According to him, he was not ware the American film maker was part of the team the US Vice President, Kamala Harris brought to Ghana.

“I wasn’t aware he [Spike Lee] was coming to Ghana. I heard he came with the VP of America but I don’t believe it because I saw him at Kotoka International Airport walking out like a regular person” Majid said.

Spike Lee sparked controversy when he claimed he does not know Ghana had a film industry.

The American director who was very expectant to work in Ghana said no one approached him for a project.

In a rebuttal, the Ghana Film Authority debunked his claim noting that, when it asked to see Spike Lee, they were told he was busy.

But speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s weekend show, Asempa Showbiz Review, Majid said Spike Lee did not want to meet industry players.

If he did, he said Mr. Lee would have been part of the movie forum they had with husband of the US Vice President, Douglas Craig Emhoff.

Majid Michel said there would have been a collaboration if Spiky Lee had reached out to them.

MORE:

• High Court issues bench warrant for arrest of Savelugu MP

• Fuel prices to fall from this date…

• Check out ECG’s load shedding timetable

Speaking to Kwame Dadzie on Showbiz A-Z on Joy FM, Akwasi said he let the Spike Lee’s team speak to the Director of Creative Arts, and they also expressed interest in meeting the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture and the National Tourism Authority. 

“We did know Spike Lee was coming to Ghana shortly before he came, at a very short notice. The American officials decided to inform us that we should be getting ourselves ready and that the clear direction they wanted from us was to get an appropriate hotel to go to and to be taken from the airport to the hotel, to be welcomed at the airport, and we did precisely that,” he said.

He added that later, the American officials requested from his office that they would want Spike Lee to talk to some government officials as well.

“We had facilitated that, exactly as they wanted it. There in my office, right out when they asked for it, they were able to speak to the Director of Creative Arts, then [they] mentioned that Ministry of Tourism was going to be an interest to them, the GTA etc. So we did bring the issue up and told them what exactly they should do,” Akwasi Awuah noted.

“It was then left in the hands of the American officials to take up the execution,” he further stated. 

His comment comes on the back of a statement Spike Lee made in on Asaase Radio that no one from the film industry approached him for a meeting when he visited Ghana. 

He even said he didn’t know Ghana had a thriving film industry. 

“I know about Nigeria, and no one has approached me from the film industry in Ghana. I would love to meet people in the film industry but no one has approached me,” he said.

However, Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante, the Executive Director of the National Film Authority has explained when they tried reaching out to Spike Lee they were told by his personal assistant that he was busy. 

This has engendered controversy in the entertainment space. While some are lashing out at the appropriate government institutions for not being intentional about engaging celebrities who come into the country, others hold the opinion that these visitors may come for their personal business engagements so should be spared meetings that could derail the purposes of their visits to Ghana. 

Spike Lee arrived in Ghana on March 27, 2023.  

The filmmaker, born Shelton Jackson, is known for films such as ‘Malcom X’, ‘School Daze’, ‘BlacKkKlansman’ and 2020 Nefilx project ‘Da 5 Bloods.’

Lee’s work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues.

MORE:

• Adom TV presenters dazzle in traditional regalia to climax Ghana Month celebrations [PHOTOS]

• Why this MP has never spoken in Parliament will shock you [Listen]

• Kofi Adjorlolo and Kalsoume Sinare shock Jackie Appiah at Action Chapel

Ghanaian actress Christiana Awuni has waded into the controversy surrounding American actor Spike Lee’s visit to Ghana.

Madam Awuni has said Mr Lee’s comment about the Ghana Film Industry is a disgrace and clearly shows industry players are not doing much.

The American film maker in an interview on Accra-based Asaase Radio during a recent visit to Ghana said nobody from the film industry approached him for a meeting.

He was part of the Creative Arts team that accompanied the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris during her 3-day visit to Ghana.

Spike Lee claimed he did not even know Ghana had a thriving Film Industry.

“I know about Nigeria, and no one has approached me from the Film Industry in Ghana. I would love to meet people in the film industry but no one has approached me,” Mr Lee said.

His comment has angered industry players including the Ghana Film Authority who in a statement said efforts to meet the actor in Ghana proved futile.

Reacting to the development on Adom FM’s Entertainment Hall, Christiana Awuni said Spike Lee’s comments should be a wake-up call to the Ghana Industry.

ALSO READ:

How Christiana Awuni met her husband and married at 17 [Video]

Why many old movie stars never had side jobs – Christiana Awuni [Video]

She noted that, if the film industry was vibrant, Spike Lee would have been interested in meeting industry players.

Christian Awuni urged the Ghana Film Authority to up their game to make Ghana films vibrant across the globe.

Play video above:

The American film maker said in an interview with Accra-based Asaase Radio that when he visited Ghana nobody from the film industry approached him for a meeting.

He even said he didn’t know Ghana had a thriving film industry. 

“I know about Nigeria, and no one has approached me from the film industry in Ghana. I would love to meet people in the film industry but no one has approached me,” he said.

In the wake of this, there has been backlash against the powers that be for not initiating an engagement with the actor. 

That notwithstanding, Peter Sedufia, the producer of movies such as ‘Aloe Vera’ and ‘Keteke’ has described the brouhaha about Spike Lee’s statement as “knee-jerk reactionary behaviours.”

According to him, if the film industry in Ghana wants to have an engagement with any international figure, they need to make an effort to book an appointment with them, instead of waiting to take advantage people’s visits to Ghana.

Read his full post on Facebook, below: 

“These knee-jerk reactionary behaviours are part of the reason we’re stuck as an industry…

1. Do we know why Spike Lee was in Ghana?

2. Do we know his itinerary before wishing to have bombarded him with our unplanned/unsolicited film industry appointments?

3. Do we know who even invited him and on whose ticket he was here, and whether that person was opened to other people tapping into their investment?

Eg. I invite James Cameron to Ghana, pay his travel expenses and accommodation for my personal purpose, only for random people to come and bombard him with unplanned and unintended appointments. Does this make sense to any right thinking person?

If Spike Lee wanted to meet Ghanaian filmmaking Community, he would have mentioned it before coming, then we’d be aware of the invitation to treat. Or, whoever was inviting him would have made that known. He can’t pretend not to know people make films in Ghana.

If he was invited on the ticket of the government, then there’s a communication failure somewhere. I cannot single-handedly make my way to Spike Lee to make an appointment to have an entire film industry conversation with him. Where’s my access point? 

People should just chill about these [sic] whole brouhaha.

We don’t create our own opportunities, but we always want to jump and grap other people’s creations. If you need Spike Lee, James Cameron, etc, for a film industry conversation, make a conscious effort to invite them, and they’ll decide how to treat your invitation. 

Don’t wait to parasite on someone else’s investment. Give us a break!”

In the meantime, the National Film Authority has explained that attempts to have a meeting with Spike Lee proved futile. 

Asked who they contacted for the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority, Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante told myjoyonline.com it was somebody that was introduced to them as Spike Lee’s personal assistant. 

“His PA was who was introduced to us,” she noted.

In all this, some have questioned the role of the Beyond the Return Secretariat in situations like this. 

MORE:

• Ministerial Approval: This is how much ‘traitor’ NDC MPs were allegedly paid [Listen]

• Fuel prices to fall from this date…

• Video of Christian Atsu’s daughter dancing on TikTok warms hearts

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Asaase Radio, the ‘Da 5 Bloods’ filmmaker stated that he would have loved to communicate with people in the film industry and share some trade ideas, among others.

Spike Lee said that he had no idea Ghana had a film industry adding that although his arrival was made public, he was not engaged by key stakeholders in the local movie industry including the National Film Authority.

“I did not know that there is a thriving film industry in Ghana, I know about Nigeria. And I made the point that it was publicised that I was coming and no one approached me from the film office. I would have loved to meet the people in the film industry here [in Ghana].”

Spike Lee was also shocked to know Ghana had a film school, NAFTI (now the University of Media, Arts and Communication).

He said that he was readily available to communicate not only with the school head but also students of the film school.

Spike Lee was in Ghana on Sunday, March 26, the same day as US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit.

The filmmaker was reportedly part of the US Vice President’s creative arts team.

Spike Lee was seen with his wife and other seasoned people involved in the arts sector in the US at the state banquet held in Kamala Harris’ honour.

The movie producer and director arrived in Ghana on Sunday, March 26.

Spike Lee arrived in Ghana ahead of US Vice President Kamala Harris’ three-day visit to Ghana.

The filmmaker is reportedly part of the US Vice President’s creative arts team.

Spike Lee was received by the ‘Beyond The Return’ team and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Kwesi Agyeman at the Kotoka International Airport.

The Beyond The Return team shared a video of the actor who was welcomed by some traditional dancers and surrounded by some fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyond The Return | African Renaissance (@beyondthereturn)

The Director of the Beyond The Return secretariat, Annabelle Renee, who was also at the airport said: “The last time we met, I told him I was about to move to Ghana. That was in 2018. Now he’s here in Ghana, and I got to welcome him at the airport.

“This really is amazing, and I continue to be happy that more African Americans are making the trip to connect with Ghana.”

Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee is an American filmmaker and actor. Lee’s work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues

Some of his films include Malcolm X, Da 5 Bloods, BlacKkKlansman, Inside Man and many others.

MORE:

• Cheating ends in joy as two men peacefully exchange wives

• Adwoa Safo ‘abandons’ Majority again

• Massive reaction as Thomas Partey meets 2 lookalikes in Kumasi