As 2024 draws to a close, the international film festival circuit provides a distinct lens through which one can examine the stories shaping global perceptions of Africa and her cinema.
Films screened this year inform us of how African stories are being developed, financed, and presented to audiences around the world.
To be sure, these stories are often shaped by international workshops, co-production markets, and funding initiatives, primarily outside the continent.
At the same time, they reflect the zeitgeist, wrestling with themes like colonial legacy, displacement, and the physical, social, and cultural changes happening across the continent (and the diaspora) in ways that capture Africa today.
By analyzing approximately 55 film premieres of African films (primarily features) at the 2024 editions of major film festivals—including Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, and TIFF, as well as IFFR, Tribeca, Karlovy Vary, and Locarno—we can better understand what these films say about the evolving stories of Africa and the systems that help—or hinder—their journey to global screens.
On December 15, Akoroko Premium subscribers received an in-depth analysis that assesses the 2024 story of Africa and African filmmaking on the international stage—what tales are being told, who gets to tell them, and what it all means.
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