In 2024, I covered the launch of a new initiative designed to improve and expand Wikipedia’s coverage of African film and television, a gap that continues to limit how African cinemas are documented, referenced, and globally accessed. That initial campaign, tied to FESPACO and powered by The Africa Narrative and the Wikimedia Foundation, was the start […]
Category: The Latest
Canal+–MultiChoice Deal Approved. Now Comes the Restructuring
🎬 Canal+ now has full legal clearance to acquire MultiChoice. South Africa’s Competition Tribunal has approved the R35B deal, clearing the way for restructuring. 📌 Canal+ gains control of DStv, Showmax, and distribution across major territories📌 R26B in public interest conditions, including local content and structural spin-off📌 Netflix, CanalOlympia, myCANAL, even possibly TF1—access now passes […]
Mambéty at 80: It’s STILL Good for the Future of Cinema That Africa Exists
Prefer to listen? This newsletter is now available in AI-generated audio (8 minutes) Today would have been the 80th birthday of African cinema pioneer Djibril Diop Mambéty, born July 23, 1945, in Colobane, just outside Dakar, Senegal. He died young, in 1998, at 53. But his work, his influence, and his voice have never really […]
Canal+ Group’s First Nigerian Original Series Launches—Here’s What to Know
Canal+ Group just premiered “Lagos Police Criminelle”, its first original series made in Nigeria. 📌 Co-produced with Lagos-based Asake Productions📌 Developed from “Lasgidi Cops,” rebooted for a pan-African audience📌 Distributed via Canal+ Pop and the myCANAL app📌 First episode free on YouTube (standard Canal+ promo model) Akoroko unpacks the behind-the-scenes action and broader context—Netflix bundling, […]
Cleo Diára on Her Cannes Win, the Silence That Followed, and What Still Hasn’t Been Said
Prefer to listen? This newsletter is now available in AI-generated audio. (Intro only) When Cleo Diára won Best Actress in Un Certain Regard at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, she became only the second African woman in the event’s 78-year history to receive any acting award—following South African actress Linda Mvusi, who shared the Best […]
Netflix in Africa, Q2 2025: What Changed, What Didn’t, and What Remains Unsaid
Africa remains invisible in Netflix’s Q2 earnings call, even after the CANAL+ bundling deal launched in 24 countries and TF1 entered the mix. 📌 Africa = 1% of EMEA revenue (~$30–45M)📌 No mention of Nigeria, South Africa, or Kenya📌 No mention of CANAL+ or TF1, and no known co-productions with either📌 Distribution expands, but no […]
Inside the UK–Nigeria Collaboration Behind MY FATHER’S SHADOW + Akinola Davies Jr’s Next Film Set
🎥 My Father’s Shadow was the first Nigerian feature ever selected for Cannes’ official program. What followed, and what comes next? 📌 UK-based producer Rachel Dargavel breaks down the collaboration 📌 Nigerian-set thriller “Delta Force Six” confirmed as Davis Jr’s next project 📌 Still no Nigerian premiere, despite international festival run 📌 Local infrastructure, power […]
Mapping Africa’s Co-Production Treaty Landscape (Report)
We’ve compiled a snapshot of Africa’s co-production treaty landscape: 48 agreements across 16 countries, mapped and analyzed. 📌 South Africa: 12 treaties; most globally connected📌 Morocco: 11 treaties; building intra-African links📌 Nigeria: first treaty ever, signed with Brazil in 2025📌 France still leads partnerships, but South–South connections increasing📌 Recent deals now cover streaming And more… […]
New Details on Next Narrative Africa Fund’s Grant Process: Impact, Investment, Readiness
I joined the hour-long July 14 public info session hosted by the Next Narrative Africa Fund to hear how the team is publicly framing its open call for script development grants. The session featured Akunna Cook (Next Narrative Africa), Samia Yakub (comms), and Darcy Heusel (Greenlight Committee chair). Much of what was shared confirmed details […]
Weekly Wrap-Up: July 7–13, 2025 (Every Newsletter Subscribers Received in the Last Week)
– Next Narrative Africa Fund Opens First Grant Call (What You Need to Know)– Malawi’s Film Sector Secures Rare Structural Win After Royalty Showdown– Correction: HEVA No Longer Involved in Next Narrative Africa Fund– Africa at Locarno 2025: Confirmed Projects, Structural Commitments, and Context– Africa at Venice 2025: Expanded Participation, Diverse Engagement, and Context– “Cordelia” […]