Ghanaian-American filmmaker Leila Djansi has cautioned filmmakers against using YouTube as a primary platform for distributing their works, describing it as an unproductive and unreliable business option.
Speaking on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz with Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio, she said filmmakers should explore more viable channels rather than hinge their financial hopes on the streaming site.
“Personally, I don’t believe the film fund. I really don’t. I think it is premature, because there is no distribution. If you give the film fund how are they gonna [make profit].
People think that we are just gonna put it on YouTube. I’m sorry YouTube is gonna collapse very soon. There is so much congestion on YouTube and they are always changing their policies. So if you go in now a I think it is seriously over-saturated. If you over-saturate it, they’re gonna reduce the earning. So how much are you gonna earn if you just put your film on YouTube,” she said.
Djansi argued that a government-backed film fund would be wasted if movies were simply released on YouTube. She also cited piracy as another factor that undermines the platform’s viability for film distribution.
She further noted the lack of qualified film crew in Ghana and announced that she is organising the Film Crew Networking Fixer at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on Sunday, 24 September 2025 at 6:30 pm. The event, she said, will provide a platform for professionals across the film value chain to connect and collaborate.