I started film festival to help close gaps that my sector faces – Juliet Asante

Ghanaian film actress, producer and director, Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante has stated that she started her film festival to help find solutions to some problems the film industry was facing.

The filmmaker who is also the Executive Director of Black Star International Film Festival posted on her Facebook Timeline, saying she has been accused of many things.

“My birth name is Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante… I am a filmmaker and I started a film festival to help close some of the gaps that my sector faces… which by the way, I also face as a filmmaker…

I have been accused of many things… including that I am pursuing the issues I care about because of self-interest…

My answer… yes, I am doing this because I am a filmmaker… duuuh!

I will just be charitable and stop myself from using other words…”

Black Star International Film Festival is focused on creating connections through film and bridging the gap between African cinema and the world.

The Black Star International Film Festival has announced the 2019 official selection for the Black International Film Festival.

In total, 27 films were selected into competition in seven categories namely; Documentary, Short Films, Women in Film, Student Film, Africa Rising and Animation. Two more films were selected into a non-competitive category for a special screening.



All films will be premiering for the first time in Ghana during the festival.

The opening films are ‘Nirvana’ by William Kojo Agbeti (Ghana) and ‘Life In My Shoe’ by Wimana Beatrice (Uganda) and closing films are The Game Changers, the highly anticipated movie from producer Louie Psihoyos (and Executive Producers including James Cameroon, Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger).

The Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) 2019 is scheduled to take off from 20-26 August 2019.

This year, the festival runs as an official Year of Return 2019 event and offers a wide range of activities including workshops, panel sessions, the African film market, a music concert, awards night and daily film screenings all happening in the city of Accra.