The last time we spoke to some Ghanaian film Marketers at Opera Square; it was revealed that movies shot in the local language make higher sales than the “English” movies. The only advantage the English movies have over the “local language “movies are that, the producers have the opportunity of selling the right to marketers in America and Europe.
In an interview with some marketers in U.S.A to know how Ghanaian movies are doing on their market. Muda Films. Who has one movie produced in Ghana was our contact. He responded that many Ghanaian and Nigerian movies have lost value and that the marketers and producers in the U.S.A have stopped purchasing right for movies from Ghana and Nigeria.
Although he did not want to mention the name of any movie to create tension between him and any producer from Africa. He revealed that the movies that top charts in Ghana and Nigeria don’t even gain such attention in the U.S.”I have paid for the rights I obtained for movies from Ghana/Nigeria and as I am talking to you now, I have not been able to retrieve my money” he stated.
Explaining what the problem might be, he said “Ghanaian producers are not shooting good movies and are constantly using the same faces. You don’t expect people to be buying the same faces to their homes everyday do you? He lamented.
In a separate interview with Kwame Boadi. The executive producer of heroes’ production who has produced movies like the game. Sin of the soul, Somewhere in Africa and also a relative of Executive Image, one of the top movie production houses in America, He said something similar.
He thinks the reason why Ghana /Nigeria Movies are losing their value in the state is the rate at which websites administrators upload Ghana/Nigeria Movies on their website for people to watch or download for free. “Good Movies and the repetition of faces might be a factor, but I don’t think it is the main reason” he stated.
Socrat Sarfo, The P.R.O of the film producers Association of Ghana also said, some of the producers are aware of the problem but for the US marketers to say they have stopped buying right from Ghana and Nigeria, it is neither here nor there, Socrates advised that they close their shops if they are not buying foreign rights, But if they have Ghana and Nigeria Movies in their shops, there is no need granting interviews to the media that they are not buying our rights.
“we know they are facing problems selling our movies because we are also being affected but the reason is not because we produce bad movies” Socrates added.
Commenting on the mode of operation by internet website administrators, he said FIPAG has already had meetings with the Interpol and the copyright office in Ghana, But then when you are using the government to solve your problems in Ghana. It takes time for officials and people in authority to attend to you. Socrates added.
