James Gardiner is the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority
Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority, James Gardiner, has stated that the Ghanaian movie industry is struggling because producers have grown too comfortable and taken audiences for granted.
In an interview on Peace FM, James Gardiner explained that many producers assume that once a movie is made and released in cinemas, people would automatically show up to watch.
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He noted that this assumption ignores the fact that audiences spend their hard-earned money on tickets, and therefore expect value for what they pay for.
According to Gardiner, a lot of the movies screened in cinemas tend to look similar, while others lack proper storytelling and direction. This, he explained, has led to dwindling interest in Ghanaian movies among the Ghanaian audiences.
“There’s a big problem in the industry. We must acknowledge that we have taken the audience for granted. We assumed that any movie produced and released in cinemas would attract viewers. We did not pay enough attention to the fact that people spend their hard-earned money to watch these Ghanaian films, especially since most of the stories are repetitive and you cannot see the direction the movie is taking. Because of that, the audience’s interest would decrease and that is where we have gotten to,” he said.
‘We don’t have support; it’s a big issue’ – James Gardiner on Ghana’s struggling film industry
Beyond storytelling, James Gardiner also mentioned that another challenge facing filmmakers is the lack of proper distribution channels after movies are produced.
He explained that getting movies onto platforms like Netflix is not straightforward, as negotiations often depend on how strong a movie’s streaming power is in its home country.
“Currently, a major problem is the lack of distribution platforms for these films. Regarding online platforms like Netflix, the ability to negotiate with them largely depends on one’s streaming power within their home country. In Ghana, with a population of about 35 million, only a small fraction is digitally savvy,” he explained.
@peace104.3fm1 The Problem In The Ghana Movie Industry Is That Producers Have Taken The Audience For Granted— James Gardiner, Deputy Executive Secretary Of The National Film Authority #EntertainmentReview
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