Juliet Asante Urges Ghanaian Creatives to “Reinvent Themselves” at US Embassy Freedom250 Event
Award-winning filmmaker and founder of the Black Star International Film Festival, Juliet Asante, has called on Ghanaian creatives to embrace reinvention, persistence, and authenticity if they want to build lasting careers in the arts.
Speaking at the U.S. Embassy Ghana’s _Freedom250_ series on the theme “American Excellence in Film and the Influence of Exchange Alumni on Ghana’s Creative Industry,” Asante shared lessons from her 35-year journey in film and announced a new mentorship program launching in June.
“You have to reinvent yourself”
Asante, 52, said her longevity in the industry has come from constantly reshaping her craft and identity.
“I have operated over three decades because I’ve been in this sector getting to 35 years,” she said. “I’m 52 this year, so that is how many times have I reinvented myself. Change myself. You know me today, you see me tomorrow, I’m somebody different.”
She told the audience that reinvention means facing uncomfortable truths about oneself.
“As a creative, you have to reinvent yourself, and you have to touch your darkness. You have to touch your shadow. Don’t run away from the dark side of you. Don’t run away from who you are. Don’t run away from your story,” she said. “Don’t run away from your calling, because that is where your goal is. Don’t try to be any person. Go deeper instead of coming outward.”
Persistence over talent
Asante also spoke about the reality of breaking into the industry, recalling that she auditioned for almost a year before landing her first role.
“If you see one person who is successful, there are 99 people who failed, or perhaps 1,000 people who failed,” she said. “So it’s not easy. So it’s about persistence. You have to keep doing it over and over and over and over again. You have to keep showing up.”
She contrasted her early experience with today’s opportunities, noting that digital platforms have lowered the barrier to entry.
“What Kofi mentioned about technology being available to you… we didn’t have that. Nothing I did is online, but now you can do it and put it online and market yourself, and there you are now,” she said. “If you and her got together and decided to start making skits, or whatever you are doing… and when we say vertical filmmaking, making films for your phone, it’s not that the quality should be down. You have to study what it means to make vertical films, and you can sell it wherever you want to sell.”
Her message was simple: “Most importantly, don’t give up. Keep showing up again and again. Then one day… the person who succeeds is not the person who is talented. It’s the person who did it one more time when everybody else stopped.”
New mentorship program
Asante used the platform to announce a mentorship project aimed at helping young creatives navigate the industry.
“I’m starting a mentorship project because I’ve been mentored and benefited from mentorship,” she said. “If you follow me on social media, you would see that I’ve posted my mentorship program, which is happening in June. We’ll talk about this and more, and the journey and the opportunity in reinventing as a creative.”
She encouraged aspiring filmmakers, writers, and producers to register and attend.
Context of the event
The Freedom250 series, hosted by the U.S. Embassy Ghana, marks 250 years of U.S. independence by spotlighting American culture and its global influence. This session focused on film and the role of exchange alumni in shaping Ghana’s creative sector.
Asante’s Black Star International Film Festival has become one of West Africa’s key platforms for showcasing independent African cinema and fostering cross-border collaborations.
