Omanghana
Actress and film producer Yvonne Okoro has called for stronger support for Ghanaian films, arguing that local audiences often dismiss homegrown productions while overlooking shortcomings in foreign movies.
Speaking alongside filmmaker Shirley Frimpong-Manso on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, Okoro said negative assumptions about Ghanaian content make it difficult for filmmakers to attract viewers.
“We do not support our own. Everything Ghanaian, we see it as sub-standard. And when you say this, people get offended by it, but it’s the truth,” she said.
According to Okoro, some viewers judge films by their country of origin before assessing their storytelling, performances or production quality. She questioned why audiences readily watch foreign productions they consider poor but apply a harsher standard to films made in Ghana.
She cited Hollywood movies and Nigerian content on YouTube as examples, arguing that their weaknesses do not always discourage Ghanaian viewers in the same way perceived flaws in local productions do.
Okoro said this attitude places an additional burden on filmmakers, who must overcome audience skepticism while investing money and effort in promoting their work. Marketing alone, she suggested, cannot easily change a deeply rooted belief that Ghanaian productions are inferior.
The discussion also highlighted the support Nigerian audiences give their entertainers, contrasting that enthusiasm with the reception some Ghanaian creatives receive at home.
Her comments draw attention to the relationship between audience attitudes and the growth of the domestic film industry. For Okoro, giving Ghanaian productions a fair opportunity begins with judging individual films on their merits rather than dismissing them because they are locally made.
Source: Omanghana
