EDITOR’S LENS: Ghana’s film industry deserves a bold, new script
Ghana’s film industry, once a vibrant source of national pride and cultural storytelling, is now facing a slow and painful decline.
The recent outcry by celebrated actress Gloria Osei Sarfo about the state of the struggling creative space has reignited an urgent conversation that the industry is on life support, and a decisive intervention is long overdue.
Her honest comparison between Ghana’s struggling movie scene and Nigeria’s thriving Nollywood touched a raw nerve. It was not just a moment of frustration; it was a bold cry for rescue, revival and reform.
The facts are stark. Nollywood churns out hundreds of films each year and has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry with global reach, and makes a significant contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.
Ghana’s film industry, on the other hand, is still finding its feet and struggling to release even a handful of quality films each year. Our actors, directors, writers, technicians and other talented creatives are underutilised and far from reaching their full potential, stifled by a chronic lack of investment, weak infrastructure and inadequate government support.
Gloria’s observation that many Ghanaian creatives could flourish in Nollywood if given the right support is a damning indictment of the local industry. Ghana is not short on talent; we are short on support systems. The stories are there. The skills are there. What the creative space lacks is the enabling environment to blossom. (Read EDITOR'S LENS: …Of lyrics and other elements in ‘cooking’ good music)
The challenges are well known. Underfunding has left Ghanaian filmmakers with shoestring budgets, compromising both quality and output. Inadequate production infrastructure, from modern studios to post-production facilities, further hinders creativity and professionalism.
The few cinemas available struggle with maintenance and access, and weak distribution channels mean that even the best Ghanaian films rarely get the reach they deserve, while audiences are increasingly turning to foreign content.
Let us not underestimate what is at stake. A vibrant film industry has far-reaching economic and social benefits for Ghana. It can create thousands of jobs in the creative space for actors, directors, writers, costume designers, set builders, sound engineers, make-up artists and more.
It can drive tourism, preserve and export Ghanaian culture, empower youth, and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP. Hollywood is a cornerstone of America’s cultural influence; Bollywood is a pillar of India’s global image. Nollywood is Africa’s cultural megaphone. Ghana can be next, but only if we take deliberate, strategic steps.
It will require the government to play a leading role in this transformation by treating the film industry as a serious business sector through film-friendly policies, offering tax breaks and other incentives for local productions, and crucially enforcing intellectual property rights to protect creators from piracy.
However, this cannot be government-driven alone. Public-private partnerships are the future. The National Film Authority must become a force for real change, working with stakeholders to develop the industry into a sustainable economic pillar.
Graphic Showbiz maintains that this is the time to act with real investment, bold policies and collaborative energy.
