Renowned Ghanaian filmmaker Samuel Darko, widely known as SamDakus, has ignited intense debate in Ghana’s entertainment circles after declaring that Ghana does not have a movie industry, only disjointed associations operating without structure.
Speaking candidly, the visionary behind the now-defunct Kumawood Awards criticized the lack of institutional framework, governance, and sustainable funding in the Ghanaian film space.
“There’s no movie industry in Ghana. What we have here are just mere associations. Nothing is structured, nothing is regulated,” he said.
SamDakus pointed to the absence of a central authority overseeing the value chain of production, distribution, and exhibition. Instead, organizations such as the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) and the Actors Guild operate in silos, each without cohesive national direction or policy alignment.
“An industry is built on structure, governance, funding systems, and standards. But in Ghana, all we see are informal groups with no unifying vision,” he added.
His statements arrive at a time when efforts to revitalize Ghana’s film sector are gaining attention, but often stalled by bureaucracy, internal disputes, and inconsistent support from stakeholders.
In a heartfelt revelation, SamDakus also opened up about the suspension of the Kumawood Awards, a once-celebrated platform for recognizing Ghanaian film talent. Contrary to public perception, he said the awards were not halted voluntarily.
“I didn’t stop the awards because I wanted to. I had to suspend it because there was no money, no sponsorship. But what broke me the most was the zero support from the very people I was organizing it for.”
He criticized the hypocrisy within the industry, lamenting how some players celebrate platforms only when it favors them, but undermine them otherwise. Despite his personal investment in the Kumawood Awards, he was left disappointed and unsupported.
The filmmaker’s strong remarks have triggered widespread conversation online and within Ghana’s creative arts community, with many acknowledging the truth in his assertions while others defend the progress made so far.
SamDakus’ critique is seen as both a call to action and a reality check. Industry professionals, government agencies, and the private sector must collaborate to draft and implement a comprehensive National Film Policy that formalizes and finances the creative economy.
Though Ghana’s film scene is bursting with potential, the lack of infrastructure, regulation, and consistent backing continues to stifle its global rise.
For Ghana to claim its rightful place in global cinema, it must institutionalize the industry, invest in talent, and build systems that go beyond associations and event-based recognition.
Until then, as SamDakus puts it, what exists is not an industry, but a scattered network of dreamers with no bridge to sustainability.
