Renowned Ghanaian filmmaker and comedian, Kwaku Simtim-Misa, widely known as KSM, has offered a candid assessment of Ghana's movie industry, stressing that it cannot yet be compared to the Nigerian film industry in terms of growth, structure, and contribution.

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Speaking on The Career Trail program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, KSM said that while Ghana is blessed with talented filmmakers and promising content, the absence of a sustainable and efficient system continues to hinder the industry's growth.

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“Unfortunately, it is still a growing industry. We can’t compare the film industry in Ghana to that of Nigeria. The Nigerians have had a longer time of being exposed to making films. And the more they make them, the better they get. The more they produce, the more they devise ways of distributing them. Eventually, you realize you’ve developed a system that works for you,” KSM stated.

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On the other hand, he said Ghana's film industry is still trying to find its feet.

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Most filmmakers struggle to raise money at every stage, from writing the story, shooting the film, paying actors, to finally getting the movie out there for people to watch. “Somebody will hustle to make money, then hustle to pay for the film. And after paying for the film, the actors, and everyone else involved, they now have to hustle again just to distribute the film. There are no proper distribution outlets,” he lamented.

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Ghana's film industry, once vibrant in the CD/DVD era, now struggles with structure, funding, and proper distribution.

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Unlike Nigeria's Nollywood, which has grown into a globally recognized industry through consistent production, strong distribution networks, and digital platforms, Ghana's sector remains largely informal.

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Filmmakers often self-fund and face hurdles getting their movies widely seen.

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While a few initiatives and talented individuals are pushing forward, veteran filmmaker KSM says the lack of a solid system continues to limit growth and makes it difficult to compare Ghana's industry with Nigeria.

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