Chairman of the Film Classification Committee of the National Film Authority, Mr. Socrate Safo has disclosed that from 1st May, 2021, films/music videos that would be aired on the televisions must be classified by the Film Classification Committee.
He indicated that the classification includes foreign films (Telenovelas ) which would be shown after 9.00pm on all local television stations.
Giving reasons why Foreign Films would be shown after prime time on local screens, the Chairman of the Film Classification Committee said non-native movies do not portray the Ghanaian culture and some materials may not be suitable for children.
According to Mr Safo, laws preventing the showing of unclassified videos to the public are going to be enforced strictly.
“There are some films that are not to be shown at midday however the television stations and content owners don’t go by the law.” Mr Safo told Kessben FM
He further stated that all music videos with nude scenes would be ceased from premiering during prime time effective May 1, 2021.
To ensure that this movie or video ratings are strictly adhered to, the Film Classification Committee has collaborated with the Ghana Independent Broadcasting Association (GIBA) to enforce these laws.
“Producers and television stations would not have any excuse for failure to comply with the new directives because we assume the broadcasting body thus GIBA would educate them on the videos to produce or to premiere” The Chairman noted
Socrate Safo was appointed by the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Hon. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, in accordance with the Development & Classification of Film Act 2016, to serve as Chairman of the Film Classification Committee of the National Film Authority.
Mr. Safo’s role, among others, is to spearhead the Committee in ensuring an effective classification of films and audio-visual content that comes into the Ghanaian market and in our media landscape.
