Accra, Sept. 03, GNA - Professor Linus Abraham, Rector of the Nation= al Television and Film Institute (NAFTI), has called for the need to move Ghana's film and broadcast industries beyond small enterprises to creatin= g a cinema of substance for the country.

He said currently the film and media training schools were emerging al= l over the country and were offering some form of training that could compoun= d the problem of lack of professionalism in the media and film industries. Professor Abraham said these in Accra at the end of a 10-day media training program for some selected media practitioners in the print and electronic media. It was aimed at equipping the participants with the requisite skills and training in video photography, screenplay, film directing, editing and continuity and acting for the screen. He said Ghana's film and media industries were growing exponentially and that there was a public outcry about the poor quality of video technology, the micro forms of storytelling and professional media work, which needed to be reversed. "We need to move towards creating a cinema and media of substance th= at makes serious inroads into the huge global market of film and broadcasting. Part of the process of doing this is to ensure that our media practitioners have the appropriate training to enhance the quality of professionals in th= e society", he said.

Professor Abraham said the training of media practitioners must be in the hands of well established institutions, which were credible and have an international history of training industry professionals all over Africa. He said the NAFTI short courses were to help fill gaps in media professionalism saying, 93We are all aware of the criticism of the content and the lack of professionalism that is derailing the appropriate use of media to inform, educate, entertain and to enhance our democracy and growth". Mrs Vincentia Akwetey, Dean of Studies, said the institute would consider extending the short courses to become a diploma awarding one based on the request of the participants and that when the necessary infrastructure was provided, the participant intake would increase.