Founder of Kumawood Awards, Samuel Darko
Ghanaian filmmaker and visionary behind the once-thriving Kumawood Awards, Mr. Samuel Darko—widely known in the industry as SamDakus—has finally broken his silence on why the prestigious award scheme was abruptly halted. His reasons are as explosive as they are heartbreaking.
Speaking candidly in an interview on SeanCity TV with media personality Ruthy Mummy DeNelson, the multi-faceted producer and director revealed that the Kumawood Awards were suspended due to a painful lack of sponsorship and, even more disturbingly, a lack of support from his own people within the Kumawood film space, particularly in Kumasi.
“I didn’t stop the awards because I wanted to. I had to suspend it because there was no money, no sponsorship. But what broke me the most was the zero support from the very people I was organizing it for,” SamDakus confessed.
He lamented the toxic culture of inconsistency and hypocrisy within the movie industry, stating that many industry players only acknowledge the award scheme when they win—but quickly turn around to discredit it when they don’t. “When they win, the awards are authentic. When they lose, they call it fake. That’s the problem,” he said.
SamDakus emphasized that despite pouring his heart, time, and resources into building a credible platform to celebrate Ghanaian film talent, he was left stranded and disappointed by the very people he fought for.
His bold statements have stirred serious conversations among film lovers and industry stakeholders, with many questioning why such a promising initiative was left to die in silence.
With the curtains closed on the Kumawood Awards for now, the big question remains: Can the industry rise above pride and division to revive what once celebrated its own heroes?
