A24 launched the U.S. theatrical released of Rungano Nyoni’s sophomore feature “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” on March 7, 2025. Check your local listings. When I first interviewed Rungano Nyoni ahead of the U.S. premiere of her debut feature “I Am Not a Witch” in 2018, she was just coming into her own as a director […]
Author: Tambay A. Obenson
How Will Africa’s Film Heritage Be Comprehensively and Effectively Preserved and Distributed in the Digital Era?
The Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), which recently wrapped up its 29th edition, established the African Film Library of Ouagadougou in 1989 during its 20th anniversary. Located at FESPACO’s headquarters in Burkina Faso, the institution collects, preserves, and promotes African films and related materials, making it one of the continent’s largest film conservation centers. From […]
On Being Asked “What Are Your Favorite African Films?”
It’s a question I hear often, at festivals, on panels, in interviews, in casual conversation, usually framed in different ways: What are your top African films? What have you been watching? What would you recommend? Give me your top 5 African films or filmmakers. The inquiry itself feels innocent enough. People are curious, and given my […]
YouTube vs. Streaming? How Nigerian Filmmakers Are Adapting—And Broader Implications
On February 7, 2025, Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan announced that his 2016 film, “The CEO,” would be released for free on YouTube, followed by his 2011 romantic dramedy, “Phone Swap,” on February 28. Both films have already gone through primary theatrical, pay-TV, and streaming distribution windows. In a February 12 interview, Afolayan explained that this […]
Haile Gerima’s Final Battle? BLACK LIONS, ROMAN WOLVES, and the Cost of Independence
Haile Gerima’s “Black Lions, Roman Wolves: The Children of Adwa” is a long-awaited, work-in-progress documentary film series by the acclaimed Ethiopian filmmaker. The project is an epic five-part work (totaling roughly 10 hours) that chronicles Ethiopia’s struggle against fascist Italy during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–1941). Gerima has been developing “Black Lions, Roman Wolves” for […]
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL: Rungano Nyoni—A Surreal Wake, and a Reckoning with Silence
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL: Rungano Nyoni—A Surreal Wake, and a Reckoning with Silence. A24 opens “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” in U.S. theaters on March 7, 2025, bringing Rungano Nyoni’s daring exploration of trauma, silence, and generational conflict to a broader global audience. Check your local listings for screening information. Akoroko Premium subscribers received […]
Streaming Souleymane Cissé: Where to Watch His Films (If You Can at All)
Since dispatching the February 19th newsletter on “Hommage d’une fille à son père: Souleymane Cissé”—Fatou Cissé’s 2022 documentary feature tribute to her father, written in response to the news of his passing—I’ve learned that the film is also available on Plex, another streaming platform that, according to its own claims, is accessible in nearly every country. Plex provides a […]
Juliet Asante Is Out at Ghana’s Film Authority—More Questions Than Answers
Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, who served over four years as chief of Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA), revealed in a March 2, 2025, Facebook post, that she had been unexpectedly terminated. Asante said she learned of her replacement through public announcements rather than formal notice. Her candid post detailed challenges during her tenure, including: Her […]
Canal+ Delays MultiChoice Takeover Deadline – What This Means
Canal+ has extended its MultiChoice acquisition deadline by six months, pushing the expected closure from April 8 to October 8, 2025. This is because regulators require more time to approve the deal. This update came directly from Canal+’s full-year 2024 earnings report, released on March 4, 2025, and a joint statement from Canal+ and MultiChoice […]
Reimagining the Oscar’s International Feature Category: The African Challenge, 1947-2025
The Oscars are just one way of assessing cinema, shaped by a specific cultural lens. Conventional wisdom suggests Academy recognition brings real-world benefits. But acclaimed African filmmakers—Ousmane Sembène, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and many others—built influential careers without it. Still, the way Oscar categories are structured matters—not because an Oscar legitimizes a film, but because arbitrary barriers […]