Author: Tambay A. Obenson

As Sundance 2025 prepares to open on January 23, I thought I’d take a look at the recent history of African narratives (features primarily) programmed at the festival, specifically during this century. The presence of African stories at Sundance has evolved, paralleling broader developments in African screen industries. As industry professionals gain increasing visibility on […]

This year marks the centennial of the birth of Paulin Soumanou Vieyra (1925-1987), a filmmaker, critic, and historian who played a pioneering role in the emergence and global recognition of African cinema. On the occasion of this 100th anniversary, a series of commemorative events, including film screenings, exhibitions, and academic conferences, are scheduled to take […]

As part of my commitment to providing comprehensive yet discerning coverage of Africa’s diverse and complex screen landscapes, I periodically analyze my own reporting to uncover country focus gaps as well as potential industry trends that might not be immediately apparent. Having conducted a first such analysis just after Q1 2024, this second examination includes […]

The Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) has announced the official selection for its 29th edition, scheduled for February 22 through March 1, 2025, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The lineup includes 17 features competing for the Étalon de Yennenga (the festival’s top prize), 15 feature documentaries, 34 shorts, and broad sections for animation, […]

Adrien James Prince de Capistran, affectionately known as “Uncle Didine,” was a pioneering Gabonese actor who passed away on January 5, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of storytelling. Establishing his screen career in the early 1980s, Prince de Capistran became a defining figure in Gabonese cinema and television, contributing to films and iconic television series […]

In a year that saw Idris Elba secure land allocation for a film studio in Zanzibar, announce plans for a “smart city” in Sierra Leone, and Kenya’s $284 million agreement with South Korea for a Digital Media City, joining other ambitious infrastructural projects like Rwanda’s Kigali Innovation City, Ghana’s Hope City, and Egypt’s Knowledge City, […]

For January 2025, access thoughtful and comprehensive insights into African film, TV, and digital ecosystems—trusted by media professionals worldwide: filmmakers, producers, distributors, programmers, curators, festival directors, scholars, financiers, and more. Join a global subscriber base spanning North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. You will receive a daily email newsletter that may include: – […]

Many who have worked within African screen industries across Africa have long recognized the challenges of building sustainable sectors, even as 2024 seemed to bring these realities to wider attention. Certainly, subscribers to my platform, Akoroko Premium, would already be familiar. The sobering truth is that what exists is a vastly uneven, fragmented landscape spread […]

Excerpts from the 1994 documentary “Sembène: The Making of African Cinema,” directed by Manthia Diawara and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o. It captures a 1993 conversation between Senegalese African cinema pioneer Ousmane Sembène and African American filmmaker John Singleton—on the heels of his critically acclaimed feature film debut “Boyz n the Hood” (1991). The meeting of minds […]

I’ve been reflecting on the obsession with “firsts.” It’s a concept embedded in global culture. “The first person to do this,” “the first organization to achieve that,” etc. Now imagine how many African “firsts” still lie ahead for African film and television, both at local and international levels, especially with global interest at seemingly unprecedented […]