Yvonne Okoro has called on Ghanaians to back their own film industry. The actress and producer says local audiences are quick to criticise Ghanaian films while praising poor-quality foreign productions, according to a report by Graphic Showbiz, citing Joy Entertainment.
Speaking on Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z with host Kwame Dadzie, Okoro said Ghanaian producers are working hard to survive, but audiences often look for flaws in local films instead of supporting them.
"We do not support our own. Everything Ghanaian, we see it as sub-standard," she said, according to the report.
"And when you say this, people get offended by it, but it's the truth," she added.
She said viewers praise Nigerian videos on YouTube and watch Hollywood films she described as horrible, yet are quick to dismiss Ghanaian productions as bad. When Ghanaians do make good films, she said, audiences act surprised and still do not go to watch them.
Okoro's comments come ahead of the release of Agency for the Dead, directed by Shirley Frimpong-Manso, in which she stars. The film opens at Silverbird Cinemas on Thursday, October 30, 2026, Graphic Showbiz reports.
Frimpong-Manso is one of Ghana's best-known directors and has a long history of working with Okoro. Their collaborations have helped shape the polished, urban style of Ghanaian cinema that emerged in the late 2000s.
Okoro is one of the leading names of her generation of Ghanaian actors. Her acting credits include Beyonce: The President's Daughter, The Return of Beyonce, Single Six, Contract, Potomanto, Rebecca, Ghana Must Go, Like Cotton Twines and Fix Us, as well as the Adam's Apples series, according to the report.
She has also worked behind the camera as producer of Contract and Ghana Must Go, giving her a direct view of the costs and challenges of making and marketing films in Ghana.
Ghanaian filmmakers face a tough market. Cinema screens are limited and concentrated in a few cities, ticket prices can be high for many viewers, and local films compete with big-budget Hollywood releases and a steady stream of Nigerian content online.
Producers often rely on word of mouth and social media to fill cinemas, which means audience attitudes can make or break a release. Okoro's point is that negative perceptions can stop people from even trying local films.
For many families, a cinema trip involves tickets, transport and snacks, making it a significant expense. Producers say this makes it even more important that Ghanaian films are marketed well, so audiences know what they are paying to see and feel confident in the quality.
Okoro's comments suggest the problem is not only cost but perception: even when Ghanaian films are well made, many viewers assume otherwise without giving them a chance.
Her comments echo a debate taking place across the industry. Filmmaker Leila Djansi has also spoken this week about film quality, distribution and the responsibility of audiences to seek out local work, calling for a central database of Ghanaian films.
The National Film Authority and industry groups have also run campaigns such as Ghana Cinema Week to encourage audiences to watch Ghanaian films in cinemas.
Agency for the Dead will be a test of the support Okoro is calling for. Box office performance in its opening weeks will show whether Ghanaian audiences are ready to turn up for a local production backed by one of the country's most established filmmaking teams.
