Ghanaian-American filmmaker Leila Djansi has criticised the National Film Authority’s (NFA) appeal for public donations to the Ghana Film Fund, arguing that the fund should generate investment rather than rely on public contributions. Reacting to the NFA’s fundraising appeal in a Facebook post, Djansi said it was wrong to ask Ghanaians to contribute when structures to make the film industry commercially viable had not been established. why ask Ghanaians to donate instead of using the government’s allocation to generate more money?” she questioned.
She added: “A Film Fund should be an investment that generates more investment, not a charity that begs for donations.” The award-winning filmmaker argued that authorities should establish structures that would enable Ghana’s film industry to generate sustainable revenue before seeking public support. “Again, I ask: what structures have been put in place to sustain the industry and ensure these films generate revenue?” she wrote. Djansi also rejected the notion that YouTube could serve as the industry’s long-term economic solution.
It will not replenish a government film fund,” she stated. According to her, Ghana should stop modelling its film industry on Nigeria’s because the two countries have different market realities. “Nollywood should not be Ghana’s standard.
Copying Nigeria contributed to the collapse of Ghana’s industry years ago. Doing it again will not produce a different result. What works for Nigeria will not necessarily work for Ghana.
You gotta find your own beat.” She explained that Ghana lacked Nigeria’s population, celebrity ecosystem, distribution network and audience size, making it unrealistic to expect the same results from the YouTube-driven model. Instead, she proposed using the Film Fund to attract international productions through competitive tax incentives and grants tied to minimum spending thresholds. “Use the Film Fund to attract foreign productions through competitive tax incentives and grants.
Drawing comparisons with film incentive programmes in the United States, Djansi noted that Georgia offers a 35% tax credit for qualifying productions, while New Jersey provides 40%, attracting productions that spend heavily in local economies.
Summary from source