The European Film Market (EFM) has announced that Morocco will be the Country in Focus at the 2026 Berlinale, running February 12–18, 2026. The initiative, launched in 2017, highlights a different film region each year and has previously featured Mexico, Canada, Norway, Chile, the Baltic States, Italy, and Spain. According to the Berlinale, Morocco’s selection recognizes both its established cinematic tradition and its […]
Author: Tambay A. Obenson
Africa XChange at Cologne: Stakeholders Confront the Terms of Collaboration
On 15–16 October 2025, Cologne hosted the first “Africa XChange Summit” as part of Film Festival Cologne (9–16 October 2025). The event was organized by Rushlake Media — the Cologne-based distribution company founded by Philipp Hoffmann — in partnership with Die Gesellschaft DGS, with institutional support from Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and Film Festival Cologne. Nadia Denton, […]
Kenya’s NBO Film Festival Returns — An Overview of the Leading Annual Cinema Event
The NBO Film Festival 2025, Kenya’s premier annual cinema event, returns for its 6th edition in Nairobi from October 16 to 26, 2025. Founded by Mbithi Masya and Sheba Hirst, the festival has grown from a small local showcase into East Africa’s most dynamic platform for African and diaspora cinema, screening films from over 15 […]
UK Selects “My Father’s Shadow” for the Oscars — A Paradox of Identity and Representation
How does a Yoruba- and Pidgin-language film set and shot in Nigeria end up representing the United Kingdom at the Oscars? Akinola Davies Jr.’s “My Father’s Shadow” — a vivid portrait of family, politics, and acceptance during Nigeria’s 1993 elections — has been chosen as the UK’s official Oscar submission. In this deep-dive, Akoroko unpacks: […]
“Bad Influencer” is Netflix’s latest South African original series, premiering on October 31, 2025
Created by Kudi Maradzika and co-produced by her company Lincoln Green Media alongside Gambit Films, the seven-part drama follows BK (Jo-Anne Reyneke), a single mother and small-time grifter, who teams up with rising influencer Pinky (Cindy Mahlangu) to sell counterfeit luxury handbags. Their hustle spirals into a dangerous underworld of crime, deception, and morality in […]
African Film and Media Power Shift: Q3 2025 Assessment
By the numbers, Q3 was the most active quarter of 2025 so far for Africa’s screen ecosystems: new creative funds across countries, including Botswana and Mozambique; increasing State-backed industry initiatives like Egypt’s ongoing revival; initial pan-African, regional, and country-specific creative sector reports; broader visibility for African filmmaking globally; and much more. By structure, though, it […]
Silicon Valley’s African Film Festival Expands With 94 Films From 30 Countries
The Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) returns from October 9 to 12, 2025, in San Jose, California, for its 16th edition. Founded in 2009 by Chike C. Nwoffiah, it is the Bay Area’s only dedicated African film event, connecting African and diaspora filmmakers with local audiences, including San Jose’s African diaspora community and Silicon […]
Is Ghana’s Black Star Film Festival Positioning Itself as a Regional Distribution Gateway for African Films?
Ghana’s Black Star International Film Festival has struck a new distribution alliance with Majestic Cinemas (Côte d’Ivoire), Nile Group (Nigeria), and CINEKITA (dubbing/subtitling). The first test case is closing night selection “Son of the Soil,” opening in Nigeria Oct 31 before a French-dubbed release across Francophone Africa. BSIFF seems to be positioning itself as a […]
Canal+ Vows to Globalize African Content via StudioCanal
Canal+ has made its first big move since the MultiChoice takeover: it will use StudioCanal to export African films and series into more than sixty countries, starting with South Africa’s “Shaka Ilembe” and “Spinners.” Backed by a $200M annual slate and the continent’s largest pay-TV and streaming footprint, the group is attempting to build the […]
Milisuthando Bongela Launches Self-Distribution for “Milisuthando” Across Southern Africa + Global Streaming
South African filmmaker and cultural critic Milisuthando Bongela is bringing her debut documentary “Milisuthando” back to Southern Africa via a self-distribution campaign that extends from festivals to homes, book clubs, and community spaces. The film is also available to stream on the Criterion Channel, as well as via its official website and Patreon. After premiering […]