Shirley Frimpong-Manso
Award-winning Ghanaian filmmaker Shirley Frimpong-Manso says she is not happy with the number of views her films are getting on YouTube, and she has challenged Ghanaians who complain about the lack of local movies to start watching the ones already available. Speaking on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z on Saturday, October 24, 2026, the Sparrow Productions boss compared Ghana’s online numbers with Nigeria’s, where some films pull millions of views within days.
Watch: Shirley Frimpong-Manso on Showbiz A-Z
Joy 99.7 FM shared a clip of the interview on X. Watch it below.
Filmmaker Shirley Frimpong-Manso speaks on Showbiz A-Z about YouTube views for Ghanaian films and audience support for local content.
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) October 24, 2026
“No, Really. I Think We Could Have Done Much Better”
During the conversation, the host pointed to For Love and Country, which had reportedly gathered about 554,000 views on YouTube a year after its release, and asked if she was impressed with the channel’s progress.
Her answer was simple. “No, really. I think we could have done much better,” she said.
For many creators, more than half a million views would be a reason to celebrate. For Shirley, it is a sign that Ghanaian audiences are not yet backing local films the way they could.
The Nigeria comparison
The filmmaker said the numbers Nollywood films post on YouTube are on a different level. According to her, some Nigerian films hit between 5 million and 15 million views within a week.
“If you see the kind of numbers these Nigerians are doing, it’s crazy,” she said.
She was quick to admit that the comparison is not entirely fair. “Obviously, Nigeria is much, much bigger than Ghana,” she noted, pointing to the huge difference in population between the two countries.
“Exactly What Is It That Ghanaians Want?”
The main point of her message was audience support. Shirley questioned why some Ghanaians keep saying there are no good local movies, yet do not watch the films that are being produced.
“Exactly what is it that Ghanaians want?” she asked.
She urged viewers to back Ghanaian productions even when they do not yet meet the standard people expect. “Even if it doesn’t get to that, you know, it’s not at that standard yet,” she said, adding that “people have to start from somewhere and get it somewhere.”
Lessons from working in Nigeria
Shirley also spoke about her own experience across the border. She said she and her colleagues have worked, premiered films and done business in Nigeria, and that the journey there “is not a bed of roses.”
Still, she said what stood out to her was how strongly Nigerian audiences support their own content online, something she believes Ghana can learn from. Actress Jackie Appiah has also urged Ghana to learn from Nollywood, showing that the conversation is growing within the industry.
Quick Facts
- Who: Shirley Frimpong-Manso, filmmaker and head of Sparrow Productions
- Where she spoke: Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z
- When: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Film mentioned: For Love and Country – about 554,000 YouTube views a year after release
- Her comparison: Some Nigerian films reach 5–15 million views in a week
- Her message: Ghanaians should support local films instead of only complaining
Background: Sparrow Station and For Love and Country
Shirley launched her YouTube channel, Sparrow Station, in 2025 as a home for the Sparrow Productions film library and a way to take Ghanaian stories to viewers around the world. The launch event took place at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.
The channel’s first feature was For Love and Country, a dark comedy set in the days before a new president’s inauguration. It stars Lydia Forson, Naa Ashorkor, Jackie Appiah and Joselyn Dumas.
Shirley is one of the best-known names in Ghanaian cinema, with titles such as The Perfect Picture and Potato Potahto, both of which made it to Netflix. In 2025, her Nollywood feature Stitches premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Not the First Time She Has Raised the Issue
This is not the first time Shirley has spoken about weak support for Ghanaian content. In 2025, she criticised Ghanaians for heavily promoting Tyler Perry’s Netflix film Straw while giving less attention to homegrown productions. She has also said in the past that Ghanaians “don’t celebrate our own enough.”
Her latest comments add to a wider debate about the health of the Ghanaian film industry, its ability to compete with Nollywood, and how much creators should earn compared with their Nigerian counterparts, a topic that became heated when Kanayo O. Kanayo told Ghanaian actors to stop demanding the same pay as Nigerian stars.
Ghana’s films are still winning attention on the continent, though. Ghana’s The Fisherman is among the titles chasing Best Film in the AMAA 2026 nominations.
What It Means for Ghanaian Cinema
With cinema runs limited and streaming deals hard to land, YouTube has become a key platform for Ghanaian filmmakers to reach audiences and earn from their work. Higher views mean more revenue and more room to fund new projects.
Shirley’s message is clear: the industry can only grow if Ghanaians watch, share and talk about the films being made at home, starting now, not after they reach Nollywood’s level.
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