The month of February in Ghana began with so many rants and reactions among Ghanaian actors who cried foul of movie producers not paying them amid the distressed movie industry.
Veteran actor Kofi Adjorlolo who led these rants revealed that some Ghanaian movie producers don’t pay actors and this is mainly because they lack respect for talents in the West African country, Ghana.
According to Mr Adjorlolo, some movie producers owe him and other actors thousands of cedis but have refused to pay them.
The later seem to be true as actress and mother Yvonne Nelson throws her weight behind the “old man.”
Yvonne in a recent interview has also revealed how Nigerian producers respect actors – at least they pay for your talent unlike Ghanaian producers.
While detailing her assertion, Yvonne seemed to have showed a cheque she received from one producer dating as far back as 2016 to the host Jessica Opare-Saforo of Citi FM. She has since not being able to cash the cheque but refused to name or shame the producer involved.
“I’m not the only one who received this type of cheque,” Yvonne added.
While movie production in Ghana seems to dwindling or have lost focus in recent years, the lack of showcase centres and adequate exposure for produced works has also contributed to why most of the Ghanaian actors have lately turned Instagram models.
Movie producers are still finding the easiest way out to create a better film industry for the country but with only two major theaters and barely 5 location centres, how can they make returns?
“Being an actress is a little easier than being a producer,” Yvonne lamented.
“The problems we face in Ghana is beyond producers paying actors. I pay all my actors as a producer no matter how small the amount. I don’t owe anybody but this is not a luxury activity. Even my friends get paid. Yvonne Okoro gets her fair share. For me I feel some Ghanaian producers don’t respect actors and the system also don’t favour us. Nigerian producers pay actors because they respect talents.”
“We have only two major movie theater-locations in the country, Accra Mall and West Hills but if you give your product to one movie theater, it means you cannot take it to the other.”
“Monopoly is killing us here yet nobody seems to care but we have to laud Silverbird Cinemas for supporting us always. They always win against Global Cinemas.”
Watch Yvonne Nelson and Becca on the first episode of Area Code below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nwBU3OAgZ8
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