Author: Tambay A. Obenson

Africa at the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars)

With just two days remaining until the October 2, 2024 submission deadline for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards, just five African countries have announced their entries: – Algeria: “Algiers” by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Egypt: “Flight 404” by Hani Khalifa – Kenya: “Nawi” by Toby Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Vallentine Chelluget, […]

The Shared Struggles of Black Filmmakers Worldwide: Finding Common Ground as a Way Forward

The Shared Struggles of Black Filmmakers Worldwide: Finding Common Ground as a Way Forward: Many of the issues, challenges, and opportunities I discuss within the African film and television context are applicable in other environments where Black people exist. One might assume that across Africa, where Black people hold political power and make up the […]

NI CHAÎNES NI MAÎTRES (NO CHAINS NO MASTERS) Review: Rare Glimpse Into Slavery Resistance in Mauritius is Visually Striking but Uneven

NI CHAÎNES NI MAÎTRES (NO CHAINS NO MASTERS), the much-anticipated directorial debut of award-winning French-Beninese screenwriter Simon Moutaïrou, received a simultaneous theatrical release in France and Mauritius on September 18, 2024, courtesy of StudioCanal. The film’s potential for wider international distribution is unknown. However, given that StudioCanal, a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, is behind […]

The Misconception of “Making It”: African Filmmakers at International Film Festivals and the Struggle for Recognition

I’m writing this in the thick of awards season film festival coverage, with Venice and Toronto now behind us. My experiences during this relentless whirlwind of events reminded me of a persistent problem. The journey of African filmmakers through the labyrinth of major international film festivals is a route fraught with expectations and missed opportunities. […]

African Filmmakers Speak: Navigating the Realities of International Streaming Platforms

As streaming increasingly becomes the dominant form of content consumption across Africa, a September 11, 2024, virtual pan-African roundtable, hosted by Lagos, Nigeria-based Creative Economy Practice at Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), offered listeners (including myself) a valuable perspective on the “Africa streaming story.” Unlike typical media coverage that often focuses on the viewpoints of executives at […]

FREEDOM WAY (TIFF Review): An Ambitious, Visually Captivating, Yet Narratively Uneven Journey Through Lagos

“Freedom Way,” the feature debut from Nigerian filmmaker Afolabi Olalekan, from a script penned by Blessing Uzzi, who also produces, is making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section. It’s a multifaceted exploration of corruption and socioeconomic challenges in contemporary Lagos. The film intertwines several storylines centered around a rideshare app startup called […]

African Film Financing Case Studies: Insights from the MIP Africa Financing Forum

I hosted a session on African film financing during the third edition of FAME Week / MIP Africa last week in Cape Town, South Africa. Titled “Bridging the Gap: Financing Africa’s Creative Future,” it brought together experts from various sectors of filmmaking and finance to explore the landscape of film financing within the continent, although […]