Apiorkor Seyiram Ashong-Abbey Named BSIFF Diplomacy Ambassador

The Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) has appointed Ghanaian poet, writer, and media practitioner Apiorkor Seyiram Ashong-Abbey as its Diplomacy Ambassador ahead of the festival’s 11th edition.

The appointment forms part of BSIFF’s efforts to strengthen its international engagement and use film as a platform for cultural exchange.

Apiorkor brings experience in media, culture, communication, and international engagement to the role. She is an acclaimed poet and the author of The Matriarch’s Verse, a collection that explores Ghanaian identity and contemporary life from her perspective as a third-culture Ghanaian.

The International Baccalaureate describes her as a media practitioner, broadcast presenter, events manager, writer, editor, teacher, consultant, and creative. She studied at Lafayette College in the United States before returning to Ghana to study at the University of Ghana.

BSIFF says the appointment comes as the festival seeks to deepen connections across borders through cinema. The festival is built around film exhibition, industry conversations, education, cultural exchange, and opportunities for independent filmmakers.

The 2026 festival will take place from 24 to 27 September at Golden Eagle Cinemas in Kumasi under the theme, Film & Global Culture: The New Wave of African Cinema. It marks the first time the festival will be held in Kumasi.

BSIFF’s 2026 programme will feature films from 11 countries, selected from submissions representing 42 countries.

The final selection includes films from Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, the United States, South Africa, Zimbabwe, China, Cameroon, Singapore, the Dominican Republic and Russia.

The programme will cover categories including the International Showcase, Ghanaian Showcase, Student Showcase, Documentary, Africa Rising, Animation, AI-generated films and Kumawood.

The festival will also explore four areas: local language cinema, building African audiences, mental health for creatives, and artificial intelligence and the future of African storytelling.

BSIFF was founded in 2015 by filmmaker Juliet Asante and has developed into a platform connecting African filmmakers with audiences and industry opportunities. The festival says its broader objective is to promote the business of film while bringing cinema closer to the public. 

With Apiorkor’s appointment, the festival is seeking to further position cultural diplomacy and international engagement within its wider mission of connecting African cinema with audiences and partners beyond the continent.