Ato Kwamina Yanney (Ato Yanney snr) was born on the 22nd January 1933 at Senya Bereku in the Central Region of Ghana. He attended the London school of Film Technique, where he studied screenplay writing and directing. He then went to the London University to pursue a degree in film critique and appreciation.
During his days in England, he wrote short stories for B.B.C Home service which was broadcast to British Audiences. Some of the stories that he is fondly remembered for is the “Ominous Sneeze”, and " It came from Heaven" broadcast on BBC Home Service.
Remembering the adage ‘there is no place like home,’ he returned to Ghana to join the Ghana Film Industry Corporation (Now Gama Film Company (GFC)) in 1963, andwith dedication and hard work he became the Head of Production of the corporation. He then left Ghana in the early sixties to study at the Feature and Documentary Film Studious in Poland.
Whilst at the Ghana Film Industry Corporation he wrote and directed several documentaries which dwelled on social, political and religious issues. Among his great works are “Panoply of Ghana”, THE MARKET DAY, CULT OF TWINS, POPULATION CENSUS, GOLDEN POD, RAINBOW COLORS, NEW BREED,GENESIS CHAPTER X(screenplay), NO TEARS FOR ANANSE (screenplay), DEATH ON WHEELS etc.
He also wrote and directed " His Majesty’s Sergeant”; a film shot in 1983/84 on PANAVISION wide screen (35mm), with Tumi Ebow Ansa (Tommy Ebo Ansah), Tony Trent, Surinder Singh Ghuman, George Williams RIP, Kofi Mends RIP etc., and the crew comprising of Rev. Chris Hesse as DOP, James Mettle as cameraman and Bernard Odjidja as editor.
The short (tv) version was released in London by Big H Entertainment, a United Kingdom based production house in 2011.
The late Ato Kwamina Yanney also wrote and directed video productions such as THE LAST SHOW, with Allen Gyimah’s Video City in 1987, and served as a consultant with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in the early 90’s, and was also responsible for the grooming of celebrated Film Directors like George Bosompim, Ivan Quashigah, Yaw Boakye, William Tamakloe, and introduced celebrated filmmaker and cousin Kwaw Ansah into filmmaking, to mention but a few.
He was honored for his contribution to the development of the Ghanaian film industry in the field of film production and directing during their 40th anniversary celebrations, and a certificate of distinction in script writing during the centenary of world cinema.
He was also a regular contributor to articles on social, political and religious issues in the National dailies like the Daily Graphic and Times and a member of the British Film Institute and a member of the Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Death laid its icy hands on him on the 10th of April 2011 after a shot illness.
One of his works which has been released after his demise is Old Simpson series, produced/directed by Ato Yanney Jnr with the late Solomon Sampah as “Old Simpson”.
