Shirley Frimpong-Manso is a Ghanaian film director,writer and producer who shot onto the Ghanaian movie scene with the urge to change the way Ghana was portrayed in movies. Her strong personality is spelt out in her films as she portrays African women who can be breadwinners and lead complex lives thus breaking away from the status quo of the traditional African woman. She is the founder and CEO of Sparrow Productions, a film, television and advertising production company. Shirley is also a principal of Sparrow Station, a video streaming service for African entertainment from Sparrow and other African film producers.
Shirley graduated from the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) in 2000. Shortly after school, with the help of producer and actress Juliet Asante, Shirley helped produce the TV show Heart to Heart which run for two years, after which she went on to start Sparrow Productions in 2003.
Before her huge break in the film industry, Shirley produced Different Shades of Blue (TV series), Personalities Kitchen (cooking show) and the Miss Ghana pageant which she produced for five years and had two Miss World semifinalists during the period which she produced the show.
Shirley Frimpong-Manso, since her fierce intrusion onto the Ghanaian movie scene, has since 2009 graced our screens with award-winning movies and television series that are not like the regular story lines that we are used to. Here are some movies Sparrow Production has produced since it’s inception.
Life and Living It (2009)
Scorned (2009)
The Perfect Picture (2009)
A Sting in a Tale (2009)
Checkmate (2010)
Six Hours to Christmas (2010)
Peep (TV series 2011)
Contract (2012)
Adam’s Apples (TV series 2011-2013)
Potomanto (2013)
Big for Nothing (2013)
Stranger in Bed (2013)
Tenant (2013)
Devil in Detail (2014)
Love or Someting Like That (2014)
V-Republic (TV series 2014)
Grey Dawn (2015)
Rebecca (2016)
Shampaign (2016)
All of this hard work could obviously not go unrecognized. There is a reward for every dint of hard work and Shirley has had her fair share of awards for all her hard work.
At the 6th Africa Movie Academy Awards held in Nigeria in 2010, Shirley picked up the award for Best Director for her movie The Perfect Picture. A Sting in a Tale also picked up the award for the Best Soundtrack.
A Sting in a Tale also picked up the award for Audience Favorite Narrative Feature at the 18th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival held in Los Angeles in 2010.
At the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Shirley won the awards for the Best Video Editor and the Best Movie Director.
During the Ghana Movie Awards held in 2014, her movie, Love or Something Like That won her the award for the Best Director and Best Writing-Original or Adapted Screenplay.
Shirley Frimpong-Manso has stamped her authority on the Ghanaian movie scene and is giving the movie industry a revolution that can cause a successful turn of events for the industry in some years to come. Kudos to you for the good work and thank you for giving us something to learn from aside from witchcraft and love stories (yes I said it )
