KSM: Ghana’s Film Industry Holds Promise but Needs a Structured Pathway

Veteran Ghanaian comedian and filmmaker, Kwaku Sintim Misa (widely known as KSM), has voiced his views on the state of Ghana’s film industry, stating that while there is ample talent and potential, the industry lacks a strong structural foundation.

During an interview on The Career program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, KSM explained that Ghana has all the essential components to build a successful film industry, but the missing element is a cohesive and strategic framework.

“Our film industry is full of promise. We have everything needed to create a thriving sector, but I think we’re still figuring out the formula,” he noted.

KSM acknowledged that some Ghanaian filmmakers have managed to find effective ways to navigate the industry, but the majority are still struggling to establish consistent and sustainable practices.

“Some players in the industry have cracked the code, but a large portion is still grappling with how to make it work,” he added.

He attributed much of this struggle to the industry still being in its early stages of development. Drawing a comparison with Nigeria, KSM pointed out that the Nigerian film industry—widely known as Nollywood—has had more time to evolve, experiment, and establish reliable systems for both production and distribution.

“The Ghanaian film industry is still maturing. When you look at Nigeria, they’ve had more years of active filmmaking. As they kept producing, they improved not only in content creation but also in distribution. That consistency helped them build a functioning system,” he explained.

In Ghana, however, KSM believes a long-term, sustainable distribution framework has not yet been established. He criticized the current process, in which filmmakers must personally handle every aspect—from funding to marketing—without systemic support.

“Often, someone struggles to raise funds to make a film, pays the cast and crew, and then has to go through another round of hustling just to get it distributed. We lack structured distribution channels,” he stated.

KSM reflected on past practices when CDs and DVDs were the primary means of sharing films in Ghana. He recalled how producers would physically sell their movies on the streets, a method he described as inefficient and outdated.

“There was a time when the moment you finished a movie, it went straight to CD or DVD. You had to organize street floats just to sell them. That’s not a viable distribution model,” he said.

Despite the hurdles, KSM praised the efforts of filmmakers who have succeeded in premiering their movies in cinemas. Still, he stressed that without a national cinema network, these efforts remain limited in reach.

“There are some truly brilliant filmmakers in Ghana today. But in countries with advanced systems, once a movie debuts in one cinema, it can screen in hundreds of others simultaneously across cities like Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, and Sunyani. Here, a film might launch at Silverbird in Accra, and the team has to manually negotiate further screenings elsewhere. That fragmented system doesn’t foster real industry growth,” he concluded.

Source: Other News Agencies

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