At the official unveiling of Ghana’s new film financing programme, the tone was firm and cautionary: the money is not meant to be treated as a windfall.
Board Chair of the National Film Authority, Ivan Quashigah, has urged stakeholders in the creative space to resist any perception of the Film Development Fund as easy access cash. He argued that the initiative is designed to stabilise and rebuild a film industry that has long struggled with structural weaknesses.
The launch took place at Silverbird Cinemas, inside Accra Mall, where Quashigah stressed that the GH¢20 million government seed funding should be understood as capital for growth rather than a payout opportunity.
“The Film Development Fund must not be misunderstood. It is not a bonanza. It is not an opportunity for practitioners to dip into public resources and go on a spending spree,” he stated.
He further explained that the broader goal is to strengthen the entire value chain of Ghana’s audiovisual sector, from production to distribution, while building viable film businesses that can survive beyond short-term projects.
“Rather, it is a strategic investment vehicle that must be used judiciously to produce quality films, build sustainable enterprises, strengthen value chains, and revive the Ghanaian film industry,” he added.
The event also marked the inauguration of both the Film Development Fund Management Committee and the Film Classification Committee, institutions expected to guide funding decisions and regulatory oversight in the sector.
Describing the development as a potential reset for Ghanaian cinema, Quashigah pointed to years of industry decline shaped by limited financing, weak infrastructure, and distribution bottlenecks.
According to him, the fund is expected to extend support across production, training, exhibition, distribution, and infrastructure development, while also improving the global reach of Ghanaian stories.
“The GH¢20 million seed allocation must be seen not as an end in itself but as a seed that must be nurtured to bear the desired fruits,” he said.
He also emphasised accountability in project design, insisting that funded works should be structured to generate returns that can be reinvested into the system.
“Projects should be structured in a way that allows funds to return into the system so that other filmmakers can also benefit. In this way, the fund can become revolving, regenerative and sustainable,” he stated.
Apart from financing, he highlighted the wider economic significance of film, noting its potential to generate employment, support tourism, preserve cultural heritage, and contribute to national development.
“This clearly demonstrates that film is not merely entertainment. Film is an economic infrastructure,” he noted.
Alongside the fund, the National Film Authority is also advancing the Ghana Cinema Train Initiative, a nationwide outreach programme aimed at expanding film access beyond Accra’s conventional cinema spaces into underserved communities.
