Movie producer and CEO of Kofas Media, Kofi Asamoah, has hit back at filmmaker, Leila Djansi’s comments about digital platforms, stressing that unlike her, many independent Ghanaian producers do not enjoy the luxury of external funding.
Leila Djansi had earlier questioned the viability of a proposed national film fund during an appearance on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz 103.9 FM on September 9. She argued that without a proper distribution system, such a fund would not yield the desired results. She also dismissed YouTube as a sustainable platform for film distribution, describing it as oversaturated, policy-driven, and vulnerable to piracy.
But responding on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, September 13, Asamoah argued that digital platforms like YouTube are not only legitimate but necessary for filmmakers who fund their projects from their own pockets.
“Mostly films made by Leila Djansi are funded films,” Asamoah pointed out. “So she probably might have the liberty to make a film and keep it for as long as she will find a distributor, or even have distributors lined up before production. But for independent film producers… they probably might not have that luxury of time.”
He explained that independent producers often spend huge sums on films, sometimes up to ¢100,000, and must make immediate returns. Platforms like YouTube, he argued, provide “everyday money” that traditional distributors and even Netflix cannot guarantee.
“If I can make the same ¢50,000 profit on YouTube instead of waiting on distributors, why not?” he asked. “YouTube gives you control, visibility, and revenue, and believe me, there’s a lot of money there.”
READ: The Ghana Movie Industry is not dead – Kofi Asamoah
Asamoah insisted that piracy is an age-old problem that affects all distribution models, whether cinema, DVD, or streaming. What matters, he stressed, is giving filmmakers options to make their work visible and profitable.
“For an independent producer, digital streaming is surely a starting point… and I think that should be encouraged,” he added.
He further argued that the Ghanaian film industry isn’t dead, it has simply failed to embrace the digital medium fully.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
