JAMES GARDINER CALLS FOR GREATER SUPPORT FOR GHANAIAN FILMS, SAYS ‘IF A FILM IS GOOD, IT WILL TRAVEL’

Ghanaian actor and National Film Authority Deputy Executive Secretary James Gardiner has called for stronger public support for locally produced films, arguing that Ghana’s relatively small population should not prevent the country’s movies from achieving commercial success at home and internationally if producers focus on quality and audiences are willing to support their own industry. Gardiner said strong storytelling, careful production and a committed local audience can give Ghanaian films the foundation they need to travel beyond the domestic market, rather than allowing the size of Ghana’s population to become an excuse for limited commercial performance.

Speaking to arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Gardiner argued that policymakers and industry institutions can create an enabling environment for producers, actors, distributors and other stakeholders, but those interventions alone cannot sustain the industry if audiences do not actively patronise Ghanaian productions. He said support from viewers is essential because filmmakers ultimately depend on audiences buying cinema tickets, legally streaming films, attending screenings and engaging with locally produced content if the business is to remain commercially viable.

Gardiner said the quality of the film itself remains crucial because good films are capable of crossing national boundaries and attracting viewers well beyond their country of origin. His argument was that Ghana should not measure the potential success of its industry only against the size of its domestic market because successful films from smaller countries can reach global audiences through cinemas, festivals, television, streaming services, digital platforms and international distribution agreements. He therefore urged filmmakers to pay attention to every stage of production while also challenging audiences to approach Ghanaian films with greater openness.

He said local viewers sometimes approach Ghanaian productions with the expectation that something will be wrong, watching primarily to identify mistakes rather than allowing themselves to engage naturally with the story. According to Gardiner, foreign productions are often given more room for imperfection, while similar mistakes in Ghanaian films can become evidence for sweeping claims that the local industry lacks quality. He argued that such an attitude places additional pressure on filmmakers who are already working in an industry with limited financing, cinema infrastructure and distribution opportunities.

Gardiner’s comments were reinforced by actress and producer Yvonne Okoro, who also appeared during the discussion and criticised what she described as a persistent lack of audience confidence in Ghanaian films. Okoro said some viewers automatically assume local films are inferior even before watching them, while foreign productions from Hollywood or neighbouring Nigeria can receive strong support despite having their own weaknesses. She argued that Ghanaian filmmakers are frequently forced to overcome negative perceptions in addition to the normal challenges of producing, marketing and distributing films.

Okoro said audiences sometimes question whether a Ghanaian film will be worth watching even after producers have invested heavily in promotion. At the same time, she argued, those same viewers may willingly sit through foreign productions they consider mediocre without dismissing the entire film industries that produced them. Her concern was not that audiences should support poor filmmaking uncritically, but that individual Ghanaian films should be judged on their actual quality rather than being rejected because of assumptions attached to the country of origin.

The discussion touches one of the longstanding challenges facing Ghana’s film sector: how to rebuild a commercially sustainable local audience while simultaneously positioning Ghanaian stories for the international market. Ghana has produced filmmakers, actors and technicians who have achieved recognition across Africa and at international festivals, but local producers continue to struggle with financing, limited theatrical screens, distribution difficulties, piracy and competition from a massive volume of foreign entertainment available through television and digital platforms.

Gardiner’s position is that audience support and production quality must develop together. Local viewers are unlikely to support films consistently if quality is poor, while producers will struggle to improve quality if films cannot generate enough revenue to finance stronger scripts, equipment, locations, post-production, marketing and professional crews. That creates a cycle in which weak commercial returns can limit production budgets, while limited budgets can make it more difficult to compete with films produced in larger and better-funded industries.

Breaking that cycle requires both filmmakers and audiences to play a role. Producers need to build confidence through compelling stories, professional production values and effective marketing, while audiences need to give those productions a genuine opportunity to succeed. Gardiner’s argument suggests that neither side can reasonably expect the other to carry the industry alone.

Ghana’s population is significantly smaller than markets such as Nigeria, which gives Nollywood a major domestic advantage. Nigerian producers have access to a population of more than 200 million people, a large diaspora and an established digital film culture in which YouTube and streaming platforms can generate substantial audiences. Ghanaian producers cannot reproduce that domestic scale, making international distribution and diaspora audiences especially important to the country’s long-term film economy.

Gardiner nevertheless rejected the idea that this automatically places a fixed ceiling on Ghanaian films. He argued that entertainment increasingly travels according to audience interest rather than population boundaries, meaning a strong Ghanaian production can potentially build audiences in Nigeria, other African markets, Europe, North America and among global streaming viewers. In that environment, the ability to tell stories with emotional or cultural appeal can matter more than the number of people living within the producing country.

Examples from world cinema support the broader principle that relatively small domestic markets can produce internationally successful films and television series when content is distinctive and distribution is strong. Ghanaian filmmakers therefore face the challenge of creating work that remains culturally grounded while being accessible enough to attract audiences outside the country. That does not necessarily require abandoning Ghanaian languages or local identities, because distinctive cultural storytelling can itself become part of a film’s international appeal.

The National Film Authority has increasingly promoted that position as part of its efforts to make Ghana a stronger destination for film production and develop the local industry into a competitive creative economy. The Authority was established under the Development and Classification of Film Act, 2016, Act 935, and is responsible for regulating and helping to develop Ghana’s film ecosystem. Its official mission includes facilitating high-quality productions capable of appealing to both domestic and global markets.

Gardiner’s role as Deputy Executive Secretary gives his comments an institutional dimension beyond his career as an actor. The NFA has identified funding, film education, distribution, marketing, cinema infrastructure, copyright protection and industry organisation as areas requiring improvement if Ghanaian film is to grow sustainably. The Authority has also used stakeholder engagements to encourage filmmakers, government institutions, investors and audiences to treat the development of film as a shared national responsibility.

The NFA’s National Film Dialogue has been one of the initiatives intended to address those challenges. The Authority launched the platform to bring together filmmakers, producers, distributors, policymakers, academics and other industry participants to discuss financing, market access, digital distribution and ways of building stronger connections between Ghanaian films and local audiences. The initiative reflects a recognition that the problems facing the sector cannot be solved through one policy intervention or one government agency alone.

The Authority has also pursued a Film Development Fund designed to provide support across film development, production, distribution, marketing, training and cinema infrastructure. Access to reliable financing remains one of the most significant difficulties facing Ghanaian producers because high-quality filmmaking requires substantial capital long before revenue begins to arrive. Without financing systems suited to the creative sector, producers often rely on personal savings, informal investors or very limited budgets.

That financing problem directly affects the quality issue raised by Gardiner. Strong cinematography, sound, production design, editing, visual effects and marketing all require skilled professionals and financial resources. A filmmaker working with an extremely constrained budget may understand what is needed creatively but still be unable to achieve the level of execution audiences expect from international productions made with significantly larger resources.

This does not mean every successful film requires a huge budget. Carefully written and directed films can succeed with modest resources when filmmakers understand their limitations and build stories that can be executed effectively within them. However, sustainable improvement across an entire national industry requires predictable financing, professional training and a market capable of returning enough revenue to investors.

Distribution is equally important because even a well-made film cannot succeed commercially if audiences cannot find it. Ghana has a relatively limited number of cinema screens compared with larger film markets, while television licensing and streaming agreements can vary widely in value. Digital distribution, including YouTube and subscription platforms, has therefore become increasingly important for Ghanaian producers seeking to reach viewers without depending entirely on traditional cinemas.

Gardiner has previously highlighted digital platforms as an important opportunity for Ghanaian filmmakers, particularly because online distribution can connect producers directly with global audiences. The challenge is ensuring that filmmakers understand digital marketing, rights management, monetisation and audience data well enough to turn online visibility into sustainable revenue rather than simply uploading content without a commercial strategy.

Piracy remains another major obstacle. Unauthorised copying and distribution can quickly undermine a film’s ability to recover its production costs, especially in a relatively small market where producers need every legitimate viewing opportunity to generate revenue. Ghanaian filmmakers have repeatedly complained about television stations, websites and individuals distributing films without proper licensing, prompting the NFA to strengthen enforcement of film classification and producer licensing requirements.

The NFA has also said stronger industry organisation is necessary because Ghana’s film ecosystem has historically been fragmented across producers, actors, distributors, exhibitors and various creative associations. A more structured industry could improve bargaining power, financing opportunities, professional standards and the collection of reliable economic data, all of which would make it easier to attract investors.

Audience confidence remains central to every one of those efforts. Investors are more likely to finance films when there is evidence that viewers will pay for them, while cinemas and streaming platforms are more likely to acquire Ghanaian content when previous releases demonstrate demand. This is why Gardiner and Okoro’s arguments about local support extend beyond cultural pride and become questions of industry economics.

Okoro’s remarks also highlighted comparisons with Nigeria, where audiences are often perceived as more willing to rally around domestic entertainment. Nollywood benefits not only from Nigeria’s larger population but from a strong culture of consuming local actors, stories and digital productions. Nigerian films can generate significant numbers online because domestic viewers, diaspora audiences and broader African audiences regularly seek out the content.

Ghana has historically had periods of strong local film consumption as well. The video-film era produced major stars and titles that attracted audiences across Ghana and Nigeria, while Kumawood developed a powerful market around Akan-language productions. Changes in technology, television, cinema and audience habits have since transformed the business, requiring producers to find new commercial models.

The rise of streaming platforms has created opportunities but also intensified competition. A Ghanaian viewer with access to Netflix, YouTube or another online service can choose from thousands of films and series produced around the world. Local filmmakers therefore compete not only with other Ghanaian producers but with some of the largest entertainment companies and content libraries in the world.

That environment makes quality increasingly important because audiences have more alternatives than ever before. Gardiner’s argument that good films travel acknowledges this reality: national origin alone will not guarantee success, but compelling films can potentially overcome the limitations of a smaller home market.

Marketing must also improve because quality alone does not guarantee that audiences know a film exists. Okoro specifically complained about situations in which viewers express surprise after discovering a strong Ghanaian production even though the filmmakers had already spent considerable time promoting it. This suggests an industry challenge not only of production but of reaching audiences effectively enough to convert awareness into ticket purchases or legitimate streams.

Modern film marketing increasingly depends on social media, trailers, influencer partnerships, cast interviews, festival positioning and targeted advertising. Producers with limited budgets may struggle to sustain promotion long enough to compete against international films supported by major marketing campaigns. Industry-wide platforms and partnerships could therefore help local productions achieve greater visibility.

International festivals provide another route to wider audiences. Ghanaian and Ghana-linked productions have appeared at major festivals including Tribeca and other international showcases, demonstrating that films from the country can attract attention when storytelling and execution meet global standards. Festival recognition can help producers secure sales agents, distributors and streaming opportunities that would be difficult to reach through the local market alone.

Gardiner himself has worked on productions that reached international festival audiences, giving him firsthand experience of how Ghanaian talent can operate within productions designed for wider markets. His argument that good films can travel therefore reflects both industry policy and the practical reality of filmmakers whose work increasingly circulates beyond national borders.

The development of co-productions may also become important for Ghana. Partnerships with producers in Nigeria, South Africa, Europe and other markets can expand budgets, distribution networks and creative expertise while allowing Ghanaian stories to reach wider audiences. Ghana’s locations, English-language production capacity and experienced creative professionals give the country advantages that could be developed further if financing and regulatory systems improve.

The NFA has described Ghana as open to international film business and has been working to promote the country as a production destination. Attracting foreign productions can create jobs and technical experience, but the long-term objective for local industry advocates remains building Ghanaian-owned intellectual property and production companies capable of competing internationally rather than functioning only as service providers for foreign filmmakers.

Strong local films can also contribute to cultural influence. Cinema shapes how countries are understood by international audiences, preserving language, history, fashion, music and social experiences while creating commercial opportunities. Nigerian entertainment has demonstrated how film and music can help expand a country’s cultural visibility far beyond its borders, and Ghanaian industry leaders increasingly want film to play a similar role.

Gardiner’s comments therefore go beyond asking audiences to purchase tickets out of patriotism. His central argument is that the industry must create films worthy of support while Ghanaians must stop approaching their own productions with an assumption of inferiority. Sustainable audience loyalty cannot be commanded, but it can grow when filmmakers consistently deliver stories viewers enjoy and audiences are prepared to judge those stories fairly.

Okoro’s comments are similarly not an argument that Ghanaian films should be shielded from criticism. Constructive criticism can help filmmakers identify weaknesses and improve their work. Her concern is that Ghanaian productions are sometimes subjected to a different standard, where one weak film is used to dismiss the wider industry while weak foreign films are treated simply as individual failures.

The difference matters because confidence can influence investment. If audiences repeatedly signal that they will not pay for Ghanaian films regardless of quality, investors have little incentive to finance ambitious local projects. If strong productions demonstrate that viewers will support them, capital can begin to flow back into the industry and allow producers to increase budgets and develop more projects.

Government institutions also have responsibilities within that cycle. The NFA can improve regulation, classification, policy, training and market development, while other agencies can support copyright enforcement, investment incentives, tourism partnerships and education. However, as Gardiner acknowledged, institutional intervention cannot replace the market entirely.

The ultimate goal is an industry in which Ghanaian films succeed because people genuinely want to watch them. Achieving that requires scripts that connect emotionally, actors capable of carrying stories, directors with strong creative vision, technically competent crews, professional marketing and distribution systems and audiences willing to engage with the finished work.

Ghana’s smaller population may make the journey more difficult, but it does not make commercial success impossible. Digital distribution and international markets have weakened the traditional connection between a film’s potential audience and the size of its producing country, allowing relatively small film industries to build global followings when individual titles break through.

For Ghanaian producers, this means the market should increasingly be considered regional and international from the development stage. Stories can remain deeply Ghanaian while being structured, produced and marketed with wider audiences in mind. Subtitling, dubbing, festival strategy and international sales can all help expand the commercial life of a production beyond its first local release.

The comments from Gardiner and Okoro arrive at a time when Ghana’s film industry is again debating how to rebuild a stronger commercial ecosystem after years of disruption and changing audience habits. New cinema releases, digital productions, government programmes and international partnerships are creating fresh opportunities, but the underlying questions of financing, quality and audience support remain unresolved.

The National Film Authority has repeatedly said Ghana has the potential to become a stronger film market and production hub, but achieving that ambition will require greater cooperation among government, private investors, filmmakers and audiences. Gardiner’s latest intervention places viewers at the centre of that discussion while still acknowledging that filmmakers must earn their support through quality.

The message from the Joy FM discussion is therefore a shared one rather than a demand directed only at audiences. Producers must improve the work, institutions must create conditions that make professional filmmaking possible, and viewers must be prepared to support strong Ghanaian productions instead of automatically assuming foreign content is superior.

Gardiner’s most concise argument captures that broader ambition: if the film is genuinely good, it should be capable of travelling. For Ghana’s industry, the challenge now is to produce more films capable of doing exactly that while ensuring there is a strong enough audience at home to help them begin the journey.