The University of Media, Arts and Communication–Institute of Film and Television (UniMAC-IFT), in collaboration with the Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), has launched the Central Film Library Analogue Video Digitisation Project to preserve Ghana’s endangered cinematic and cultural heritage.
The launch took place on Thursday 17th July 2025 at the UniMAC-IFT library, drawing academics, archivists, creatives and students to celebrate what many described as a historic rescue mission. The project aims to digitise more than 300 fragile Video Home System (VHS) tapes containing rare and historically significant materials.
The tapes include documentaries from Ghana’s First Republic, educational campaign footage, Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) productions and state films such as The Departure of Sir Alan Burnsand New Tetteh Quarshie Interchange Animation.
Professor Winston Aborampa, Pro Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, officially opened the digitisation centre by cutting the ribbon and described the initiative as both “a rescue mission and a rebirth”. He said: “Many of these works are currently imprisoned on ageing celluloids, Betacam cassettes and magnetic tapes. Without timely intervention, chemical decay and hardware obsolescence will silence the voices that once shaped our national narratives.”
Prof. Aborampa added that the centre is equipped with high-resolution scanners, environmentally controlled vaults and collaborative spaces for scholars, providing the infrastructure needed for preservation, education and new content creation.
The project is supported by the Modern Endangered Archives Program (MEAP) at UCLA Library, with funding from ARCADIA. It is the outcome of four years of research led by Dr Rebecca Ohene-Asah and Mr George Bosompim, both alumni and faculty members of UniMAC-IFT.
Dr Ohene-Asah recounted the discovery of the materials at the Information Services Department (ISD) storage facility in Kaneshie. “We are not merely digitising videotapes and building metadata, we are illuminating legacies. We are building bridges between the analogue and the digital, between the past and the future,” she said.
The digitisation centre will also function as a training hub where UniMAC-IFT students can gain practical skills in archival science, digital asset management and restoration. According to Dr Ohene-Asah, ten trainees are currently being taught to handle the digitisation process.
Professor Samuel Manasseh Yirenkyi, Rector of UniMAC-IFT, said the centre represents more than just infrastructure. “What you are witnessing here is not merely a facility, it is a legacy,” he stated, commending GAFTA for its role in the project and expressing hope for a continued partnership.
GAFTA President Dr Fara Awindor highlighted the long-standing relationship between GAFTA and UniMAC-IFT, formerly NAFTI. He called the digitisation effort a “living memory of our nation’s journey” and praised it as an example of successful collaboration between academia and industry.
“The tapes are not just old recordings, but cultural time capsules,” Dr Awindor said. “Together, we’ve launched awards, training programmes and national campaigns. Today, we launch another legacy.”
The digitisation process is expected to last two years, during which all materials will be catalogued, restored and made accessible for academic and creative use. The facility will also be open to researchers and industry professionals seeking archival footage.
Among the dignitaries at the launch were Mr Samuel Quartey, President of the Ghana Animation Association; Prof Hammond, Rector of the Institute of Journalism; Dr Ramatu Dadzie, Dean of Faculty at IFT; Dr Lawrencia Agyapong, Director for the Centre for Global Education and Collaboration; Dr Albert Anane-Bossman, Director of DRID; Ms Nana Efua Rockson, Director of Public Affairs at UniMAC; Mrs Lydia Nyantakyi-Baah, Librarian of UniMAC; Ms Jennifer Akudi, Registrar of UniMAC-IFT; and Mr Kofi Zokko Nartey, General Secretary of GAFTA.
Prof. Aborampa further emphasised the project’s economic and creative relevance, noting that the digitisation centre “strengthens the value chain from preservation through content creation to commercial distribution”.
The event ended with a tour of the facility, leaving guests hopeful about the future of Ghana’s film heritage. As GAFTA’s president concluded, “Let us continue to build a legacy that honours our past and shapes the future of filmmaking in Ghana.”
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By Makida El Husseini
Level 400 Broadcast Journalism student.
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