Juliet Asante
{{Short description|Ghanaian actress and film producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante
| image = Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_place = Ghana
| alma_mater = Harvard Kennedy School of Government
University of Cape Coast
National Film and Television Institute
| occupation = Film actress, producer and director, and philanthropist
| notable_works = Deadly Voyage
| education =
| awards = Best Actress Award of Ghana (2009)
| honours =
}}
Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante is a Ghanaian film actress, producer and director, and philanthropist. She is a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Film Authority (NFA).{{Cite web |last=GTonline |date=2022-08-12 |title=NFA to organise Africa Cinema Convention in Accra |url=https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/nfa-to-organise-africa-cinema-convention-in-accra/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Ghanaian Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-28 |title=Filmmaker Kafui Danku appointed Executive Secretary of National Film Authority |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/showbiz-news/actress-kafui-danku-appointed-executive-secretary-of-national-film-authority.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Graphic Online |language=en-gb}} Her latest film, Silver Rain, was nominated for "Best Film in West Africa" and "Best costume" for 2015 in the Africa Magic viewer's choice awards (AMVCA) and also 2015 "Best Overall Film In Africa".{{Cite web|url=http://africamagic.dstv.com/2015/12/11/amvca-2016-full-nomination-list/|title=AMVCA 2016: Full nomination list|access-date=2016-02-08|archive-date=2016-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413105846/http://africamagic.dstv.com/2015/12/11/amvca-2016-full-nomination-list/|url-status=dead}} In 1999, Asante started the production house Eagle House Productions.{{Cite web|date=2014-11-29|title=ET Drum {{!}} Eagle Productions Limited|url=http://www.eagleproductionslimited.com/about.html|access-date=2021-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035426/http://www.eagleproductionslimited.com/about.html|archive-date=2014-11-29}} That same year she also started "Save Our Women International", a non-profit entity focusing on female sexual education and launched an innovation that makes short movies for the mobile phone in Africa in 2014 called Mobile Flicks.{{cite web |title=Save our Women International |url=http://www.saveourwomeninternational.org/about.html |access-date=22 November 2014 |publisher=SOWI |archive-date=5 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305003135/http://www.saveourwomeninternational.org/about.html |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theafricandream.net/juliet-asante-africa-film-industry/|title = Juliet Asante shares her hopes for the African movie industry|date = 10 January 2014}} She is also the Founder and executive director of Black Star International Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/spotlight-on-filmmaker-juliet-yaa-asantewaa-asante_us_58d565aae4b0c0980ac0e5bd|title=Spotlight on Filmmaker Juliet Yaa Asantewaa Asante|last=Television|first=New York Women In Film &|date=2017-03-27|website=Huffington Post|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-29}} Eagle Productions has helped train some actors and actresses in Ghana through its training arm, the Eagle Drama Workshop.{{Cite journal|url = http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.tiaw.org/resource/collection/581E64AE-930D-472A-8CAA-BCE515E7DAFF/2009_WOD.pdf|title = The International Alliance for Women|access-date = 26 November 2014}}
Early life
Asante was born in Ghana and is the second of five children. She holds a master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) and a Master's in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She also holds two bachelor's degrees. She graduated from University of Cape Coast, and also graduated from National Film and Television Institute.{{cite web|url=https://www.modernghana.com/lifestyle/549/16/juliet-asante-it-may-be-much-work-but-she-enjoys-d.html|title=Juliet Asante: It May Be Much Work But She Enjoys Doing Them|date=21 November 2008|work=Modern Ghana|publisher=MG Media Group|access-date=27 June 2015}}{{Cite web |title=Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante |url=https://managingghana.com/member/juliet-yaa-asantewa-asante/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Managing Ghana |language=en-US}}
Career
Asante is the former CEO of the National film Authority of Ghana, the board chair of the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the Founding President of the Black Star International Film Institute, organizers of the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF).{{Cite web|date=2019-12-20|title=Akufo Addo appoints David Dontoh as NFA chair, Juliet Asante as Executive Secretary|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/Akufo-Addo-appoints-David-Dontoh-as-NFA-chair-Juliet-Asante-as-Executive-Secretary-820144|access-date=2021-09-17|website=GhanaWeb|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-28 |title=Filmmaker Kafui Danku appointed Executive Secretary of National Film Authority |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/entertainment/showbiz-news/actress-kafui-danku-appointed-executive-secretary-of-national-film-authority.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Graphic Online |language=en-gb}}
She chairs the Curriculum committee of the Creative Arts School, a revolutionary educational concept by the Ministry of Education, Ghana. She is the founder of the Yaa Asantewa Library project, building and stocking libraries in Ghanaian communities.{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=Juliet Asante launches library project at La Bawaleshie Presby School|url=https://citinewsroom.com/2021/08/juliet-asante-launches-library-project-at-la-bawaleshie-presby-school/|access-date=2021-09-18|website=Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana|language=en-US}} She is a management consultant, change agent and strategic thinker with experience that spans two continents for over two decades. Asante has started, helped to build, built and managed organizations and products globally.{{Cite web|title=National Film Authority|url=https://www.nfa.gov.gh/team/peter-lee/|access-date=2021-09-18|archive-date=2021-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021092750/https://www.nfa.gov.gh/team/peter-lee/|url-status=dead}}
Asante was awarded ‘Best Actress’ in Ghana in 2001.{{Cite web|title=Juliet Asante {{!}} HuffPost|url=https://www.huffpost.com/author/juliet-asante|access-date=2020-05-19|website=www.huffpost.com|language=en}} She later went to the National Film and Television institute of Ghana, where she got her first class honors in Film Directing.{{Cite web|title=On location in Ghana with Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante - President of the Black Star International Film Institute|url=https://www.thelocationguide.com/2019/06/on-location-in-ghana-with-juliet-asante-president-of-the-black-star-international-film-institute/}}
Some of the films in which she has acted are Twin Lovers, Fresh Blood, Tears of Blood, Ripples, and Thread of Ananse. She appeared in the 1996 film Deadly Voyage as Albert Mensah's wife.{{Cite web|title=Juliet Asante|url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm5183296/|publisher=IMDB}} She has written, directed and produced shows on Ghana television, such as Obaby, a dating show, and Secrets, a drama series for which she is also executive producer.
Her latest film, Silver Rain, was nominated for "Best Film in West Africa" and "Best costume" for 2015 in the Africa Magic viewer's choice awards (AMVCA) and also 2015 "Best Overall Film In Africa". Silver Rain went on to garner over 13 nominations worldwide.{{cite web|title=Silver Rain Movie|url=http://www.mysilverrainmovie.com|access-date=22 November 2014|publisher=Silver Rain}}
As an Entrepreneur and Filmmaker, Asante founded Eagle Productions Limited in 1999, creatively leading the company to produce some of the most successful shows on Ghana Television between 2001 and 2010.
Asante was one of first people to pioneer the idea of short films made especially for your mobile phones. Her company, Mobilefliks successfully worked with MTN to make short films available to audiences through the mobile phone.
She is a regular writer and blogger for The Huffington Post and has served as a Mentor on Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan school of business from 2013 to date, also lecturing Mass Communication at the Webster University, Ghana campus in 2017.
Filmography
- Deadly Voyage as Albert's Wife
- Twin Lovers
- Fresh Blood
- Tears of Blood
- Ripples
- Thread of Ananse
- Silver Rain (2015) as Director
- Escape to Love (1996) as Sandra
- Screen Two (1996) as Albert's wife
- Tinsel
Honours
- The Hollywood Reporter′s "Next Generation International TV" (2009){{Cite web|url = http://hollywoodreporter.com/news/gen-intl-tv-class-89444?mobile_redirect=false|title=Award|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=29 September 2009}}
- The ‘"World of A Difference 100 Most Impactful Women" by the Alliance for Women (TIAW) (2009){{Cite web|title=Quality packaging critical to movie industry|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/quality-packaging-critical-movie-industry-juliet-asante|website=www.linkedin.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-19}}{{Cite web|title=Dr. Linda Iheme|url=https://www.facebook.com/LindaIhemeOfficial/posts/1713254362156802|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-19}}
- Ghana's Assoc. of Women Entrepreneur leaders (2009){{Cite web|title=SPLA {{!}} Juliet Asante|url=http://www.spla.pro/file.person.juliet-asante.44916.html|website=www.spla.pro|access-date=2020-05-19}}
- Best Actress Award of Ghana (2009)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{sisterlinks|wikt=no|c=Category:Juliet Asante|n=no|s=no|b=no|voy=no|v=no|d=Q18589332|species=no|m=no|mw=no}}
- {{IMDb name|5183296}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asante, Juliet}}
Category:Ghanaian film actresses
Category:20th-century Ghanaian actresses
Category:21st-century Ghanaian actresses
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Category:University of Cape Coast alumni
Category:Ghanaian expatriates in the United States