding wealth from heaven, the Muslims, we Christians consider to be sinners are making things happen. Using science to make rain. I am sure some of the scientists involved in this feat are even gay. Yep. Us Christians will judge them. Some have 4 wives and drink and smoke. yep, we goin' judge them alright.

Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club

Supporting Black Cinema!

Lionsgate will release "Tyler Perry's Single Moms Club" on March 14, 2014, with Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Zulay Henao starring, joined by William Levy, Terry Crews, Eddie Cibrian, Amy Smart, Cocoa Brown, Ryan Eggold and Tyler Perry. 

THE PASTOR, HIS BENTLEY AND YOUR TITHES

Today I want to speak very briefly about Pastors. In the last month, be it in Africa or in the West, news about Pastors and their utterances and their wealth has come under scrutiny.

Anytime you speak about Pastors, you have folks screaming "He's a man of God!". "Touch not my anointed!"

The last I checked, both members and Pastors are anointed.

MOVING ON

2013 was a learning year for me. I made discoveries and I grew up.

The key lesson I learned was and is, No matter what you do, people will always talk. You can't please everyone, therefore, do YOU.

My kind of movies are dark, and thematic. I'm not into romance and happy happy, happy, love stories or commercial material. Yeah I know it pays the bills but... But many people kept telling me my stories were too dark, I should make some light hear-ted happy films. Thus, I made And then there was You and A Northern Affair.

I LOVE the experience I had making the films but deep down, I feel very unsatisfied. Like I've lost a part of me. Today, my sister Pat told me she honestly prefers my dark dramas to the happy ones.

I needed that.

WHEN BEING SEXY BECOMES TOO MUCH

There are two things I love.
Being an artist and defending the arts and being a woman and defending womanhood.

When I speak about these, I am fierce, I am passionate and I'm aggressive. People may mistake it for an attack, but it's not. Its PASSION rising to the defense...

JACK OF ALL TRADES

Photo courtesy of residualicomelife.com

Last week, I received a call from Ghana, from one of the nations premiere radio stations JoyFm. They wanted to discuss actors going into filmmaking. The host asked me multiple times: Do you support an actor becoming a producer?

We are working with the premise: An actor, playing a lead role and being a producer.

My answer is no. I do not. I support the actor becoming an executive producer or to an extent, a director. But not a producer. Not in Ghana. Anywhere else, but not Ghana.

WELCOME TO THE PARTY

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Welcome to my new adventure. I hope it lasts.

I am supposed to be a writer but I have grown very lazy. 2014, the only resolution I made is to go back to my old self. Gosh! I don't remember the last time I read anything. See what facebook does to ya.

Well, the purpose of this blog is to discipline my personal self. WRITE MORE. WRITE BETTER. WRITE MORE.

 I can promise you one thing, it's going to be raw, honest, there might be some knife fights... but hey, who said life is boring huh? WELCOME. Get your popcorn and coke.

hugs
 leila