The Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) has ordered its members across the country to stay away from the Ghana Movie Awards or face the wrath of the association.

FIPAG President, Asare Hackman, told NEWS-ONE on Wednesday that his Association unanimously arrived at the decision at a recent meeting in Kumasi and would again be meeting in a fortnight’s time to decide what punishment would be meted out to members who would flout the directive.

“FIPAG is not boycotting the Ghana Movie Awards; we are disassociating ourselves from it. In the past, we endorsed it but now we would be organizing our own awards and we have asked our members not to submit works for the Ghana Movie Awards,” Asare Hackman told NEWS-ONE.

He, however, could not tell what laws of Ghana FIPAG would be using to punish its members who submit works for the Ghana Movie Awards, knowing very well that freedom of association is a constitutional right.

The FIPAG president could also not give a direct answer as to whether or not the awards his association intended to organize would be exclusively for members or open to non-members.

When NEWS-ONE called the Chief Executive of the Ghana Movie Awards, Fred Nuamah, over the matter, he expressed surprise that FIPAG would ask its members not to submit their works simply because they wanted to organize a similar one.

“Take this from me, I am organizing this award scheme in the interest of the movie industry and creative sector in general but not for my personal pleasure or glory so if FIPAG or any other group of persons wants to organize a similar award, I should be happy about it.

“The more awards we have in the industry, the better it would be for us all. I don’t believe in monopoly. I believe in healthy competition, I believe in variety and it means if one actor does not win an award here, he may win an award there or somewhere else so this is all good. Let’s wish them well,” Mr. Nuamah told NEWS-ONE.

Editor’s Note: As to whether Ghanaian actors and actresses, who are the direct beneficiaries of the Ghana Movie Awards, would applaud FIPAG’s decision remains uncertain. It is disappointing that FIPAG would set aside all the challenges facing the movie industry and focus on organizing awards. Challenges of too many movies released on the market at a time, challenges of piracy, challenges of television stations airing newly produced movies, challenges of moving from VDC to DVD, challenges of office location and logistics to run the Association and several other challenges. Asare Hackman seems to be losing focus.