Ghanaian-American filmmaker Leila Djansi has cautioned her colleagues in the film industry against relying on YouTube as their main platform for distributing movies, describing it as oversaturated, unstable, and ultimately unproductive.
Speaking on Daybreak Hitz with Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio on Hitz FM, Djansi urged filmmakers to look beyond YouTube if they want to build sustainable careers and attract real financial returns.
“People think we can just put our films on YouTube, but I’m sorry—YouTube is going to collapse very soon. There’s so much congestion on the platform, and their policies keep changing. It’s oversaturated, and once that happens, they reduce the earnings. So how much can you really make if you just put your film there?” she asked.
She argued that investing in a government-backed film fund without first fixing distribution channels would be ineffective. According to her, piracy and dwindling returns from YouTube make the platform unreliable as a serious business model for filmmakers.
Beyond distribution challenges, Djansi also raised concerns about the shortage of trained and qualified film crew in Ghana. To help address this, she announced the upcoming Film Crew Networking Fixer, scheduled for September 24, 2025, at 6:30 pm at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
She explained that the event will serve as a meeting point for professionals across the film value chain, providing opportunities to network, collaborate, and strengthen the foundations of Ghana’s film industry.
Don’t miss out! Get your daily dose of Entertainment news and more straight to your phone. Join Ghana Street Journal Whatsapp channel now!
