Students who just matriculated at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) have been advised not to forget the reasons for which the Institute, which serves as an incubator and nurturer of talent, was founded.

This came as a word of caution to the 2011 NAFTI Matriculants from Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, Head of the Language, Literature and Drama Section of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon. Prof. Sutherland-Addy, who chaired the ceremony, also told the students not to sink into complacency at the joy of being formally accepted into NAFTI.

“For those of you who are talented and/or already experienced in a particular domain of the cinematographic arts, these attributes consist of a double edged sword, for as much as they can assist you in undertaking the programmes at NAFTI, they can also be a hindrance if you walk around here thinking you know everything already”, Prof. Sutherland-Addy advised.

At the Institute’s 13th Matriculation held on November 11, 2011, sixty-one level 100 students including one foreign student matriculated with one student admitted into level 200 of the Institute’s training programme.

Prof. Linus Abraham, Rector of NAFTI officially welcomed the matriculating students to the Institute and informed them that they were entering NAFTI at a very promising time as the Institute has experienced great growth over the last couple of months with regards to its training programme. According to him, “NAFTI is gradually, but systematically, realising its aspiration of becoming a centre of excellence in film and television training in Ghana and Africa, with the ultimate aim of improving the levels of professional work in filmmaking in Ghana”.

“NAFTI has revamped its undergraduate curriculum to make it more African centered. In the process, the Institute has expanded and enhanced the liberal arts aspects of its curriculum for greater scholarly development in support of a more professional training. As we say in NAFTI, we are training not media artisans, but scholarly professionals who can critically reflect on the African society and provide images and representations that enhance the African society”, said Prof. Abraham.

Along the same lines, Mr. KwawAnsah, CEO of TV Africa and Special Guest at the ceremony urged the Matriculants who he believed were already walking and talking like movie makers to look around them for stories. According to him, the stories that make great movies, which will have an impact on the African society are around them and as such, there is no need to look at copying what Hollywood or Nollywood is doing.

“Deal with the story that is familiar to you. Such stories are around you but sometimes you are so blinded to them that you feel like telling some farfetched story, which has no impact on the Ghanaian or African society”, said Mr. Ansah.

Prof. MahamaDuwiejua, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), who delivered the Matriculation Address congratulated NAFTI on its efforts to re-equip itself and restructure its curriculum to face the challenges of the contemporary media training environment. He also expressed the support of his office and the NCTE in NAFTI’s drive to migrate from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Education in order to have the deserved recognition and access to funding available to educational institutions.

Prof. Mahama also encouraged the Matriculants to make good use of this opportunity given them. According to him, “a combination of words and pictures create very powerful images with lasting effects on our minds. Together, they can be more than the sum of their parts. Therefore you have in your hand and minds very powerful tools. Make a choice between building or breaking down society with these tools”.

NAFTI currently runs a 4-year Bachelor’s Degree Programme and periodically organises short courses for media practitioners. The Institute will be rolling out a Certificate Programme at the end of this month and will also introduce a Professional Masters Programme in Media Arts next year.