The filmmaker and REFFA Awards founder says negative public attitudes and poor cinema patronage prevent Ghanaian producers from recovering their capital.

Published 11 Nov 2026, 08:35 GMT

2 min read

Film producer Selassie Ibrahim — Selassie Ibrahim, founder of REFFA

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Filmmaker and Regal Film Festival and Awards (REFFA) founder Selassie Ibrahim has blamed negative public perceptions and poor cinema patronage, rather than weak marketing, for the struggles of Ghana's film industry.

"It is not about failing to deploy the right tools to reach the Ghanaian consumer," Ibrahim said. "My observation is that anything made in Ghana is often considered not good enough."

"People do not even take the time to watch and appreciate whether there has been improvement. They simply conclude that it is not good."

Drawing a contrast with Nigeria, where she lives and works frequently, she noted that Nigerian audiences consistently patronise domestic productions on television, DStv and in cinemas, helping sustain Nollywood's big-budget cinema releases, whereas Ghanaian viewers often turn away from local titles.

"We are only pleading with Ghanaians to start watching our content. Go to the cinemas, watch our movies and encourage us to produce more," she said.

"If I invest in a film and cannot recover even my initial investment, how do I go back on set to produce another one?"

Ibrahim explained that failing to recoup production capital forces filmmakers to work with shrinking budgets on subsequent projects—a wider commercial squeeze reflected in recent accounts of financial struggles in Ghanaian acting—and leaves writers, directors and actors out of regular practice.

Insisting that Ghana has intentional storytellers and authentic stories to tell, she acknowledged that producers must also put their financial books in order and improve their business practices alongside renewed backing from investors and audiences, adding to industry calls for greater support and welfare structures for local creatives.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Ghana&#39;s film industry woes go beyond marketing – Selassie Ibrahim

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Ghana's film industry woes go beyond marketing – Selassie Ibrahim