Ghanaian filmmaker and founder of the once-celebrated Kumawood Awards, Mr. Samuel Darko, popularly known as SamDakus, has opened up for the first time about the heartbreaking reasons behind the abrupt suspension of the award scheme that once honored the best of Ghana’s local film industry.
In a revealing interview on SeanCity TV with media personality Ruthy Mummy DeNelson, the respected producer and director shared painful insights into what led to the collapse of the prestigious Kumawood Awards.
According to him, the end was not by choice but a result of persistent financial struggles and, more disturbingly, a lack of support from within the very industry he dedicated the scheme to.
“I didn’t stop the awards because I wanted to. I had to suspend it because there was no money, no sponsorship. But what broke me the most was the zero support from the very people I was organizing it for,” SamDakus emotionally disclosed.
He lamented the deep-rooted inconsistency and hypocrisy that, in his view, has plagued the Kumawood film industry. “When they win, the awards are authentic. When they lose, they call it fake. That’s the problem,” he said, expressing disappointment over how quickly some industry players turned against the awards when they were not favored.
SamDakus revealed he had poured his heart, time, and resources into establishing a credible platform to celebrate Ghanaian film talent, only to be met with rejection and silence from the same community.
His honest and passionate statements have since sparked a wave of reflection and debate across Ghana’s creative arts space, with many questioning how such a promising and culturally relevant initiative was allowed to fade without intervention.
As the Kumawood Awards remain on indefinite pause, the question lingers: Will the industry come together to revive a legacy that once celebrated its very own?
