- Talks on what made him produce musical icons in Ghana
- Speaks on how he started acting and his come back into the scene through his friends
- Speaks extensively on the Ghana Movie Awards and the forth coming Founder’s Merit Award
- Opens up on how much he has lost some friends in the process of organizing the Awards
- Why Kimberly Elise from USA won the best female actress at the last movie awards
The name FRED NUAMAH isn’t a new one in the
Ghanaian movie industry and more also not strange among the Nollywood circles.
He has carved that niche for himself and today he has grown into a status of
celebrating those that deserve to be celebrated. He has grown into one of those
big boys in the Ghana movie industry.
He is the
pioneer founder of the Ghana Movie Awards - a yearly endeavor with which the
hard work, tenacity and panache of actors and actresses are recognized. Over
the years, he has paid his dues as an actor as well and he understands the
worth of celebrating excellence and thus, the reality of the concept was put
into daylight fulfillment after years of pondering over. He has stepped on toes
along the line but he believes that business and pleasure are two worlds of
their own, therefore admits all happenings, his best friends remain.
In this
exclusive, he was straight to the point on issues surrounding the last Ghana
Movie Awards held on Christmas day in Accra. He opened up on why the organizers
decided that every male came to the Awards in a black suit tuxedo and the
female in beautiful evening wear. He stressed on the fact that standard was to
be set in the industry and the fact that the whole event was a big deal.
Passionately, Fred Nuamah opened up on how much he has lost some dear friends
in the process of organizing the Ghana Movie Awards. Yemmey had a one-on-one
with Fred where he also spoke at length on the forth coming Founder’s Merit
Awards in the month of March. Enjoy.
WHAT YOU HAD IN
MIND TO START THE GHANA MOVIE AWARDS?
I
have been with the actors and actresses as a family. We have been together for
a long time because I delved into the industry since 1991. I felt like ‘these
people deserve to be recognized’, so I brought my axes together to make sure
that we celebrate our own. The idea itself came about some years back in 2000
when I part of the first edition of the Ghana Music Awards. Our friend Harry
Laud did something similar just as an entertainment award where footballers, actors
and actresses, musicians were all awarded so I had to pause my idea until after
a while, this reality has come out.
BEFORE THE GHANA
MOVIE AWARDS, WHAT HAS FRED BEING DOING?
I
used to work for a man who owned Hacky Films around 1993 thereabout, that was
when Ghana movie was very much on top. Then after, I shifted into radio where I
worked in the Volta Region with two radio stations. Then later on I went on to
promote Nana Acheampong’s song. From then I went on to produce Daasebre
Gyamena, then went on to do something with Daddy Lumba with my friend KOD, then
I went on to produce Ofori Amponsah’s solo album. The music thing was doing
great but when I realized that it was fading out, I went back to my old love
which is movie. Then I had to do a cameo role with a movie which Kwame Owusu
Ansah did play the lead role. Then I was out of the scene for a while.
WHAT WAS COMING
BACK INTO MOVIE LIKE IN THIS NEW ERA?
After
my years outside Ghana, I decided to come back, and then I met Jackie Appiah
and Samira Yakubu who introduced me to Venus Films. Though to Samira she never
knew that I had done couple of movies in Ghana as well as Nigeria. My first
movie with Venus was The Prince’s Bride.
Because I was a very busy person, I didn’t even finish the scene but the director
was able to handle the situation. So because I still had the idea of the
awards, I saw this as the right time to kick this started. I called Harry Laud
and he gave me his blessings to do it.
WHAT HAS BEEN
THAT FACTOR THAT HAS SEEN THE GMA AS A SUCCESS?
Majorly
it has been because I have been in the industry and this has added more spices
to the whole event. I don’t see myself as a founder but rather I see it as
whole family stuff. It has a kind of blessing and curse on my path. It has also
taken a lot of courage to pull this through. We have been able to curb
favoritism and then forge ahead. I have lost so many dear friends in this
journey thus far but I am yet unshaken because I don’t see myself quitting
right now. It has been tough though, yet we are not looking back.
HOW HAVE YOU
BEEN ABLE TO MOVE ON?
I
have been able to move on through the comforter which is the Holy Spirit. I do
pray a lot and seek God for guidance. Now my friends are all coming back
because God is now opening their eyes to see that we are doing a just course.
HOW DID YOU PULL
THE FUNDS FOR THE GHANA MOVIE AWARDS?
Frankly,
in the maiden edition, I spent about $300, 000. Traveling cost, transporting
the gold plated hand crafted award which was from India, the two cars were bought
by myself, though the car company gave me a discount, were all from my pocket.
But in the second edition, we got donors like from Lufthansa Airline did with
sponsoring the ticket to Cannes Festival. Golden Tulip donated rooms to us
throughout the period as well as other companies who came on board but no money
was given to me. I have had to sell two of my brand new cars so as to see that
this passion comes out. This last year’s edition saw my own house going on loan
to raise funds for the event. I see it as a brand we are building.
AT THE LAST
GHANA MOVIE AWARDS, AN AMERICAN WON THE BEST FEMALE ROLE
Awards
need no passport. Kimberly did so well for herself as well as the role she
played in that movie she won with. In that category, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde who
is a Nigerian was there. It doesn’t mean that because you are not a Ghanaian so
you shouldn’t be awarded for your effort. Sometimes ago, the Oscars Award saw a
Senegalese young lady nominated in one category. Let us not forget that actors
and actresses are universal.
DO YOU SEE AMAA
AWARDS AS A COMPETITOR?
Definitely
no. The founder of the AMAA awards is my dear friend. We both have a very good
rapport and so it has been for a long time. We will rather say that we are
looking at surpassing the Oscars Award someday.
WHAT ARE WE
LOOKING AT FOR THE FOUNDER’S MERIT AWARD?
We
are going to keep that a bit secluded for now but you will be the first to
hear. The awards will be coming up in mid March 2012.
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