Ghanaian environmental documentary ATEWA has earned international recognition after being officially selected and honoured at the Italia Green Film Festival in Rome, Italy, on May 25, 2026.
The documentary, produced by Edem Srem and directed by Richardson Daniel, was selected among about 50 films chosen for the festival from thousands of submissions received globally this year.
“We submitted the film to the festival and they have a panel of judges that review the thousands of applications. This year, only about fifty films were selected for the festival,” Edem Srem said.
The film highlights the campaign to protect the Atewa Forest from bauxite mining and calls for the forest reserve to be designated as a National Park.
Speaking after the recognition in Rome, Srem expressed excitement over the film’s growing global reach.
“We feel excited, and we are glad that the film has been selected all the way in Italy, where people recognise the work and advocacy we are doing on environmental issues in Ghana. We are also happy that it will be seen by many people across the world to help garner more support for the cause,” he said.
The documentary follows campaigners, scientists, and local communities resisting mining activities in the Atewa Forest, one of Ghana’s last remaining upland evergreen forests and a major source of clean water for more than five million people.
Through personal stories and environmental advocacy, the film underscores the ecological importance of Atewa and the push to secure long-term protection for the forest.
The latest international recognition comes after ATEWA won the Best Documentary award at the 2025 Accra Indie Film Festival (AIFF).
