Jury members of the 2018 Golden Movie Awards have expressed concern about the falling standards of movie production across Africa.

The Golden Movie Awards, which is in its fourth year, is an honorary award scheme which rewards actors, directors and producers across Africa for their diligence and professionalism.

At a press session with this years’ jury, made up of filmmakers and critics from Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, the members expressed concern that productions received were substandard.

The jury this year has multiple-award winning Nigerian film director and producer, Mildred Okwo as President, while Ghana’s award-winning scriptwriter and film director, Veronica Quashigah is the Vice President.

The jury also includes veteran actress Grace Omaboe; showbiz critic, presenter and public relations officer of the award, Ken Addy; accomplished journalist/strategic communications expert Amba Mpoke-Bigg; United Kingdom-based Ghanaian Film Critic and Journalist Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri; and Ghanaian Filmmaker and Managing Director of Hacky Films, Hackman Asare.

The rest are, Selima Awudu, who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film and Digital editing from the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI); Rex-Anthony Annan, a Film & Television Executive; Nana Michaels Dzikunu, an event Director and Executive Producer; and Burkina Faso’s Apolline Traore, who has a BFA in Film from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.

“We should also try to produce films that project the positive side of Africa so that it is not always bad,” former head of the jury, Grace Omaboe said at a media briefing.

“It’s heart-breaking to see some of the movies, too many gimmicks. I can’t understand how Ghana was the first West African country to think of film and then we throw it all away,” Selima Awudu added.

“It’s not only Kumawood but even Ghollywood, I have seen so many drone shoots that are irrelevant to the story,” Chris Vincent stressed.

“The problem is, everyone with a camera thinks they are filmmakers,” Burkina Faso’s Apolline Traore said.

According to the director of the award scheme, Mimi Adani, about 200 movies were submitted by movie makers from Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, and about 60 of them were shortlisted and handed over to the jury for deliberations.

Mimi Adani told JoyNews' MzGee the newest addition to the 2018 edition is the ‘Founder’s Excellence Award’.

“The founder category is solely going to be the founder’s decision. He has decided that as a Ghanaian and a founder of an African film awards, he will like to encourage Ghanaians so he can choose from any film whether it was submitted or not,” she said.

This year’s award is slated for June 2, 2018. Nominees will be named in Burkina Faso.