Head of communications for the Regal Film Festival and Awards (RIFFA), Maxwell Justice Kpekpo, popularly known as KMJ, has opened up about the major gaps in Ghana’s movie award schemes and how the upcoming RIFFA Awards seek to transform the industry.
Speaking on the Angel Drive Show on Monday, December 8, 2025, KMJ noted that while other creative sectors, especially music, have consistent annual award schemes such as the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), the movie industry continuously suffers from inconsistency.
“Everyone has differences, but at the end of the day, people look forward to TGMA every year. But when you check, the only industry that has deficits when it comes to that is the movie awards,” he explained.
He emphasized that the lack of a dependable, annual movie award scheme has contributed to low participation of actors and filmmakers in major entertainment events.
“When you notice TGMA, look at the number of actors who attend. It’s because there is no award hosted for them,” he added.
KMJ further pointed out that the inconsistency of the Ghana Movie Awards has also affected the morale and unity within the industry.
“Because Ghana movie awards have no award scheme that will make them come together and say they are expecting any award. “We had Ghana Movie Awards, but the consistency has always been a problem. Even when there was COVID, TGMA was still held, so there’s a lack of consistency in the industry,” he stated.
He revealed that RIFFA was conceived 10 years ago, led by Selasie Ibrahim, who serves as the Executive Director with over 30 years of experience in the movie industry. The initiative aims not only to celebrate African storytelling but also to restore confidence and stability within Ghana’s film space.
The RIFFA Awards Night and Festival is scheduled to take place at The Palms Convention Center and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, from December 10 to 13, 2025. The festival runs from December 10–12 at 9 a.m. each day, while the Awards Night Gala comes off on December 13, with the red carpet starting at 6:30 p.m. and the main event kicking off at 8 p.m.
