The National Film Dialogue, hosted by the National Film Authority (NFA) at the Cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana, continued its momentum with a compelling presentation from Ivan Quashigah, Board Chair of the NFA, who laid out an ambitious roadmap for reviving Ghana’s film industry into a thriving cultural and economic powerhouse.
Quashigah, a celebrated filmmaker and industry leader, reflected on Ghana’s rich cinema culture of the past, recalling screenings of films, which once drew eager audiences. He noted that while public interest in cinema was strong in earlier decades, today’s filmmakers face significant hurdles breaking into a system constrained by limited financing, infrastructure, and access.
Read Also: Financing, Tech, and Storytelling: Ghana Plots a New Script for Film
“We must leverage the communication tools and creative power at our disposal to unlock the industry’s true potential,” Quashigah emphasized, pointing to the need for fresh policies, tax incentives, and corporate partnerships to position Ghana’s film sector as both profitable and globally competitive.
Unlocking Revenue Potential
Quashigah highlighted Ghana’s untapped market, projecting that even a modest goal of reaching just 1% of the population—around 350,000 cinema-goers—could generate upwards of ₵16.5 million in box office revenue. “Yet no Ghanaian film has achieved even one million cedis at the box office,” he noted, stressing the need for venues, platforms, and consistent exhibition channels to grow local audiences.
He announced several initiatives under consideration by the NFA, including:
-
Mobile cinemas and film-in-schools programs, to build a film-viewing culture from a young age.
-
Corporate sponsorship models, encouraging businesses to commit resources toward Ghanaian content creation and viewership.
-
Film passports and royalty systems, to ensure transparency in revenues earned by filmmakers.
-
Tourism integration, positioning Ghana’s scenic landscapes and heritage sites as natural backdrops for film production.
Building Infrastructure & Policy Support
The NFA board chair revealed that draft documents on tax credits and incentives are already in motion, soon to be tabled before Cabinet. He underlined that enabling policies are essential to attract both local and international investment into Ghana’s cinematic ecosystem.
“Our goal is to deploy at least 16 mobile cinema units within the next 24 months, establish film clubs across schools, and build stronger partnerships with the private sector to support the production and distribution of Ghanaian films,” Quashigah said.
Data, Quality, and Global Standards
Quashigah also stressed the importance of data-driven planning and film quality improvements. Without reliable data on film production and audience engagement, he warned, it would be difficult to measure progress or attract global partnerships.
He called for recognition of filmmakers who produce high-quality, globally competitive works, noting that international co-productions, digital streaming platforms, and regional collaborations—like those already thriving in Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya—must be replicated in Ghana.
A Film Industry Beyond Entertainment
For Quashigah, reviving Ghana’s film industry goes beyond art and entertainment—it is about job creation, cultural preservation, and tourism growth. “Reviving Ghana’s film industry is not just about showing films. It’s about creating jobs, propagating our culture, and projecting Ghana to the world,” he concluded.
The presentation capped a series of thought-provoking speeches at the Dialogue, where government officials, creatives, and investors converged to map the future of Ghana’s film ecosystem under the theme “Accelerating Industry Development.”
Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
