The Premier of the long awaited animated film, “28th, The Crossroads”, saw it’s first audience last night and it was quite the momentous event.
Ghana’s first feature length animation was released on the 28th of February, 2022to a “full house” at Silverbird Cinema, Accra Mall.
People from all ages and walks of life came to see the colorful retelling of one of the major events leading to Ghana’s Independence from British Colonial Rule. The lively film was both educational and entertaining. And although it was an animated film, the impact of the events was not lost on viewers. There were even moments where some of the audience was moved to tears.
At the end of the the movie, one member of the audience suggested that the theatre collectively sing Ghana’s National Anthem. And sing it they did! From school children to senior citizens, from professional executives to civil servants there was a sense of unity in the theatre as they stood together to sing “God Bless Our Homeland Ghana”.
In his brief opening remarks, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Honorable Mark Oraku Mantey, acknowledged how difficult such an undertaking must have been and highly commended Parables Animation Studios and collaborators. He further stated that the Government is ready to support such creative initiatives and that he was impressed that the animation had gathered such a crowd.
In an interview, the Director, Mr. Cycil Jones Abban, had this to say about the film’s release: “It’s, number one, a dream come true. It’s fulfilling for me personally…The boundary has just been broken …Ghana has moved out of obscurity in animation and we are now in the limelight. We can also produce feature films and films that will talk about our history. We are telling the stories ourselves. For me, I think it’s a breakthrough … Henceforth it’s going to be visibility, visibility and more works, content for people to be excited about. So more is to be expected from Parables.”
28th The Crossroads will be showing again this Independence Weekend at the Accra Mall and West Hills Mall Silverbird Cinemas on Saturday, the 5th of March and at the Kumasi City Mall on the 7th of March, 2022.
The studios have four titles lined up with one set for the end of the year 2022 which will, similarly be centered around Ghanaian heritage. We look forward to great things from them in the near future.