New international film shot solely in Ghana premieres in Accra

Freetown, a film about Liberian missionaries fleeing violence in their hometown, premiered at the Silver Bird Theatres in Accra Mall last Thursday night before the international release date, allowing viewers a sneak peak of the buzzed-about movie that was filmed exclusively in Ghana and stars popular African actors, thanks to Agbeko Mortty.

Acclaimed producer Adam Abel and director Garrett Batty worked with London-born Ghanaian casting director, Mortty, popularly known in the industry as Bex, to hand pick some of Ghana’s best talent such as Nuong Faalongto star in the movie and bring the story to life on screen.

“I was thrilled to get involved with this film because it had such a clear message about the power of faith. I knew that I had to find actors with the strength and spirit to really deliver a forceful performance in each scene,” said Bex.

The film, based on a true story, has been met with much excitement and positivity after showings at the 2015 Pan Africa Film Festival (PAFF) as well as the Latter Day Saints Film Festival (LDSFF), largely due to the cast’s ability to equip the film with a palpable honesty. Critics hailed it as a thrilling study of the consequences of the violence in Liberia as well as a testament to what conviction, hope and belief can accomplish.

“There were members of the cast that had lived through this civil war we were trying to recreate. They had their own experiences to draw from, [and] that made it all the more palatable when we were recording,” Batty said, “[Bex] has a remarkable eye for talent, and an incredible way with people.”

Perfecting the cast of Freetown is just one project in the docket of Bex’s busy career. In addition to his involvement with that movie, he is also the casting director for the upcoming film Children of the Mountain and acts in it, playing the love interest of a woman who has a special needs child. On top of that, he is a hunter in the upcoming film The Cursed Ones. Both films are expected to be released this year.

Although Bex already owns a successful IT company, QNS and Q-Vision Productions, performing fulfils a dream Bex had as early as his primary school days in St. Theresa’s, North Kaneshie, where he first started acting and dancing. Today, his resume boasts international involvement with projects in theatre, television, dance and film, and he still finds some free time to pursue his passion for music, playing the saxophone, drums and percussion.

In London, Bex acted in the play Rainbow Uprising, a Reggae musical featuring the music of Bob Marley that featured at the Astoria West End theatre and Saddlers Wells theatres. He played a role in The Amen Corner as well, which opened at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and began his now lengthy career on film with a role in the film Back Home Again, the tale of a Ghanaian returning home filmed in both London and Accra. Bex spent five years honing his dancing craft with Brekete, a dance group that performs all over Europe in popular festivals including the World of Music, Arts, and Dance festival (WOMAD), Edinburgh Fringe, and the Reading Festival.

After returning to Ghana, Bex wasted no time getting involved with both theatre and film productions, working with Rover man Productions in the plays Apartment N1 and Everyone Has a Secret, and delved into roles for television including The 5 Brides, Poisoned Bait and Ashes. Poisoned Bait can be seen on DSTV Africa Magic Channel 150 every Thursday at 8:30pm, and Ashes can be seen on Multi TV Joy Prime every Saturday at 8:30am.

His extensive credentials have enabled him to be a part of multiple projects with award-winning directors such as Leila Djansi. In addition to remarking about how Bex was so believable in his Poisoned Bait role that she had to hold her mouth to keep from laughing on set, when speaking about working with Bex on the film Trip to Hell Djansi said, “He came on set with his character prepared and it was perfect. That is an actor.”

Bex, an enstooled chief who serves as the Mankrado of Gbledi Gborgame in the Volta region, is enjoying his return to Ghana and has big plans for his future projects. One of those projects is the film Hosanna, a crowd-funded movie examining the hardships experienced by immigrants in America through one man’s compelling story. Support it on https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hosanna--2.

“This is a great environment for inspiring creativity and getting involved in films and shows that really make an impact,” said Bex, I’m always excited to start the next project, and challenge myself to do something greater each time.”