Ghanaian filmmaker Socrate Safo has said that Ghana’s movie industry can only become competitive on the market if a well-structured distribution system is initiated.

According to him, the current situation, where most filmmakers rely solely on YouTube to distribute their films, is unsustainable and does not generate sufficient revenue.

“As an industry, let’s sit and come up with a structured channel of distribution. Check every country that has developed; they didn’t start from where we see them today. They had challenges, and then they came up with regulations to fix them. As we speak now, the biggest challenge facing the industry is the channel of distribution,” Socrate said in an interview on Hitz FM on August 5, 2025.

He explained that countries with strong film industries encountered similar issues in the past but overcame them by creating proper structures.

According to him, Ghana’s movie industry has yet to address this critical problem, leaving filmmakers with very few viable options for distributing their work after production.

He questioned the current trend of relying heavily on YouTube as the main outlet, pointing out that it is not profitable for the majority of content creators.

“When we finish a film, how do we distribute it? Is YouTube a profitable channel of distribution? Just because someone claims to be making money on YouTube, everyone is following that path. But when you talk to them, most of them aren’t actually making money,” he added.

Renowned Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh has shed light on his decision to focus more on the Nigerian film industry, citing the vast market audience and numerous collaboration opportunities it offers.

Attoh explained that his move to the Nigerian film industry was driven by the need for a broader market and a larger audience.While acknowledging the greatness of the Ghanaian film industry, he emphasised the inherent limitations due to its comparatively smaller size.

"At the time, the necessity was that you had to be in the Nigerian space if you wanted a bigger market or a bigger audience. Ghana was great, but the truth is Ghana is small, and if you are trying to get the attention of players beyond Ghana, not just Nigeria, you have to expand," Attoh expressed during the interview.

The actor commended Nigeria's vibrant film industry, highlighting the continuous production of films and the potential for collaborations. "Nigeria has numbers, Nigeria is making films every single day. I’m always looking forward to where we are collaborating instead of being separated," he added.

However, Attoh didn't shy away from addressing challenges in the Ghanaian movie industry, particularly the lack of mentorship and guidance. He believes this void has contributed to the industry's current problems.

"I don’t think it is a matter of not wanting to push ourselves growing up. We didn’t have the right mentors, we did not have the people who brought us up and would take your hands and say this is the way. And it’s become a thing that’s heavy on my heart," Attoh lamented.

Underscoring the importance of continuous learning, Chris Attoh shared his personal experience of overcoming challenges in the Nigerian film industry.He emphasised the need for actors to constantly update their skills, rehearse regularly, and expand their knowledge base.

"It’s like any other industry. It’s growing, it’s updating, and you need to constantly learn. It means every single morning you have to rehearse, it means reading outside your scope, and reading is one thing I keep pushing for, especially to our youth today," he stated.

Chris Attoh, known for his roles in global productions like 'Shuga,' "Single and Married," and "Inspector Bediako," continues to advocate for collaboration and the importance of mentorship in the African film industry.

The decline of Ghana’s movie industry can be attributed to several factors, according to actor and stage/film director Fiifi Coleman.

In an interview on Onua Showbiz with Naana Kwame Gyan, he emphasized that the industry’s struggles stem from the heavy influence of foreign cultures and the lack of authentic African storytelling in films.

He further noted that the growing number of producers, screenwriters, and cameramen has taken precedence over the production of high-quality content.

“A time came people realized that shooting movies was becoming profitable so everybody became a cameraman, everybody became a soundman and they were doing that until they messed up the industry. So, there were so many round pegs in square holes."

"And the storytelling became copy-copy such that some foreign cultures were influencing us. The education that we needed at the time was okay but everybody came in and wanted to do something which messed up the whole industry,” he said.

He pointed out that many producers and industry players left the industry due to challenges in securing reliable distribution channels for their films.

“And then in the same space, we lost the whole distribution. After shooting the movie where to distribute it became a challenge. And so, everybody was reluctant and people quit. So, there was a vacuum and everybody stopped,” he bemoaned.