Actor-cum-politician John Dumelo (L) with actress Jackie Appiah (R)
Film producer and CEO of Kofas Media, Kofi Asamoah, has dismissed claims that Ghana’s movie industry is dead, arguing that the absence of familiar faces like John Dumelo and Jackie Appiah from new films does not reflect the true state of the industry.
Speaking on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, September 13, Asamoah stressed that the industry has simply evolved with new platforms and faces but continues to thrive with more productions and producers than ever before.
“The Ghana movie industry is not dead. I am just an individual case,” he said, explaining that he no longer makes as many films as he used to because his attention is now focused on advertising and corporate communications.
He pointed out that critics often judge the industry by the absence of familiar stars.
“In the past, we were stuck to a few. People expect to see John Dumelo or Jackie Appiah, and so since they are not seeing Jackie Appiah in new movies, then the industry is dead. No, it is not,” he said.
Asamoah highlighted the rise of digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook as new avenues for Ghanaian filmmakers to showcase their work, stressing that audiences must adjust their perception of what constitutes film distribution.
“If you go on YouTube today, the quantum of content there from Ghana is overwhelming. There are more productions now than there were in the past,” he noted, citing platforms like Akwaaba Magic and Canal+ that dedicate entire channels to Ghanaian movies.
He warned that dismissing the industry only undermines its progress, urging audiences to support the new wave of content.
“We ourselves are killing the industry… People would sit there and say the movie industry is dead when we’ve never made an attempt to walk into a cinema or even Google the latest Ghana movies,” he lamented.
Kofi Asamoah encouraged Ghanaians to embrace the industry’s transition into the digital space. “If YouTube now is the thing, let’s do it until such a time that something else comes up,” he added.
