School of Performing Arts at Africa’s Flagship Film Festival – FESPACO 2017 With Down Side Up

In the Picture are: From left Dr. Samuel Benagr, Mr. Peter Owusu (Student Writer & Director) and Ms Odolina Roussinov

The University of Ghana’s drive towards becoming a world class university is being approached from different angles. One such angle is through published artistic creative works. Legon will be represented at the 25th edition of the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), Burkina Faso from 25th February to 4th March, 2017 by the School of Performing Arts (SPA) with a short film Down Side Up in competition.

FESPACO was created in 1969, and has since grown into a globally recognized and respected film event. In January 1972, by governmental decree, FESPACO officially and formally became an institution backed by state support. It is organized every two years. At the third edition in 1972, the festival was christened FESPACO for short: in line with its full title Festival pan-Africain du Cinema et de la Television de Ouagadougou, with Ouagadougou as its Headquarters.

The School of Performing Arts (SPA) offers its students both academic and professional training programmes. Some of the sets in TV studios and at event shows are designed by SPA students. Other areas of focus include but not limited to TV Production and Broadcast and many other areas. Students take Special Area courses and mount practical projects in their final year. One such Special Area course is Radio, Television, Video & Film production (RTVF). Students are taught the art of radio/television/video/film production and do short films of different genres.

It is one such short film that made it through the rigorous selection processes and eventually got selected to compete in the official competition in the Students’ film category. It is worth noting that hundreds of films are submitted from across the globe to the FESPACO Secretariat for consideration. Hence, to be selected is no mean achievement. It is worth noting that this is the first attempt at entering our short films in the competition. With such a positive outcome, both the lecturers of the course and students are motivated to set the bar even higher. There is prize money and a trophy to be won, and surely our sight is set on the ultimate. But the selection alone is such a big win because the dream of every filmmaker on the continent is to have their work exhibited at FESPACO. It is seen as a validation of quality work in all the departments of filmmaking. It opens doors to accessing the international festival circuit as well as other distribution and marketing channels. It is also a unique opportunity to sell the University of Ghana and SPA brands at the festival, because often when filmmaking in Ghana is discussed, not much is known or said about the University of Ghana brand.

 

The film: Down Side Up is directed by Peter Owusu, a 2015/2016 Level 400 RTVF student.

This film is a story about a young genius, Ato, who sells water in a large school complex with his mom. He meets up with some school children who are struggling to do their homework. He helps them with their homework every day. He decides to follow them to their school one day, without his mother’s consent. He is not allowed into the classroom, but by the intervention of the headmistress - who after a conversation with Ato finds out that he is a smart kid – is given a seat in the classroom. The Director of Education and his secretary come to the school with a scholarship opportunity to give to one student. Ato gets all the answers correct and just as his details are being taken for the scholarship, his mother shows up. He runs off and is chased by his mother. The headmistress and the Director of Education follow them. Ato is knocked down by a vehicle and fatally wounded as he runs from his mother for fear of being punished.

We wish Mr. Peter Owusu, the School of Performing Arts and the University the very best of luck at its debut official competition at FESPACO.