Ghanaian film wins top award in the US
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot

Accra, Feb 26, Ghanadot - Run Baby Run, a feature film directed by Mr. Emmauel Apea Jnr of Revele Films, Ghana has done it again for the second time as it won top awards at the just-ended 17th edition of Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) in Los Angel.

Run Baby Run was nominated in two categories but on the night of the awards walked off with one. The award was “Best Narrative Feature-The Pan African Programmers Merit Award” and this entitles the film to be in competition at the Atlanta Film Festival in US in July, this year.

In his acceptance speech when handed the award, the Director of Run Baby Run, Mr. Emmanuel Apea Jnr stated that “I thank God for the opportunities that he has given us to be in a place like this. I was surprised when I heard Run Baby Run called out because I watched nearly all the films that were in competition and they were really good and I’m glad that the film which we conceived in Accra has resonated so well here”.

He thanked Ayuko Babu, the festival organizer for a festival which seeks to bring all Africans together to celebrate our great cultural heritage.

Run Baby Run starred accomplished actors such as Kofi Bucknor, Kojo Dadson, Rama Brew, John Apea and host of international professional actors from England .

Prior to PAFF, the film also won four major awards at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008.

The Executive Director of Rivele Film, Mrs. Julia Apea told some journalists in Accra that her outfit will begin casting and pre-production on its next international feature which would start shooting in June, this year.

Instructively, PAFF is the largest independent Black film festival in the United States and at the recently held edition, it showcased more than 100 of the finest new films from the U.S, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Latin America and Canada made by or about of African descent.

The night was belonged to Ghanaian films because the Best Narrative Short also went to a US based Ghanaian, Edward Osei Gyimah, for his film “Kwame” and an “Honourable Mention Award” went to US based filmmaker Hezekiah Lewis for the documentary “Warrior Queen”, an account of Yaa Asantewaa.

In attendance at the festival were acclaimed Hollywood Movie stars such as Eriq LaSalle (ER), Michael Beach (Soul Food), Sophie Okenedo (Hotel Rwanda), Blair Underwood (Dirty Sexy Money) and a host of international and local filmmakers, civic, business and community leaders.

Ghanadot