Category: The Latest

Addendum: Could the Netflix–CANAL+ Partnership Lead to Co-Productions and More?

The June 6 bundling deal between Netflix and CANAL+ improves access. But could it also hint at the beginning of co-financed, co-produced content for African markets? There’s no sign of that yet. But the infrastructure and incentives are starting to align, particularly as CANAL+ gains ground in both Francophone and Anglophone territories. Akoroko breaks down:– […]

I Used ChatGPT to Watch a Film. What I Learned About the Future of Criticism

Can ChatGPT watch a film? And if so, what can it already “see,” “hear,” and process, and what might it soon be able to interpret? Akoroko ran a real-world experiment using ChatGPT’s live camera input and discovered more than expected: not just current functional limitations, but weighty questions about memory, aesthetics, and labor. The future […]

Adaptation in African Film: A Snapshot

This year alone, I’ve sat in multiple rooms, both in person and virtual, on the continent and in the diaspora, where literary adaptations were discussed. And almost every time, a central question asked was: Why aren’t there more? So I started pulling threads, grounded in my past coverage, current conversations, and recent data like the […]

Moussa Alex Sawadogo Breaks Down FESPACO 2025—And What Comes Next

Prefer to listen? This newsletter is now available in audio format—an AI-generated version of my voice (5 minutes) In late April, Burkina Faso’s state newspaper Sidwaya published a long, wide-ranging, and revealing interview with Moussa Alex Sawadogo—the former Delegate General of FESPACO and now Director of the newly created Agence Burkinabè de la cinématographie et de l’audiovisuel (ABCA). […]

INDOMPTABLES Review: Ngijol Grounds Real-Life Crime Drama in Contemporary Cameroon

(En français ci-dessous) “My grandfather died in the resistance during the independence war so that this country would be free, so that you and I could walk freely today,” a father tells his son in the opening moments of “Indomptables” (Untamable). He warns his son about living in dangerous times, then asks matter-of-factly: “You know […]

African Animation at Annecy (June 8-14): 2025 Snapshot

For the first time, I’m formally capturing African presence at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, widely regarded as the world’s premier event dedicated to animation, combining a high-profile festival with a major industry market. – One feature film in official competition (“Allah Is Not Obliged”) – Six Africa-linked shorts across sections – A Nigerian […]

News Brief: FESPACO’s Cinémathèque Secures Rare Footage in Historic Tri-National Agreement

On June 2, a Facebook post from FESPACO linked to news of a rare African film archive that had just been handed over to its institutional partner, the Cinémathèque Africaine de Ouagadougou. The news was captured by Canada’s Cinémathèque québécoise, confirming what is—by any measure—a rare act: a Western institution deferring long-term archival responsibility for African historical memory […]

From Sundance Through Cannes 2025, Here’s Where the Deals Are (and Aren’t) for African Films

From Sundance Through Cannes 2025, Here’s Where the Deals Are (and Aren’t) for African Films. What’s sold, what hasn’t, and why most African titles are still waiting for distribution. Includes updated data across four key festivals from the first half of 2025 and over 25 titles. – Cannes leads in post-premiere distribution – Sundance, Berlinale, […]

Locarno’s Open Doors Africa 2025 Cohort Is Here

Six feature projects + six producers selected for the first edition of Locarno’s new Africa-focused cycle (2025–2028). Selected Projects + Teams:• “Les Bilokos” — Erickey Bahati & Giresse Kassonga (DR Congo)• “Journal Intime d’une Femme-Chèvre” (“Diary of a Goat Woman”) — Azata Soro & Nameita Lica Toure (Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso)• “The Fortunate” — Habtamu Gebrehiwot […]