1. Bruno and Academy students on July 28, 2005 following the first Academy address by Bruno and Daria, Accra - Ghana; 2. Facade of the "Toronto Pictures Film Academy" offices in Accra; 3. Daria and Academy students on July 28, 2005.
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Film Academy: Making a Valuable Contribution to the Local Economy and Development by Investing in Local Talent By Jane Delson 2
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ischiutta and his colleague, Daria Trifu, elected to shoot the film with an all-African cast, featuring Belinda Edinam Siamey, herself a Trokosi victim, in the lead. Needless to say, shooting the film in Africa was a costly choice in terms of transporting key Canadian and U.S. crew members and equipment. Making that decision led to the problem of finding qualified Ghanaian actors. However, the availability of local actors, many of whom had previously become affiliated with Toronto Pictures’ newly established Film Academy of Ghana, helped to pare down the production costs significantly. This coupled with the opportunity of utilizing the village as an ideal extant set not only offset initial expenses but also greatly underscored Pischiutta’s intent to reflect the culture of West Africa as vividly as possible. The task of culling an experienced West African cast was daunting, but anticipating local limitations in the talent pool, Pischiutta made another bold decision. Carrying forward his vision for a diaspora of global film schools to engender professional cinematography he founded the Film Academy of Ghana, the first such institution in West Africa. The Ghanaian Academy was established through the collaborative efforts of Nigerian African Evangelical pastor, Kingsley Sam Obed. Obed, who wrote the screenplay for Punctured Hope, is an active partner in Toronto Pictures’ efforts