“Rumba Royale” — Official Trailer Out Now. Pathé’s First Major Co-Production Under Its New African Arm Tests Evolving Business Model Set in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) in 1959, “Rumba Royale” follows a photographer drawn into the city’s most exclusive nightclub as Congo approaches independence. Inside the club, music, politics, and desire collide, with rumba mirroring the tensions of […]
Author: Tambay A. Obenson
Marrakech’s Atlas Workshops Unveil 2025 Lineup With New Structure in Action
The Marrakech International Film Festival, held each year in Marrakech, Morocco, has announced the 28 projects and films selected for the 8th edition of the Atlas Workshops, which will take place from November 30 to December 4 during the festival’s 22nd edition (November 28–December 6, 2025). Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, winner of the Cannes Film […]
Cannes Makes It Official: Partnership with the DRC and Support for a New National Film Center
The Festival de Cannes has officially confirmed what I reported on October 31 in “Cannes Comes to Kinshasa.” A delegation led by General Delegate Thierry Frémaux traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from October 27 to 29, 2025, to support the launch of the Congolese National Film Center — the first official Cannes […]
Benin Moves to Replace Pre-Independence Cinema Law to Overhaul Film Sector
To reiterate, for any real and sustained progress in Africa’s film, television, and digital media sectors to take shape at the continental level, participation from smaller, less established, and historically quieter markets will be essential. On 22 October 2025, the Government of Benin, meeting in the Council of Ministers under President Patrice Talon, approved the transmission to the National […]
Fifteen African Projects Selected for Red Sea Souk 2025
Red Sea Film Foundation has deepened its engagement with African filmmaking, confirming 15 African or Africa-linked projects—nearly 40% of the 2025 Red Sea Souk lineup, announced on October 30, 2025. The Red Sea Souk, held during the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (December 4–13, 2025), functions as a co-production and project […]
A New Player in African Film Distribution: Bigger Motion Officially Launches
On October 24, 2025, Bigger Motion announced its official launch as a Pan-African film distribution company during the NBO Film Festival, which ran from October 17 to 27, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya. Bigger Motion evolved from the distribution wing of LBx Africa, the Nairobi production company founded by Sam Soko and Bramwel Iro, with a library that includes “Softie” (Sundance, 2020) and “Free Money” (TIFF, 2022). The new entity will handle acquisition and […]
Miguel Eek’s Amílcar: Trailer Drops Ahead of IDFA World Premiere
The trailer has dropped for Miguel Eek’s Amílcar, a poetic documentary about revolutionary leader Amílcar Cabral, ahead of its world premiere at IDFA 2025 in the festival’s Envision Competition. Produced by Mosaic Producciones and co-produced across France, Portugal, Sweden, and Cape Verde, the film reimagines Cabral’s voice through his writings, poems, and letters—blending unpublished archives, […]
Africa in the 2026 Oscars Race: Madagascar’s First-ever Submission and Uganda’s Second
Two new countries have joined the 2026 Oscars race, adding fresh energy to Africa’s growing presence in the Best International Feature Film category. Madagascar makes its first-ever submission with “Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story” by Luck Razanajaona. Distributed by Claire Diao’s Sudu Connexion, the film caps years of steady growth in Madagascar’s screen ecosystem, including […]
Disney Names Former MultiChoice Exec Rochelle Knock to Lead Sub-Saharan Africa Operations
On October 23, 2025, The Walt Disney Company announced that Rochelle Knock will join the company in December as VP, Disney+ & Networks and Country Head for Sub-Saharan Africa. Knock will represent the company, driving the overall business growth strategy in this territory and cultivating collaborative relationships to deliver on growth opportunities. With senior executive […]
Berlinale 2026: Morocco Named EFM “Country in Focus”
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 […]