Film is a cultural diplomacy tool, a job creator, a trade enabler, and a key communication tool. Film opens the door to tourism for nations. One of the key hallmarks of a vibrant film Industry is a film festival.

Join us to welcome the world to our shores and give the world an experience to remember. With a focus on the business of film, our platform is set up to work at helping to close the gaps in the Industry here in Ghana and Africa by connecting our culture, history and experience with that of the World.

We partnered with Her Excellency the First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, to drive the conversation about the importance of film in transforming certain stereotypes about women and using film as a tool for the empowerment and enlightenment of women.

The symposia and workshops annually, have a total of 500 young women within the ages of 18-35 from various fields, in attendance.

Women and Children (between the ages of 10-25) are central to our advocacy drives hence annually, we organize panoramas for children and women in deprived communities that would not have the opportunity to watch films that tell their story and be inspired by those filmmakers. We’ve done these with the women and children in Jamestown, Accra.

Ghana’s Film Sector, when supported, can offer employment to 1000s of youth. Film festivals are the gateway to opening up the film opportunity of Africa. UNESCO 21 report projects the opportunity of the film and audio visual sector at 20 billion $ with the potential to provide 20million jobs.

Fully aware of this potential, BSIFF started an advocacy campaign with top filmmakers in Ghana like Peter Sedufia, Beverly Afaglo etc. to bring public awareness.

Now, Film For Jobs has moved from just an awareness to a fund (fuelled by donations and support) that identifies talent and supports young aspiring filmmakers with job opportunities in film and arts.

BSIFF is committed to celebrating and honouring the works of independent film artists in Ghana and Africa and the World. On the last day of the Festival, we award outstanding independent filmmakers, winning big at the Festival and beyond. Award categories include:

For 6 years, we have awarded over 18 independent women filmmakers, empowering them to keep pushing their creative boundaries and pushing above the narratives and stereotypes surrounding women that may impede them from exploring their creativity.

Focus is rarely given to young actors; especially young girls below the age of 25 expressing their skills the best way they know how. We identify such girls and honour them with our young actress award.

The future of film and creative arts lies with the youth. We know this and we recognize those students who with limited resources, are still telling relevant stories and advancing their crafts. For 6 years, we have awarded 12 students for their amazing works.

This award celebrates filmmakers that go deep and tell stories that resonate to promote global good and to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) become a reality for all. Partnering with UNDP, the goal of each award is to empower the winning filmmaker to start a new project that promotes the SDGs. Through the partnership with the festival, the UNDP reaffirmed the importance of film in impacting National Development by using film to promote the SDGs.

Through persistent dialogue, we signed an MOU with the Foreign Ministry in 2019 to show Ghanaian films at all Ghanaian Embassies worldwide. Our role is to curate these films. This is a relevant drive because it positions Ghanaian films and filmmakers to a larger audience and gives them the opportunity to have their films acquired or distributed, which is one of the major challenges of independent filmmakers.

INSPIRE is our development programme targeted at young aspiring filmmakers. INSPIRE supports students especially those in SHS and film schools, desiring to become film professionals with practical education and experience of film. INSPIRE bridges the gap between film academia and the real world. Participants are given certificates after completion of the workshops.

BMC is aimed at shining a light on emerging musicians, artistes and creatives within the Ghanaian & African music industry. Our vision is for BMC to become a platform that helps these emerging talents gain recognition and help them secure support from investors, place jobs and develop music and sounds that could possibly be acquired for films.

TARGET: Emerging artistes, Music lovers, filmmakers, students and youth within ages 18-28, Music Executives, Distributors, Influencers.

The Africa Film Market (AFM) is a physical and online B2C and B2B film and music content marketplace for the African continent. It started as a physical marketplace in 2018 to provide a platform to buy, sell, invest and/or distribute content from filmmakers, musicians, and other content developers in the film and film-music industries.

The Africa Film Market (AFM) is a unique marketplace within the African continent and the World because of its dual approach: Providing a physical marketplace held annually during the META Cinema Africa Forum in Ghana, and then a 24/7 online marketplace.

TARGET: Distributors, Broadcasters, Filmmakers, Industry Professionals, Agents, Musicians, Content creators and developers in Ghana & Africa, Celebrities, Influencers, Film Commissions, Film Groups, Film buffs, Students.