Veteran Ghanaian actress Selassie Ibrahim has said the challenges confronting Ghana’s film industry extend beyond marketing and investment, citing low patronage of locally produced films as a major obstacle to the sector’s growth.
Speaking in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Selassie Ibrahim argued that many Ghanaians dismiss local films without taking the time to assess the progress being made within the industry.
According to the actress, the perception that Ghanaian productions are inferior continues to undermine efforts by filmmakers to build a sustainable industry.
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“It is not about failing to deploy the right tools to reach the Ghanaian consumer. My observation is that anything made in Ghana is often considered not good enough. People do not even take the time to watch and appreciate whether there has been improvement. They simply conclude that it is not good,” she said.
Ibrahim contrasted the situation in Ghana with that of Nigeria, where audiences actively support local productions and talent.
“I live in Nigeria and work there frequently. You will hardly find them turning away from their own content, even on DStv. They love their own and patronise it. No matter what, they want to support their own. But in Ghana, the opposite is often the case,” she noted.
Selassie Ibrahim urged Ghanaians to support the local film industry by watching Ghanaian films and patronising cinema releases, stressing that audience support is essential for filmmakers to recover production costs and fund future projects.
“We are only pleading with Ghanaians to start watching our content. Go to the cinemas, watch our movies and encourage us to produce more. If I invest in a film and cannot recover even my initial investment, how do I go back on set to produce another one?” she asked.
Addressing concerns about the quality of Ghanaian productions, Selassie Ibrahim maintained that the country has strong storytelling potential but argued that inconsistent production schedules have affected the industry’s ability to maintain momentum.
“It is not that we cannot produce good content. Ghana has authentic stories to tell. We are intentional and detailed in our storytelling. But when you are not producing regularly, you become rusty. It is like acting, scriptwriting or driving; when you stop practising, you lose that sharpness,” she explained.
The founder of the REFFA Awards also called for greater collaboration among industry players, investors and the public to help revive the sector.
“We also have a role to play. We must learn to put our houses in order and do things properly. It has to be a collective effort between filmmakers, investors and the Ghanaian public,” she said.