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…
Ronnie Apteker Ronnie Apteker, the co-founder of Internet Solutions – a pioneering figure in South Africa’s early internet industry – will release his next film in the coming days, focused on life in Kyiv following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Apteker, who moved to Ukraine before the war broke out, had his life upended when Vladimir…
Nairobi — Kenya’s film and creative sector is set to gain from the upcoming Africa Film Finance Forum (AFFF), which returns this September in Lagos, Nigeria, with an ambitious goal of unlocking a $20 billion Pan-African film economy. Scheduled for September 16-18, the forum will convene industry stakeholders under the theme “Pan-African Film Economy: Building…
Netflix began its Africa operations in South Africa in 2016. When the US streaming giant announced it was setting up shop in Nigeria in 2020, many west African film-makers, writers, artists and media audiences were jubilant. Finally, west Africa’s creativity and brilliance would be formally recognised on the world stage. Netflix Naija’s purpose was to…
