Ghana’s film industry has ingredients but lacks recipe – KSM – Nsemkeka
Renowned Ghanaian comedian and filmmaker, Kwaku Sintim Misa, popularly known as KSM, has shared his thoughts on the current state of the Ghanaian film industry, emphasizing that while the country possesses the talent and resources, it still lacks the proper structure to thrive.
Speaking on The Career program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, KSM remarked that Ghana’s film industry has great potential but is missing a clear blueprint for success.
“In Ghana, our film industry is amazing. We have all the ingredients for a great film industry, but I don’t think we have the recipe right yet,” he said.
KSM acknowledged that although some producers in Ghana have managed to figure out this “recipe,” the majority are still struggling to find their footing.
“We have some segments of Ghanaians who now have the recipe, but for the most part, that’s what we have struggled with in the industry,” he added.
He attributed this challenge to the fact that Ghana’s film sector is still in a developmental phase. Drawing comparisons with Nigeria, he explained that the Nigerian film industry has had more years of exposure and experience, which has allowed them to refine their production and distribution systems over time.
“Unfortunately, it is still a growing industry. We can’t compare the film industry in Ghana to that of Nigeria. The Nigerians have had a longer time of being exposed to making films. And the more they make them, the more they get better. The more they produce, the more they devise ways of distributing them. Eventually, you realize you’ve developed a system that works for you,” KSM stated.
In contrast, Ghana, he said, has not had a solid, long-term system in place, particularly when it comes to distribution.
“Somebody will hustle to make money, then hustle to pay for the film. And after paying for the film, the actors, and everyone else involved, they now have to hustle again just to distribute the film. There are no proper distribution outlets,” he lamented.
KSM recounted earlier years when CD and DVD formats served as the primary means of distribution in Ghana. According to him, after a film was completed, producers would burn it onto CDs or DVDs and resort to physically marketing them on the streets.
“It got to a point where, when you made a film in Ghana, it went straight to CD. Even before DVDs, there were CDs. To sell the film, you had to mount a float and sell the CDs. This is not a distribution system. The recipe is not working,” he stressed.
Despite these challenges, KSM praised some filmmakers who have managed to get their movies into cinemas. However, he pointed out that due to the absence of a well-developed distribution network, even these films struggle to reach wider audiences across the country.
“We have some great filmmakers in Ghana. Even now, I know great films. In places with a developed system, once a film is released in one cinema, it is simultaneously shown in others, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Sunyani, reaching over 200 cinemas at the same time. But in Ghana, because we don’t have a well-developed system, a film may premiere at Silverbird in Accra, and then the producers have to manually arrange for showings in Kumasi. That kind of model doesn’t support industry growth,” he concluded.