Satisfying my fans is my priority not awards - Shirley Frimpong Manso

Renowned movie writer, producer and director, Shirley Frimpong Manso has said while she admits that awards form an integral part of measuring one’s work, nothing surpasses satisfying your fans.

According to her although awards are generally great for movie producers, she does not produce movies with the sole aim of winning awards, stating some of the world’s best movies never won awards.

Shirley who is also the CEO of Sparrow Productions told Myjoyonline.com in an interview after a special preview of the fourth chapter of her ten chapter, Adams Apples series at the Silverbird Cinema in Accra Monday night that her greatest quest as a movie producer is to satisfy movie watchers.

“I don’t sit down and do a production and think about the awards, if the awards come then great. The awards are from one or few people’s perspective. Some of the very beautiful movies that are done around the world probably never win awards. Some of the great actors even in Hollywood, they never won Oscars but they are great actors,” she stressed.

Shirley however indicated that, “If the awards come, they are great… it spurs you on somehow but I think the greatest reward really when your fans and the people who patronise your movies enjoy what you do. It is the biggest reward.”

Her comments come on the backdrop of the fact that she constantly sets the bar high with her productions receiving several accolades both locally and internationally. Many have touted her as the key to a total revamp of the Ghanaian movie industry.

While she is enjoying her handy works, Shirley said, she will not be quick to go along with speculations that she is setting the pace in the Ghanaian movie industry. She however believes that she may be an inspiration to others who have “kept back” hoping that the industry is going to grow. “We are going to have a boost,” she said.