Film

When film director Mo Harawe mentioned his Somali roots, he observed certain stereotypes shaping people's views of the nation, a peculiar quirk he'd picked up on. Talking to Middle East Eye, his regular run-ins with these clichés fired up the inspiration for what would become a groundbreaking Somali film making waves at the Cannes Film Festival come May 2024. Harawe says, "Crafting the screenplay felt instinctual, mapping out diverse characters drawn from Somalia's everyday life." As Cannes stands pivotal in the cinematic…

Idris Elba has set his sights on a significant shift in his life over the next ten years — he wants to move to Africa. This isn’t just a personal endeavor; it’s a heartfelt commitment to bolster the continent's burgeoning film sector. With an eye toward progress, Elba envisions constructing film studios in two pivotal locations: Zanzibar in Tanzania and Accra in Ghana. He believes it’s high time for Africans to take charge of their own stories. “We need to reclaim our narratives,” he asserts, urging a break from the confines…

"Dahomey," a groundbreaking documentary crafted by Mati Diop, delves into the echoes of royal artifacts pilfered from West Africa by European colonial powers. These treasures have only recently made their way back to their homeland—modern-day Benin. In a candid conversation with RFI, Diop expressed her hope that the film will trigger deep introspection on pressing themes like displacement, exile, and the elusive notion of return—not only for objects taken but also for the people affected by these historical injustices. Of…

In Dakar, an official ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 29 to launch the next Fespaco, which will take place from October 16 to 23 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Senegal is the guest of honor at the 27th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival. Originally scheduled for February, this major cultural event has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.…

The eighth edition of the Nollywood Week festival starts on Thursday 6 May and will take place completely online, a symbol of a cultural sector that is being undermined by the pandemic. The festival had to be canceled last year due to Covid-19. For this first virtual edition, four previews and about thirty films are shown, and many changes as well, a bit like Nigerian film that continues to adapt.…

The South African documentary The Knowledge of the Pieuvre received the Oscar for greatest documentary, on Sunday, April 25 in Los Angeles. It tells the story of a snorkel diver and an octopus in Cape City's False Bay. The assembly between man and octopus takes place in a kelp forest. These are massive algae that may attain 60 meters in top and are house to a wealthy ecosystem. With the knowledge of…

"I like the concept of 1 mobile - 1 minute - 1 movie." The first pan-African selection of Mobile Film Festival Africa invites us until March 17 to discover for free films from 51 young directors from 23 African countries driving to the Grand PrixAfrica, equipped with 10,000 euros. Interview with Rwandan director JoëlKarekezi, winner of the prestigious Gold Standard by Yennengaau Fespaco and member of the jury for Mobile Film…

This is the big annual meeting for fans of the 7th art in Madagascar. The 15th edition of the short film meetings started this weekend in the cinema at the French Institute in Antananarivo. A Pan-African short film festival that this year brings together works by some thirty directors from the Big Island and the continent, especially from Kenya, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast,…

It is an institution celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The Amiens International Film Festival, which specializes in so-called "southern" film, a benchmark for African film, was created in 1980. The 2020 edition opened its doors in a context darkened by the Covide epidemic and containment. In 40 years, the Amiens…