Author: Tambay A. Obenson

The new Kenyan sci-fi series “Subterranea,” from Likarion Wainaina, which premiered on September 26, 2024, on Showmax, is an intriguing achievement in the context of Kenyan television history. While marketed as Kenya’s “first” long-form sci-fi TV series, it should be understood within a continuum of “African speculative storytelling,” inviting us to reconsider our understanding of […]

Last week’s announcement of American studio A24’s plans to adapt Chinua Achebe’s seminal 1958 novel “Things Fall Apart” into a TV series, with Idris Elba starring and executive producing, has inspired much discussion and debate. It’s an adaptation that faces specific challenges and considerations, given the cultural significance of the source material and the complexities […]

Akoroko Premium subscribers previously received a concise oral history of the 1992 Nigerian film widely considered the foundation of modern “Nollywood.” It seemed somewhat fitting (October 1) to make it semi-public today. The piece draws documented insights from those involved in its making, as well as various industry professionals, and scholars, to provide a multifaceted […]

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 Next Narrative Africa Fund is a $40M fund launched today to support film and TV production primarily across Africa and its diaspora. But how will it work, and what does it mean for emerging and established filmmakers and content creators? Akoroko Premium subscribers received a critical assessment of the fund announcement, unpacking the details […]

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), 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 […]

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. […]

With Toronto wrapping up as the last of the “Big 5” festivals and the majority of film festivals behind us, it’s safe to say that, at this point in the year, we’ve seen the bulk of the films that the film world will be discussing for the remainder of this year and into early 2025. […]

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 […]