Ghana’s film industry has ingredients but lacks recipe – KSM

Kwaku Sintim Misa, known as KSM, is a famous Ghanaian comedian and filmmaker. He recently shared his views on the Ghanaian film industry. KSM believes the country has talent and resources but lacks proper structure.

He spoke on The Career program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News. KSM noted that Ghana's film industry has great potential but needs a clear plan for success.

“In Ghana, our film industry is amazing,” he said. “We have all the ingredients for a great film industry, but I don’t think we have the recipe right yet.”

KSM acknowledged that some producers have figured out this "recipe." However, most are still struggling to find their footing in the industry.

He explained that Ghana’s film sector is still developing. Compared to Nigeria, he said, Ghana lacks years of exposure and experience. This has hindered its ability to refine production and distribution systems.

“Unfortunately, it is still a growing industry,” KSM stated. “We can’t compare the film industry in Ghana to that of Nigeria.” He emphasized that Nigerians have had more time to improve their filmmaking processes.

In contrast, he pointed out that Ghana does not have a solid distribution system. Producers often hustle to make money for films and then struggle with distribution.

“There are no proper distribution outlets,” he lamented.

KSM recalled earlier years when CDs and DVDs were the main formats for distribution in Ghana. After completing a film, producers would burn it onto CDs or DVDs for street sales.

“It got to a point where films went straight to CD,” he explained. “To sell them, you had to mount a float.” He stressed that this method is not an effective distribution system.

Despite these challenges, KSM praised filmmakers who manage to get their movies into cinemas. However, he noted that even successful films struggle to reach wider audiences due to poor distribution networks.

“We have some great filmmakers in Ghana,” he said. “In places with developed systems, films release simultaneously across many cinemas.” In contrast, in Ghana, producers must manually arrange showings in different cities after premieres.

“That kind of model doesn’t support industry growth,” KSM concluded.