The producer of one of the two movies seized by security operatives over the weekend has admitted that the movie “Oh Uncle Atta” did not go through the censorship process.
According to the producer, Kofi Asamoah, when the security operatives visited the Opera square over the weekend, the movie being packaged for sale was the “Atta Mortuary Man” movie and not the “Oh Uncle Atta” movie because that movie had not been cleared to go on sale.
Speaking on Multi TV’s current affairs programme PM EXPRESS, Mr. Asamoah explained that his movie “Oh Uncle Atta” did not go through the censorship process because he had been informed by the Film Producers Association of Ghana [FIPAG] of which he is a member that the Cinematograph Board of Control had suspended classification of movies.
“The Association was informed that after the meeting with your board [Cinematograph Exhibition Board] as regards the fee increment, there was a decision that there will be a temporary suspension of film censorship until the two parties had concluded on how much should be paid as fees for submitting movies for preview at the Board.”
He added that he had submitted his film “Oh Uncle Atta” to the board before the decision was communicated to him.
“When I was waiting for the certificate that was the time this decision about the fee increment and things happened. And so when we were informed about the temporary suspension, that until further notice movies would not be censored, I decided to release my movie, [so] I went for my date and decided to release my movie and the movie was supposed to come same day as Atta Mortuary Man” he said.
But Ken Addy, a member of the Ghana Cinematograph Exhibition Board of Control who was on the show dismissed Mr. Asamoah’s claims.
“It’s not correct and I don’t know who told you about this suspension because there has never been a suspension. What happened was that there was a disagreement on the effective date for the increment,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr. Addy said the Cinematograph Board had indeed previewed and passed the “Atta Mortuary Man” movie for public consumption.
“The film was duly brought to the [Board’s] secretariat. A panel of members of the board previewed and classified the movie for public consumption therefore, I do not know why the BNI had gone to seize the film” he added.
He however debunked suggestions that the movie was seized by the BNI because it was political in nature saying there was nothing political about the movie.
Although the fate of the “Atta Mortuary Man” is not yet clear, Mr. Asamoah said he will re-submit the “Oh Uncle Atta” movie to the Board for classification as his movie has not been released yet.
