BUFFALO, N.Y. — A resident is bringing diversity into Buffalo's film industry.
It's called Anak's Studios. It's on Main Street on the East Side of Buffalo. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but when you step inside, you'll see a filmmaker making movie magic.
"Storytelling is part of Ghanian heritage. I want that to transcend in the Buffalo community. Anak's Studios doesn't matter who you are. Whether you're white or Black, this is a big challenge here in Buffalo," Anakwah said.
Samuel Anakwah, a Ghanaian-American filmmaker, opened a multimedia studio on the East Side. He did it last October and is helping cast more diverse people into Buffalo's film industry.
"I'm looking to work with some film people that we can connect, sit down and talk about film and bring something that'll push Buffalo," he said.
However, for Samuel, his journey has been tough.
"I tried to meet one or two people," Anakwah says, "but the connection is still not there."
He says coming to America and starting the film studio has been a tough road in Buffalo. He tries networking but can't find anyone in the film industry to network with.
Samuel does a multitude of media work. He works with photography, filmmaking, and editing. He also dabbles in music.
He has college students in his studio to gain more experience in multimedia. Not only will it help Samuel with his projects, but allow his students for more practice.
"Working as a student and having this as a side job, it'll pave a lot of opportunities for me," Enock Inmfour says.
Inmfour is a Master's student at Canisius College.
"I want to be very strategic with my work as a professional to set myself apart from other colleges," he said.
Sam has won awards in Africa for cinematography and uses his skills to produce films with schools.
"Someone coming from Africa to America, it's not easy," Samuel said.
But with the lights, cameras, and Sam's actions he has the right focus.
You can read more about him here.
You can check out some of his work here.