The European Union (EU) Delegation in Ghana has launched the third edition of its flagship European Union Film Festival (EUFF), with a focus on strengthening cooperation between Ghana and EU Member States while creating new opportunities for players in the film and wider creative industries.
The week-long festival, scheduled for October 5 to 11 in Accra, will bring together stakeholders from government and the private sector, filmmakers, academics, students, civil society organisations working in culture, members of the diplomatic community and the general public.
The festival will take place across a number of cultural and diplomatic venues in Accra, including the Geothe Institute Ghana, British Council, Alliance Française, the Austrian Embassy and other partner venues. The multi-venue format is intended to broaden access to the festival and create spaces for screenings, professional exchange, industry conversations and audience engagement
The festival is designed to use cinema as a platform for promoting peace, tolerance and inclusivity, while fostering dialogue, cultural exchange and greater understanding between Ghanaian and European audiences.
The programme will feature daily screenings of at least two films from Ghana and EU Member States, alongside question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers, workshops and panel discussions. Discussions will explore issues affecting the film industry, including communication and digital visibility.
Two filmmakers from EU Member States are also expected to participate in the festival, with others joining virtually for Ghanaian creatives and audiences to engage directly with European practitioners and exchange experiences.
Speaking at the launch, the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, underscored that the festival’s theme, “Peace, Tolerance, Inclusivity,” encourages dialogue and understanding by exposing audiences to different perspectives and realities.
“The theme of this year speaks for itself, but what it’s all about is to establish dialogue, to establish understanding, to see each other’s realities through different prisms, to exercise tolerance and to create tolerance,” he said.
He also noted that the festival also reflected the EU’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s dynamic creative sector, which he described as an important driver of economic growth, opportunity and social cohesion.
Ambassador Skinnebach also highlighted the growth of Ghana’s film industry, popularly associated with the term “Ghallywood,” and said the EU wanted to contribute to that journey through greater engagement and exchange.
“The festival also supports Ghana’s dynamic creative sector as a driver of economic growth, opportunity and social cohesion. The Ghanaian film industry, what some call Ghallywood, is a growing force on the continent and we want to be a partner on that journey,” he stated.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Film Authority (NFA), James Gardiner, welcomed the festival as an important platform for strengthening international partnerships and creating opportunities for Ghanaian filmmakers.
He noted that the objectives of the EUFF were aligned with efforts to build a stronger and more sustainable film ecosystem in Ghana, particularly through professional exchange, capacity building and access to international networks. He also called on development agencies, financial institutions, private investors and foreign missions to support the Film Development Fund as Ghana seeks to revitalise its film industry.
The government allocated GH¢20 million as seed funding for the Film Development Fund, to provide financing and technical support across key areas of the film value chain, including development, production, distribution, cinema infrastructure, training and international co-productions.
“The National Film Authority is therefore actively seeking partnerships with development, finance institutions, private investors and international partners such as those represented here today to grow the Fund and maximise its potential impact,” he said.
He emphasized festivals such as the EUFF should be viewed not merely as cultural showcases but as platforms capable of creating tangible opportunities for filmmakers and other creative professionals.
“We see real alignment between that ambition and the spirit of exchange that festivals like the prestigious EUFF represent and we would welcome the opportunity to explore how our European partners might contribute to this vision. Festivals such as this one are not just cultural showcases, they are opportunities.”
The festival comes at a time when Ghana’s film industry is seeking to overcome longstanding challenges, including limited access to finance, distribution constraints, insufficient opportunities for emerging filmmakers and the need for stronger professional and international networks.
The festival builds on the success of its earlier editions. The inaugural edition in 2020 brought 10 award-winning European feature films and 25 Ghanaian short films to audiences in Kumasi and Accra.
The second edition, held in 2021, showcased eight European feature films alongside 12 Ghanaian short films, with a particular focus on providing emerging Ghanaian filmmakers with opportunities to showcase their work and engage with European cinema.
The third edition therefore seeks to deepen that exchange by bringing together filmmakers, audiences and industry stakeholders around shared conversations on the future of film, while exploring how stronger Ghana-EU collaboration can translate into new pathways, partnerships and opportunities for Ghana’s creative sector.
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