Cinemas will be reopen in a month time – Mark assures

The Deputy Minister designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey has assured practitioners in the film Industry that the opening of cinemas in the wake of the COVID-19-induced restrictions is likely to happen in a month or two months period.

The experienced music producer made this known in a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ‘Entertainment Review’ last Saturday.

According to him, the President is worried about the closure of the cinemas and measures are in place for the securement and better satisfaction of the issue to a more sustained ground.

Making reference to the recently launched $25-million Presidential Film Pitch Series, with a call on local film producers to show more creativity and innovation in their productions, Mark said President Akufo-Addo is committed to making Ghana’s creative Industry a better one.

“Everything going on well, the cinemas would be reopened soon. You think all our cries haven’t gotten to the doorsteps of the President? He feels for us, if he doesn’t get anything at all from opening the cinemas for us, he will get taxes to govern the country so with how things are at the moment – he’s worried with it but let’s give ourselves a month or two, the cinemas issue would be solved.”

He added, “Governance is about decision making, and it’s not just one person, all the various agencies and all the consultants around the President, their input and expertise in every area is counted in decision making like this. So when he (President Akufo-Addo) said they are engaging the right stakeholders and things, its true – things are being worked on. He gains when the cinemas are open so for him to suppress over it till now, it means there’s something we don’t know.”