Jim Iyke is a Nigerian filmmaker
Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke, has called on Ghanaians to stop the blame games and instead, come together to find lasting solutions to problems within the movie industry.
In an interview on Okay FM with Nana Romeo, Jim Iyke spoke about the current state of the Ghanaian movie industry, comparing it to the thriving Nollywood industry.
According to him, while healthy comparison and competition used to exist between the two industries, that is no longer the case.
“You need comparison. You need to set a mood board for what you want to achieve in life. For me, it is healthy competition, except that there is no more competition on the other side. There used to be great competition, but it sadly does not exist anymore because you guys allowed politics to get over you. We don’t let personal feelings get in the way of business; that’s the difference,” Jim Iyke said.
The actor noted that the lack of unity and constructive dialogue among Ghanaian creatives has made it difficult for the industry to grow.
He said instead of constantly blaming politics and individuals, Ghanaian filmmakers and stakeholders should focus on collaboration and finding ways to rebuild the industry.
“It’s not rosy, there are so many challenges. As a creative, you go through so many hurdles to bring to the forefront your work, your content. And it just so happens you are dealing with great resilience. They (Nigerian creatives) are not worried about what the other person is saying,” he noted.
Jim Iyke also pointed out that while he often hears Ghanaians complain about the challenges in their movie industry, he rarely hears solutions being discussed.
He further encouraged Ghanaian creatives, especially the youth, to come together and have open discussions on how to improve the state of filmmaking in the country.
“I don’t hear resolution; all I hear are complaints. There are so many young people, sit down and have a conversation collectively. How can we lift this?” he asked.
He also acknowledged that, from his perspective, the Ghanaian government appears to be doing more to support its creative industry than the Nigerian government does.
“The government of this land is far more supportive of your industry than ours,” he added.
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