Actress Jackie Appiah Calls on Government to Support Unimac-IFT's Building Projects

Actress Jackie Appiah has made a passionate appeal to the government to support the Institute of Film and Television of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC-IFT)'s building infrastructure to help the institute's policy to admit more students.

UniMAC-IFT has resolved to increase student intake in line with its new status as part of a fully-fledged university. Efforts to expand and complete a 30-year-old building complex for the institute have yielded no results, as funding promises from various governments have been largely unmet.

Speaking at the institute’s open-day event at Cantonment on Saturday, April 27, 2024, Miss Appiah observed that UniMAC-IFT needs more support to help provide the much-needed creative hands in the film industry. “The Ghanaian government should also come in and support in building more infrastructure to aid the school admit more students to produce more creatives in the film industry,” she said.

She acknowledged the wonderful training UniMAC-IFT is offering despite the infrastructure challenges, and advised people looking to start a career in the creative industry to choose the institute. "One advice I will give to people out there is, they shouldn't look at the buildings to conclude their perception about the school but look at the training this school offers because it provides a conducive environment for practical training," she stressed.

The open-day event offers pre-tertiary level students and their guardians an opportunity to experience the school first-hand. It is also an avenue to bring the school’s alumni back to their Alma Mata to offer guidance and inspiration to students.

The event drew big names in the creative industry, such as Adjetey Anang, Ivan Quashigah, Ramesh Jai, Kwaku Duah Prempeh, Kojo Hilton, and Prince Tomety who showed their support for nurturing young talents. Ivan Quashigah, an alumnus and CEO of Farmhouse Productions, popularly known for the teen series 'Yolo', commended the initiative, emphasizing the importance of providing platforms for aspiring filmmakers to explore their creativity.

The attendees were given a guided tour of UniMAC-IFT's state-of-the-art facilities in film techniques, film artistics, broadcast journalism, and multimedia production. Interactive workshops and demonstrations provided students with first-hand experiences in various aspects of media production, further solidifying the institution's reputation as a hub of creativity and innovation.

Schools that attended the event included Achimota School, Labone SHS, Our Lady of Mercy SHS, PRESEC-Mampong, Akuapim, West Africa SHS and Krobo Girls SHS.

About UniMAC-IFT
UniMAC-IFT, formerly known as the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), has been in existence since 1978. Its programmes include Film Directing, Television Production, Motion Picture Photography, Editing, Film Sound Production, Broadcast Journalism, Animation, Multimedia Production, and Production Design.
Since its inception, the institute has offered professional education programmes in affiliation with the University of Ghana, with a vision to build the best media arts training school in Africa and beyond.
In 2020, NAFTI became part of the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC) by an act of parliament. UniMAC is a public university birthed out the merger between the former Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), the Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL), and the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).