Stop blaming Ghana’s population size for film failures — James Gardiner

Ghanaian actor and Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), James Gardiner, has challenged arguments that Ghana’s population size is a major factor behind the commercial struggles of the country’s film industry.

According to him, the success of Ghanaian films depends more on the quality of productions and the willingness of local audiences to support them than on the country’s population.

Speaking in an interview with Joy FM’s arts and culture journalist Kwame Dadzie on Showbiz A-Z, Gardiner stressed that even with the right structures in place, the industry would struggle to thrive without strong support from Ghanaians.

“We can do all the work. We can make sure that we create an enabling environment for all our stakeholders, producers and what not. It can be as vibrant as it should be. But if we don’t have that support system backing us, it’s not going to work,” he said.

Gardiner urged Ghanaians to stop placing too much emphasis on population figures when discussing the commercial performance of local films, arguing that quality productions have the potential to attract audiences beyond the country’s borders.

“If a film is good, it will travel. When a film is good, forget the numbers, it will travel but it still plays a key role,” he stated.

He also expressed concern about what he described as the tendency of some Ghanaian audiences to scrutinise local films more harshly than foreign productions.

According to him, some viewers approach Ghanaian movies with the intention of identifying their flaws rather than appreciating the creativity and effort invested in making them.

He argued that this attitude undermines local filmmakers and makes it difficult for the industry to build a stronger relationship with its audience.

Gardiner maintained that Ghana has several good films that deserve greater recognition and support, adding that local productions should not be dismissed simply because they originate from a relatively small market.

Actress Yvonne Okoro, who also appeared on the programme, shared similar concerns, saying Ghanaian producers were working hard to sustain their businesses but often faced audiences who focused on finding faults with their productions.

She observed that some Ghanaians readily embrace films from other countries, even when they have shortcomings, while holding local productions to a different standard.

The comments come as the National Film Authority pursues initiatives to strengthen Ghana’s film industry. These include the Film Development Fund, which is intended to support film development, production, distribution, marketing, training and cinema infrastructure.

The Authority has also engaged industry stakeholders through the National Film Dialogue and supported efforts to expand film education and screenings across the country.