The Chief Executive Director of the National Film Authority, Juliet Asante, has disclosed that the NFL commercial that was shot in Ghana and premiered at the Super Bowl LVIII provided job opportunities for close to 1500 people in the country.
In an interview with Berla Mundi on TV3’s New Day, Asante highlighted the importance of the production, its impact on the local economy and the prospects for film tourism. She explained that while the production involved collaboration with other countries, it provided substantial employment opportunities and exposure for Ghana.
“If you look at the recent examples we had, you’ll see that it employed over 1500 Ghanaians, …..on that production alone,” she told the host.
Asante indicated that the estimated revenue generated from shooting the NFL commercial in Ghana was close to $2 million. She highlighted the economic value of the production to the creative industry and the local economy in general citing benefits to various stakeholders such as production houses, hotels, and equipment rental companies.
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“That production alone, look at the market scene. All the market people in there will be taking care of, for example, that the little boy is not Ghanaian. So that was also quite, you know, the thing about co-production, too, is that if it’s 100% Ghanaians, then it’s not a co-production,” she said.
“You get what I’m saying. So it’s like you’re doing something 100% of something. You get 80%. But then you’re so worried about somebody else getting 20%. We acknowledge that we have to acknowledge that when you’re doing something in partnership with other countries, you cannot have 100%,” she added.
Asante also praised local production houses like TD Afrique Films for their efforts in securing such opportunities. She highlighted their dedication and persistence in competing internationally, noting that their involvement was instrumental in attracting projects like the NFL commercial to Ghana.T
She also acknowledged the competitive landscape in attracting international productions, and the efforts required to position Ghana as an attractive filming destination.
The NFL commercial, “Born to Play”, which has been a big part of creative arts discussions since it was aired at this year’s Super Bowl focuses on, Kwesi, a young boy in Ghana whose aspiration is to compete in the NFL, even though he lacks the conventional resources associated with Ameri
