On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the celebrated filmmaker and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Farmhouse Productions, Mr. Ivan Quashigah, donated ten (10) professional tripods to the University of Media, Arts and Communication – Institute of Film and Television (UniMAC-IFT); returning to his alma mater with a gift rooted in gratitude and humility.
The award-winning Director, who also serves as the Board Chair of the National Film Authority, said the gesture was his way of giving back to the institution that shaped his career.
Welcoming him and his staff members to UniMAC-IFT, the Rector of UniMAC-IFT, Prof. Samuel Manasseh Yirenkyi, described Mr. Quashigah as a lifelong friend of the Institute. “He was a student here, and he is a student-friend of the Institute; he has IFT in his heart,” Prof. Samuel Manasseh Yirenkyi said.
Addressing students, faculty and management, Mr. Quashigah recalled the struggles of his days as a student in 1992, when limited resources forced him and his colleagues to improvise during film projects.
“We had to set up a cave scene and needed smoke, but there were no smoke machines then. So, we created one with incense to achieve the effect,” he recounted. “In the process, we left a mark on the studio floor. Each time I returned, there was one Technical Officer who would remind me, ‘You did that.’ I have always known that I owe this Institution so much.” He added.
Mr. Quashigah revealed that his training NAFTI, as the school was then called, came during one of the most difficult times in his life, with his father in detention and no certainty of how he would fund his education. “I managed to pay the first year’s fees, but I didn’t know how I was going to pay the second and third. It was the Friedrich Ebert Foundation that came in and saw me through. A lot of people didn’t know the story, but I looked after myself right through my education, because I was alone and my dad was in detention. NAFTI has always had a very special place in my heart.” He remarked.
Reflecting on his journey from those uncertain days to his current position, he urged others in the creative industry to follow his example. “It is like the story of the ten (10) lepers. At least one must come back to say thank you. This is the first, but it is not going to be the last. I believe others will see this and be inspired to come back.”
He explained that he brought with him to the donation ceremony, members of his staff, many of them, UniMAC-IFT graduates, so they could see and imagine themselves doing the same in the future.
Giving brief remarks prior to receiving the gifts, the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, said the filmmaker’s story was as important as the equipment he donated.
“I am touched by the story of the CEO of Farmhouse. It is not common to find people who have achieved so much, openly sharing their struggles. His journey, going through NAFTI ( now UniMAC -IFT) with very little financial support, is a lesson in humility and should inspire our students. This is more than equipment; it is about friendship, resilience and vision.”
The brief presentation event ended with loud applause from students who saw in Mr. Quashigah’s words and actions, a reflection of their own aspirations. It was a symbolic representation of a bridge between the struggles of one generation and the aspirations of another.
As the ceremony drew to a close, the sense of joy and pride across campus was palpable. The filmmaker who once sat in the same lecture halls, burdened by uncertainty, had returned as a beacon of hope, leaving behind not just equipment but a legacy of resilience, gratitude, and inspiration.
For the Institute of Film and Television, the donation was another reminder that its true legacy is measured in the loyalty and gratitude of those it trained.
Drafted by Makida El Husseini
Level 400 Broadcast Journalism Student