Mawuko Kuadzi Leads Casting Society of America and ICDA to Train Ghanaian Creatives

Accra, Ghana – Ghanaian casting director Mawuko Kuadzi has once again placed Ghana at the center of Africa’s creative development, leading an intensive Strategic Casting workshop during the Accra Indie Film Festival (AiF) at Alliance Française in Accra.

The event, organized by MK Casting in partnership with the Casting Society of America (CSA), attracted a packed hall of Ghanaian creatives, with additional African participants joining virtually. Joining Kuadzi in delivering the high-impact Pan-African session were Cassandra Han, Global President of the CSA; Christa Schamberger, CSA member and South African-based casting director; and Olissa Rogers, CSA member and UK-based casting director.

The workshop combined lectures, role plays, practical exercises, presentations, and a robust Q&A session. Participants shared their excitement about the training, with many noting that the insights gained would be career-defining. “If I had received this kind of training earlier, I wouldn’t have missed some opportunities I lost in my career,” one attendee remarked.

Speaking after the session, Mawuko Kuadzi explained that the workshop was part of a Pan-African agenda aimed at collaborating with global industry experts to elevate the standards of Africa’s creative economy. “This is only the beginning,” Mawuko Kuadzi said. “We have more workshops and masterclasses planned across the continent to ensure African talent is fully prepared for global opportunities.”

CSA Global President Cassandra Han praised the quality of the creatives present, expressing optimism about the future of Africa’s creative economy. “There is immense talent here, and with the right training and collaboration, Africa can become a dominant force in the global creative industry,” she said.

The event marks another milestone in Mawuko Kuadzi’s ongoing mission to connect African talent with international platforms, following his historic win as the first African to secure a CSA ARTIOS Award earlier this year.

Mawuko Kuadzi is a Ghanaian casting director and founder of MK Casting, the first professional casting company in Ghana. A member of both the Casting Society of America (CSA) and the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA), he is celebrated for championing African talent and bridging the gap between the continent and global film industries.

In 2025, Mawuko made history as the first African to win a CSA Artios Award, earning Best Casting in a Commercial for the NFL Super Bowl spot “Born to Play”. His credits include a diverse array of international productions such as Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation, Amazon Prime’s Treadstone, BBC and Netflix’s Black Earth Rising, and Ghana’s first Oscar-submitted feature Azali. He has also worked on commercials and features for global brands, including Turkish Airlines and Paramount Pictures. He is the CEO of the Africa Monologue Challenge.