The film Rafiki is a charming love story that plays out in urban Kenya. It follows two teenage girls whose close friendship slowly turns into first love. Directed by rising filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, it was celebrated as groundbreaking by critics and at festivals when it was released in 2018. But back home in Kenya, where…
Abuja — Gospel Cinema International has launched the Africa Gospel Film Project (AGFP), a new initiative aimed at building capacity among Christian filmmakers across Africa and expanding the continent’s presence in the global faith-based film industry. The project, described as a multi-year programme, is designed to combine professional filmmaking training with spiritual development and access…
The African Diaspora International Film Festival has just completed its 33rd year–and it has reached a turning point at exactly the moment the world’s relationship to storytelling is being transformed. Technology has shifted exhibition, production and attention: everyday people are now content creators, character narrators, and archivists of their own realities. Audiences are no longer…
Magatho Mello takes on the role of SITA MD. New chief executives have been appointed for the State IT Agency (SITA) and Film and Publication Board (FPB), the communications ministry announced today. The new appointments are Magatho Mello, who takes on the role of managing director (MD) at SITA, while Nketheleni Norman Gidi will head…
The 33rd African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) opens with a bold lineup of contemporary African and Afro-diasporic films exploring resilience, artistic freedom, and identity. From riveting historical epics to politically charged dramas, this year’s programme reflects the complexity and creativity of African storytelling across generations and geographies. For over three decades, ADIFF’s co-founders and…
Julia Finnis-Bedford Pressure on Cape Town’s film industry is rising beyond the threats by the mercurial US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on films produced outside America. Artificial intelligence is giving creators the ability to synthesise landscapes that would otherwise require productions to be on location, leading to a decrease in the number of…
Home affairs has gazetted (PDF) a screen talent and global entertainment scheme – abbreviated as Stages – a visa reform aimed at boosting South Africa’s standing as a global destination for film and other creative productions. It introduces a digital platform to process visa applications for international film and creative production companies, cutting red tape…
African filmmakers are no longer just asking for inclusion. They are claiming their place in the global film conversation. African cinema is enjoying a vibrant moment. Its stories, styles, and rhythms are influencing global culture like never before. At the center of this movement is Film Africa, a festival acting as a crucial link between…
Over the years, African film and television have undergone a significant trend: filmmakers are shifting away from conventional distribution avenues and streaming platforms. They are increasingly embracing YouTube as a primary distribution channel. As streaming platforms reduce their investments in African originals, and infrastructure remains limited, many filmmakers are taking distribution into their own hands…
An open letter from a group that calls itself Film Workers for Palestine had amassed more than 4,000 signatures as of Wednesday, with a slew of Hollywood stars and filmmakers pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions that have been “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” “As filmmakers, actors, film industry…
