Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Film Authority (NFA), James Gardener, has called on Ghanaians to move away from negative perceptions about the local movie industry and intentionally support Ghanaian films.
In an interview with GhanaWeekend on Wednesday, May 20, James Gardener said the continuous focus on the industry’s struggles often overshadows the progress being made by local filmmakers.
According to him, many people still question whether Ghana’s movie industry is active, despite quality productions being made.
“I see comments where people say, ‘Hey, is there still an industry?’”
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Film Development Fund at the Silverbird Cinemas in Accra, the actor also encouraged Ghanaians to support and promote local productions in the same way they celebrate and share content from other countries.
“People are like, ‘Wow, this is a good movie.’ You tell another friend, you post, you tweet about it — the same way you do for the other movies that are coming from our neighbouring countries,” he stated.
James Gardener urged citizens to be more deliberate in championing Ghanaian content, noting that audience support plays a major role in helping the industry grow.
“Let us be intentional and do the same for our country,” he added.
The actor further expressed optimism about the future of the local film industry, especially following the inauguration of the Film Development Fund.
According to him, giving filmmakers access to funding could help transform the industry into a more structured and profitable sector.
“If we do that, with the fund now inaugurated and producers now going to have access to a source of funding, it’s just a matter of time before we clean up the space and it becomes a profitable one,” he said.
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