Portal:African cinema/Selected anniversaries
Selected anniversaries list
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Heart of the Hunter a South African thriller based on the novel by the same name by South African writer Deon Meyer premiered on 29th March on Netflix. Within its first week it took the #1 spot in Netflix’s global ranking. Directed by Mandlakayise Dube of Silverton Siege and starring Bonko Khoza, Connie Furgeson, and Masasa Mbangeni the film is set in post democratic South Africa and follows one man’s mission to thwart a corrupt politician’s bid for the presidential seat.
April 18 is Zimbabwe’s National Independence Day. Check out Neria 21 (2024), a film directed by Trust Sayi and recently released in its entirety on YouTube. The drama is a remake of the classic Zimbabwean film Neria (1994) based on the eponymous novel by Tsitsi Dangarembga and directed by Godwin Mawuru. It became the highest-grossing film in Zimbabwean history.
The Festival Films Femmes d’Afrique takes place April 26-May 4 in Dakar and in various regions of Senegal from May 5-10. Established in 2013, the festival celebrates films that document the stories of African women. Films in competition this year include Banal et Adama by Ramata Toulaye Sy, Twenty Years Later by Moussa Touré, and Big Little Women, a documentary by Nadia Fares.
The Nollywood Centre at the Pan-Atlantic University’s School of Media and Communications Studies is hosting a “Film Financing in the Nigerian Film Industry: Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects” on April 20 in Lagos. Attendance is free but registration is required.
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The Africa Film Academy, the organizers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has opened a call for submissions ahead of its 20th edition. Submissions end in April, 2024.
Real Estate Sisters, Netflix’s South African comedy premiered on the country’s Freedom Day, April 27, and two days ahead of its general elections. Produced by Zoe Ramushu, the series features Galaletsang Koffman and Leera Mthethwa as sister real estate business partners aiming to go upmarket from the township of Atteridgeville to the suburb Waterkloof.
Bob Hearts Abishola (stylized as BOB ❤️ ABISHOLA) an American television sitcom is having its series finale May 17 after 5 seasons. The show was conceived by producer Chuck Lorre who was inspired to showcase the lives and contributions of immigrants in the United States. His co-creator includes British Nigerian comedian and actress Gina Yashere and stars Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku as the respective titular characters, in addition to Shola Adewusi, Barry Shabaka, Bayo Akinfemi, Anthony Okungbowa, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, and Yashere in supporting roles.
Seven films from African filmmakers were selected to screen at the 77th edition of the Cannes Festival taking place May 14-25. These include works by Somalian-born Mo Harawe (The Village Next to Paradise), Egyptian filmmakers Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir (The Brink of Dreams), French-Moroccan screenwriter, director, and producer, Hamich Benlarbi (La Mer Au Loin/ Across the Sea), French-Algerian filmmaker Emma Benestan (Animale), Zambian-Welsh director and screenwriter Rungano Nyoni (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl), Egyptian artist and film director Hala Elkoussy (East Noon), and Franco-Moroccan director, Nabil Ayouch (Everybody Loves Touda).
This Year’s Cannes Film Festival includes a number of African Jury Members for its various sections:French-Senegalese filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré (Un Certain Regard), Moroccan filmmaker and producer Asmae El Moudir (Un Certain Regard), Belgian-Moroccan actress Lubna Azabal (Cinéfondation and Short Films Competition), Belgian-Congolese singer and filmmaker Baloji (Caméra d'Or), Dyana Gaye, French-Senegalese filmmaker (L'Œil d'Or), and Eliane Umuhire,Rwandan actress (Critics’ Week),
The biopic of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters and starring Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, and is set to premiere in Nigerian cinemas nationwide on May 17. The film chronicles the life of the Nigerian educator, political campaigner, suffragist, and women's rights activist and the mother of the Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti.
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The 31st edition of the New York African Film Festival is being held from the 8th to 30th of May. The festival, co-presented with Film Society of Lincoln Center, has introduced African filmmakers such as Abderrahmane Sissako, Lupita Nyong’o and Tunde Kelani to American audiences. Films set to screen this year include Banel and Adama (2023) by Ramata Toulaye-Sy, Xale (2022) by Moussa Sene Absa and Le Spectre de Boko Haram (2023) by Cyrielle Raingou.
The 10th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, considered one of the film industry’s biggest award shows on the continent, took place on May 11th. In a departure from past editions, performance categories like Best Actor and Best Actress Awards were determined by a jury instead of an audience voting system. Among the notable winners this year includes Breath of Life for best film, best director (BB Sasore), best lead actor (Wale Ojo), best supporting actress (Genoveva Umeh) and best supporting actor (Demola Adedoyin)
Seven films from African filmmakers were selected to screen at the 77th edition of the Cannes Festival taking place May 14-25. These include works by Somalian-born Mo Harawe (The Village Next to Paradise), Egyptian filmmakers Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir (The Brink of Dreams), French-Moroccan screenwriter, director, and producer, Hamich Benlarbi (La Mer Au Loin/ Across the Sea), French-Algerian filmmaker Emma Benestan (Animale), Zambian-Welsh director and screenwriter Rungano Nyoni (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl), Egyptian artist and film director Hala Elkoussy (East Noon), and Franco-Moroccan director, Nabil Ayouch (Everybody Loves Touda).
This Year’s Cannes Film Festival includes a number of African Jury Members for its various sections:French-Senegalese filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré (Un Certain Regard), Moroccan filmmaker and producer Asmae El Moudir (Un Certain Regard), Belgian-Moroccan actress Lubna Azabal (Cinéfondation and Short Films Competition), Belgian-Congolese singer and filmmaker Baloji (Caméra d'Or), Dyana Gaye, French-Senegalese filmmaker (L'Œil d'Or), and Eliane Umuhire,Rwandan actress (Critics’ Week),
The biopic of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters and starring Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, and is set to premiere in Nigerian cinemas nationwide on May 17. The film chronicles the life of the Nigerian educator, political campaigner, suffragist, and women's rights activist and the mother of the Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti.
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African Cinema prominently featured at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with more than 20 films debuting at the festival. Notable features include Somali filmmaker, Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise and Zambian filmmaker, Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming a Guniea Fowl in the Un Regard category. The Director’s fortnight featured Egyptian film director, Hala Elkoussy’s East of Noon while Moroccan filmmaker, Nabil Ayouch’s Everybody Loves Touda screened in the Cannes Premiere section.
Film Africa, the Royal African Society’s biennial London festival celebrating the African and African diaspora cinema from across the continent, is now accepting submissions through June 30 for its 10th edition taking place October 25 through November 3, 2024.
How to Ruin Love: The Proposal, a spin off of the How to Ruin series drops on Netflix on May 31. The story follows Zoleka (Sivenathi Mbuya) who believes her long-term boyfriend, Kagiso (Bohang Moeko) is cheating on her. Produced by the Ramaphakela siblings Tshepo, Katleho, and Rethabile of Burnt Onion Productions.
Tribeca Film Festival runs from June 5 to 16, 2024, in New York City. African productions set to screen at the festival include Made in Ethiopia by Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan and produced by Tamara Dawit about three women navigating the expansion of the biggest Chinese industrial zone in Ethiopia; Era Oculta by Carlos Vargas a drama unfolding in Maputuo Mozambique; Searching for Amani, a documentary by Debra Okoro and Nicole Gormley about a young aspiring journalist investigating his father’s murder within one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies; and The Weekend, a drama-thriller by Daniel Emeke Oriahi, and the first independent Nigerian selected to screen at the festival.
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The International Day of the African Child is celebrated on June 16 to honor the South African school children who participated in the 1976 Soweto Uprising, and to raise awareness on the educational needs of African children. Check out ''Sarafina! the 1992 musical drama film about the Uprising based on Mbongeni Ngema's 1987 musical of the same name and directed by Darrell Roodt.
A retrospective of films by Senegalese filmmaker, Ousmane Sembène will be screened at the Sydney Film Festival this June. Regarded as the father of African cinema, some of his films that will be screened include Black Girl (1966), Xala (1975) and Moolaade (2004).
122 (2019) is an Egyptian psychological horror film directed by Yasir Al-Yasiri and written by Salah El Gehiny, set during a "bloody night in a place where we are supposed to feel safe," the film highlights the distressing consequences when Nasr (Ahmed Dawood) and Umnia (Amina Khalil) dial 122, Egypt's equivalent of 911, seeking help. Despite their attempt to find safety, their secrets plunge them into deeper trouble. Originally released in Egyptian theaters in 2019, the film drops on Netflix this June.
The sequel to the 2019 Netflix crime drama film, Òlòtūré titled Òlòtūré:The Journey about a Nigerian journalist who goes undercover to expose the dangerous and brutal underworld of human trafficking, is set to be released on June 28.
Tribeca Film Festival runs from June 5 to 16, 2024, in New York City. African productions set to screen at the festival include Made in Ethiopia by Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan and produced by Tamara Dawit about three women navigating the expansion of the biggest Chinese industrial zone in Ethiopia; Era Oculta: by Carlos Vargas a drama unfolding in Maputuo Mozambique; Searching for Amani, a documentary by Debra Aroko and Nicole Gormley about a young aspiring journalist investigating his father’s murder within one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies; and The Weekend, a drama-thriller by Daniel Emeke Oriahi, and the first independent Nigerian selected to screen at the festival.
Sons of Rizk:The Knockout (2024) is the third installment of the 2015 Egyptian crime drama, Sons of Rizk. Directed by Tarek Alarian and written by Salah El Gehiny, the sequel will be released in Egyptian theaters on June 12.
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The African Export-Import Bank and the Fund for Export Development in Africa signed a memorandum of understanding on June 12th with American actress Viola Davis and her recently launched publishing entity JVL Media. The collaboration aims to advance Africa's publishing and film industries.
Nominees for 2024 Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film and Television Awards were announced. The awards recognize outstanding achievement and excellence within the South African film and television industry, focusing on the province of KwaZulu-Natal. TV series Shaka iLembe is leading with the most nominations including for Nomzamo Mbatha, Deli Malinga, Hope Mbele, Thembinkosi Mthembu, Wiseman Mncube, and Kwenzo Ngcobo.
Registration is open for the African International Film and Audio-visual Market (MICA), taking place on the sideline of the 29th Edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). MICA is a networking forum for professionals from various segments of the film, audio-visual and motion picture industry. The 22nd edition of MICA is taking place from 23 to 28 February 2025 in Ouagadougou. Register here.
Sons of Rizk:The Knockout (2024) is the third installment of the 2015 Egyptian crime thriller, Sons of Rizk. Directed by Tarek Alarian and written by Salah El Gehiny, the sequel had its global premiere June 13. In wide release in US, Egyptian and other cinemas around the world, the film stars Ahmed Ezz, Ahmad El-Fishawy, and Karim Kassem.
Banal & Adama (2023), a French-Malian-Senegalese romantic drama directed by Senegalese screenwriter Ramata-Toulaye Sy in her feature directorial debut was released in US theaters in June. It premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and chosen as the Senegalese entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Season two of Savage Beauty drops on Netflix June 28. The South African drama series revolves around Bhengu Beauty, the South African global beauty empire and Zinhle Manzini (Rosemary Zimu), the face of the brand, who surreptitiously plots her revenge against the Bhengu family. The series also explores issues class and colorism. Season 1 ranked in the Netflix's top 10 in 13 countries in its first week.
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The 45th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) takes place from July 18 to 28. African feature films in contention include Sonti by Terrence Aphane, The Village Next To Paradise by Mo Harawe, and Who Do I Belong To by Meryam Joobeur.
Our Father directed by Biodun Stephen premiers at the ICFF film festival in Toronto July 12. Starring Olarotimi Fakunle, Etim Effiong, Mike Afolarin, Uche Montana, and Audrey Harrison the movie follows a struggling musician who seeks to reconnect with his family twenty years after abandoning them in a quest for stardom.
Lobola Man drops on Netflix July 18th. The South African romantic comedy stars Lawrence Maleka in his first leading role, as the “silver-tongued chief lobola (bride price) negotiator.” The film also stars Sthandile Nkosi, Obed Baloyi, Themba Ndaba, Kwanele Mthethwa, Letuka Dlamini, Nimrod Nkosi, Sello Ramolahloane and Thembsie Matu.
Call for submissions for the Ecrans Noirs Festival is open through July 31. The 28th edition of Écrans Noirs festival will be held from October 19-26, 2024 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and in various cities throughout the country.
July 11th is African Anti-Corruption Day. Checkout Softie a 2020 Kenyan film based on the life of political activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi and his family; King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021), a seven-part limited Netflix crime drama series that explore Nigerian corruption and power dynamics; and the South African 2019 political documentary How to Steal a Country about state capture in South Africa during President Jacob Zuma’s presidency. The film is being used in German high schools to teach students about corruption.
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Prime Video is set to release The Shakedown, its first South African original film, a Cape Town-set crime caper comedy on August 8th. The film follows Justin Diamond (Carl Beukes), a medical aid broker who gets mixed up in the Cape Town underworld after his mistress threatens to reveal their affair. Also starring Emmanuel Castis and Julia Anastasopoulos.
July 23 is Egypt’s Revolution Day, the anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 which led to the declaration of the modern republic of Egypt. Watch Return My Heart. Since its release in 1957, the film has been shown on Egyptian state television every 23rd of July, in light of the main character, Ali, who joins the Free Officers Movement which carried out the revolution.
July 26 is Liberia’s Independence Day. Watch The Iron Ladies of Liberia (2007) an American-Liberian documentary film that gives behind-the-scenes access to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's first year in government. Johnson-Sirleaf was Africa's first female president.
Call for submissions for the Ecrans Noirs Festival is open through July 31. The 28th edition of Écrans Noirs festival will be held from October 19-26, 2024 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and in various cities throughout the country.
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries takes place August 1st - 4th. ZIFF is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa.
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The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has extended to August 10th the deadline for film entries for its 20th edition. The AMAA awards are aimed at honoring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture.
Connie Chiume (b.5 June 1952), a South African filmmaker and actress, died on August 6th. She was known for her film roles in Black Panther, Black Is King, and Blessers and in South African television series that includedYizo Yizo 2, Zone 14, Rhythm City, and Gomora.
Idris Elba has been allocated land in Zanzibar to set up a film studio according to comments by Zanzibar's Minister for Investment at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. The government granted Elba 80 hectares (about 200 acres of land) in Fumba, on the island of Unguja.
Côte d’Ivoire celebrates its Independence Day on August 7th. Check out two films from Philippe Lacôte, one of the country's most celebrated directors. Run (2014) is a drama and fictionalized account of the 2011 post-election upheaval in the Ivory Coast that killed 3000 people. It was first ever-film from the country selected for Cannes. Night of the Kings is a 2020 fantasy drama taking place in the notorious Ivorian MACA Prison. It was selected as the Ivory Coast's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, making the shortlist of fifteen films.
The Nigerian drama I Do Not Come To You By Chance (2023) by Ishaya Bako, had its US premiere at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, on August 3rd. An adaptation of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's award-winning novel of the same name, the film stars Paul Nnadiekwe and Blossom Chukwujekwu and is executive produced by Genevieve Nnaji and Chinny Carter.
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF)has extended the submission deadline for its 45th edition to September 1. The 45th edition will be held in Cairo from the 13th to the 22nd of November 2024 at the Cairo Opera House. CIFF is the only international competitive feature film festival recognized by the FIAPF in the Arab world and Africa, as well as the oldest in this category.
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The 81st Venice International Film Festival (August 28 – September 7) has several African films in selection:
- Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo a comedy drama by Khaled Mansour and the first Egyptian film selected to be on the festival’s lineup since 2012.
- Aicha by Tunisian Mehdi M. Barsaoui, of the award-winning A Son, and inspired by the real life story of a young woman who faked her death following a bus crash
- Carissa, a South African drama co-directed and co-written by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, and starring Gretchen Ramsden.
The 49th Toronto International Film Festival taking place September 5-12th features a number of African films in the line up:
- Front Row, by Algerian director Merzak Allouache, is a family dramedy about feuding matriarchs starring Fatiha Ouared, Nabil Asli and Bouchra Roy.
- Freedom Way by director Afolabi Olalekan about six Nigerians whose lives are disrupted by corrupt officers. Starring Debo Adebayo, Jable Ogranya, Jesse Suntele, Mike Afolarin, Femi Jacobs, and Bimbo Akintola.
- Don’t Let the Dog’s Go Tonight, the South African feature debut by Embeth Davidtz based on the best-selling eponymous novel by British-Zimbabwean author Alexandra Fuller.
- Perfumed with Mint by Egyptian cinematographer-turned-director Muhammed Hamdy (of the critically-acclaimed 2013 documentary The Square) in his feature debut.
- On Becoming a Guinea Fowl a Zambian co-production directed by Rungano Nyoni and her second feature following the award-winning I am Not a Witch.
- The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, the feature debut of the Nigerian filmmaking group the Agbajowo Collective, is based on real-life events that took place in 2016 and 2017 surrounding forced evictions from Lagos’ Otodo Gbame fishing community in 2016-2017. The film’s cast includes Temi-Ami Williams (of This is My Desire) and Nollywood veteran actor Debo Adebayo.
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Countries are starting to submit nominations to the 97th Academy Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. African submissions include:
- Algeria’s Algiers by writer-director Chakib Taleb-Bendiab which takes place during the Algerian Civil War and centers around the investigation of a young girl’s kidnapping
- Egypt’s Flight 404 by Hani Khalifa and starring Mona Zaki as a woman whose pilgrimage to Mecca is suddenly interrupted with an emergency that requires her to seek funds from people from her shady past.
- Kenya’s Nawi directed by Kenyans Vallentine Chelluget and Apuu Mourine alongside Kevin Schmutzler and Toby Schmutzler from Germany, about a young girl from northwestern rural Kenya who enters a writing competition.
- Morocco’s Everybody Loves Touda by Nabil Ayouch about a young singer (Nisrin Erradi) who dreams of becoming a traditional Moroccan folk singer and moving to Casablanca for greater recognition and a better life for her son.
- Senegal’s Dahomey by Mati Diop. The film, winner of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival top prize, the Golden Bear, follows the journey of 26 plundered royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey and their return from France to Benin.
The Nigerian Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa unveiled the government's plan to generate $100 billion and create over two million jobs from Nigeria’s creative economy by 2030. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s creative economy contributed $5 billion, or just 1.2% to Nigeria’s GDP in 2022.
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A TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s 1958 classic novel, Things Fall Apart is in development at A24 Studios with Idris Elba attached to star and executive produce. David Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will executive produce through Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon production company.
October 1st is Botswana Independence Day. Watch A United Kingdom a 2016 biographical romantic drama film directed by Amma Asante, based on the true-life romance of Seretse Khama, heir to the throne of the Bangwato Tribe in Serowe, with his wife Ruth Williams Khama. David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike portray Seretse and Ruth, respectively.
October 4th is Lesotho’s Independence Day. Check out This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection, a 2019 drama film directed by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese. It was selected as the Lesotho entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards and the first time Lesotho had made a submission in the category. At the 2020 Africa Movie Academy Awards, the film was nominated for seven awards, ultimately winning Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Director.
October 9th is Uganda’s National Independence Day. Watch The Girl in the Yellow Jumper a 2020 Ugandan mystery-thriller produced and directed by Loukman Ali. A critically well-received film, it was also the first Ugandan film to steam on Netflix.
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The 2024 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) announced the nominees for its 20th edition, taking place on the 2nd of November in Lagos, Nigeria. Leading the nominations is Daniel Oriahi’s psychological thriller The Weekend with 16 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, and Achievement in Cinematography. The Queenstown Kings, a South African sports film follows with 15 nominations, also vying for Best Film, Best Director, and Cinematography. This is Lagos, Kenneth Gyang’s crime drama; Under The Hanging Tree, a supernatural film noir from Namibia; and Obi Emelonye's Out of Breath, a Nigerian historical drama, each received 9 nominations
British Zambian Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming a Guinea Fowl took top honors at the 20th Zurich Film Festival on October 12, winning the Golden Eye for best feature film. A follow up feature to Nyoni's acclaimed 2017 debut I Am Not A Witch, the film is a family comedy drama about sexual abuse set in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Royal African Society is hosting its annual Film Africa festival in London from 25th October - 3rd November. Mati Diop’s award-winning documentary Dahomey, and Black Tea, a romantic drama by Abderrahmane Sissako will open and close the festival respectively. Film Africa 2024 will also showcase a lineup of features, documentaries, and shorts and award the Baobab Award for Best Short Film and the Audience Award for Best Feature Film.
The 28th edition of the Écrans Noirs Festival takes place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from October 19 to 26. A total of 139 films, series, and web series have been selected to screen. Among the films being screened are Enah Johnscot’s Half Heaven; Achille Brice’s thriller Smiling Masks and The Mystery of Waza, an archaeological adventure animation by award-winning director Claye Edou.
Happiness Is, the third installment of the female-centered Happiness is a Four-letter Word franchise, premieres on Netflix on October 18. It’s the follow-up to Happiness Ever After, which was commissioned by and premiered on Netflix in 2021and the sequel to the original 2019 Happiness is Four-letter film, a major box office hit in South African cinemas.
Naima Lamcharki, (b 11 July 1943) one of Morocco’s best-known actresses whose career spanned film, television, and theater, died on October 5th. Among her most recognized performances was in the comedy megahit In Search of My Wife's Husband (1993), for which she won the prize for Best Female Lead at Morocco’s National Film Festival.
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The 20th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) took place November 2nd, 2024. Among the biggest winners was the Nigerian drama The Weekend which took home the Best Film Award for both Nigeria and Africa. Nigerian filmmaker Femi Adebayo received the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award for his performance in the historical drama Jagun Jagun, a film he also directed and among the most nominated films of the evening. Ghana’s Jackie Appiah received Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Red Carpet, and Jahmil X.T. Qubeka was honored as Best Director for The Queenstown Kings, a Netflix South African sports drama.
Half Heaven (2023), a Cameroon christian drama directed by Enah Johnscott, was winner of five awards at the 28th edition of the Écrans Noirs film festival. The awards included one in the Jury Prize for International Feature award, the Best Central African Feature Award, Best Original Music, Best Costume Design, and the Jury Prize from the African Federation of Film Critics.
Nollywood filmmaker Dimeji Ajibola (b. 15 April 1980) died on November 3rd. He was known for directing Hoodrush (2012), Nigeria’s first urban musical film; Ovy’s Voice, the highest-ranked movie on Iroko TV in 2017, and more recently in 2023, Wura a Showmax original Nigerian soap opera and adaptation of the South Africa’s The River; Slum King, a lagos-based crime series; and Netflix’s crime thriller series Shantytown. His last film was the 2024 drama Saving Onome released on Amazon Prime Video about two parents (Olumide Oworu and Nancy Isime)) who go to desperate lengths to save their daughter.
The Marrakesh International Film Festival runs Nov. 29 to Dec. 7 with a line up of more than 70 films. The 6-member international jury will include Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda (Volubilis and My Dad Is Not Dead). Among the films sreening are Across the Sea directed by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi, a melodrama that follows the clandestine life of a Moroccan immigrant in Marseille; the documentary, Sudan, Remember Us by Hind Meddeb; The Village Next to Paradise, Mo Harawe’s tale of love and resilience in Somalia; Perfumed with Mint, the debut feature of Muhammed Hamdy: and Dania Reymond-Boughenou's supernatural Silent Storms starring Shirine Boutella, Khaled Benaïssa, and singer-turned-actress Camélia Jordana.
The 13th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) closed out on November 9th after 160 films were screened. Among the winners were Phoenix Fury by Ifeoma N. Chukwuogo (of the award-winning 2017 short Bariga Sugar and the thriller series Diiche) which took top awards for Best Film and Best Director. Uzoamaka Onuoha won Best Actress for her role in the supernatural thriller Agemo. Ntware Mwine won Best International Documentary for Memories of loved Returned about the Ugandan photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo; and Bode Asiyanbi for Best Screenplay for the Awam Amkpa-directed film The Man Died based on Wole Soyinka’s 1972 book of the same title that recounts his experiences in prison during the Nigerian Civil War.
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Timbuktu, released on December 10, 2014, was ranked as the 12th best film of the 21st century so far by the New York Times in 2017.
Tsotsi, released on December 23, 2005 won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
16 December 2021, A Naija Christmas was released on Netflix.
18 December 2015, Oxford Gardens premiered in Nigeria.
18 December 2015, Nigerian romantic drama film, Fifty, was released.
24 December 2021, Christmas in Miami was released.
25 December 2020, Omo Ghetto: The Saga was released.
29 December 2021, Superstar was released by Inkblot Productions.
29 December 2018, Wives On Strike: The Revolution was released in cinemas.
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The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) returns for its 13th edition 3-8 November 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria. Headless, a thriller by Michael Ndiomu, starring Gideon Okeke, Uzoamaka Anuinoh and Baaj Adebule that unfolds at the nexus of politics, crime and Nollywood, will open the festival while Obi Emelonye’s latest film, Out of Breath, will close out the festival. The Igbo-language epic film received nine 2024 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) nominations.
The 18th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) took place October 25th and 26th. Shaka iLembe, the 2023 TV series retelling of the Shaka, the iconic Zulu King, picked up 12 awards, including for Best TV drama, the most of any nominee. Netflix's Yoh!, Christmas, a romantic comedy, and Outlaws, South Africa's first contemporary western series, both won eight Golden Horns each.
The seventh edition of the El Gouna Film Festival takes place October 24 to November 1 in the Red Sea Egyptian resort town. More than 80 features and shorts from over 30 countries will screen. Among the feature films in competition include Meryam Joobeur’s Who Do I Belong To, a Tunisian drama; Nabil Ayouch’s musical drama, Everybody Loves Touda, which premiered at Cannes; and Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir’s The Brink Of Dreams, which won the Golden Eye Award for best documentary at Cannes’ Critics’ Week.
Algeria celebrates Revolution Day on 1st of November, marking the start of the Algerian Revolution and the armed fight for independence from France in 1954. Watch Outside the Law a 2010 film directed by Rachid Bouchareb. The story takes place between 1945 and 1962, and focuses on the lives of three Algerian brothers in France, set against the backdrop of the Algerian independence movement and the Algerian War. The film represented Algeria at the 83rd Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
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Africa International Film Festival (6 - 12 November) is an annual festival that takes places in Lagos, Nigeria. The 11th edition will screen over 50 movies, including the African premier of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (starring Lupita Nyong'o) and Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny, winner of the 2022 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, and starring Anna Diop. The festival's programming also includes masterclasses given by directors Ryan Coogler and Nikyatu Jusu and scriptwriter Tunde Babalola.
Marrakech International Film Festival (11-19 November) After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the 19th edition of Morocco's biggest film festival is back with a star-studded jury that includes Paolo Sorrentino Susanne Bier, Oscar Isaac, Vanessa Kirby, Diane Kruger, Justin Kurzel, Nadine Labaki, Laïla Marrakchi, and Tahar Rahim. 14 films are in competition including Maryam Touzani's The Blue Caftan, Morocco’s submission for consideration in the 2023 Oscar’s Best International Feature Film category.
Angola Independence Day is celebrated 11 November. Check out Sambizanga, a 1972 film by director Sarah Maldoror. Set in 1961 at the onset of the Angolan War of Independence, it follows the struggles of Angolan militants involved with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), an anti-colonial political movement. In 2012, the Guardian’s film critic listed Sambizanga as one of the 10 best classic African films.
Wild is the Wind is a South African crime drama that premiered on Netflix October 28th. The film depicts the corruption and racism in the South African judicial system through the investigation of the murder of an Afrikaner girl by two corrupt policemen played by Mothusi Magano and Frank Rautenbach. It ranked in the streamer's Global Top 10 within the first week of its release.
Elesin Oba,The King's Horseman is the screen adaptation by Biyi Bandele of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, a stage play he wrote during his political exile from Nigeria. The story is based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during British Colonial rule. The film premiered in Nigerian cinemas on 28 October and on Netflix 4 November.
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Reyka, the award-winning South African crime thriller series is up for two awards at the November 21st International Emmy Award ceremony: Best Drama and Best Performance by an Actress for Kim Engelbrecht.
Nafsi, the 2021 Kenyan drama starring Mumbi Maina and Catherine Kamau about a friendship put in jeopardy when a mutual agreement surrounding surrogacy goes south, is now available on Netflix.
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The Blue Caftan clinches The Jury Prize at the Marrakech International Film Festival. Maryam Touzani’s drama involving a closeted gay tailor, his dying wife and his apprentice, is Morocco’s submission to the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. 
Nanny is a 2022 American horror fable written and directed by American-Sierra Leonean Nikyatu Jusu. Starring American-Senegalese Anna Diop, the film offers a unique twist on the American immigrant experience filtered through the lens of African superstitions and folklore. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance has a theatrical release on 23 November prior to streaming on Prime Video in December.
The 44th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) (Arabic: مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) runs 13-22 November. Held annually in the Cairo Opera House, CIFF is one of only 15 Festivals with a category "A" status by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. It is the oldest and only internationally accredited cultural feature film festival in the Arab World, Africa and the Middle East.
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Rwandan filmmaker Anisia Uzeyman secured a 2022 Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Cinematography for her film Neptune Frost, an Afrofuturist romantic musical taking place in Burundi, and which she co-directed with Saul Williams.
Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s 2013 South African thriller Of Good Report received its long overdue premiere at the Africa Rising International Film Festival (ARIFF) in Johannesburg on 24 November. It was banned on the day it was to open the 34th Durban International Film Festival in July 2013. The film went on to win Best Film at the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Now available on Netflix.
Saint Omer, a French legal drama film directed by French-Senegalese Alice Diop premiered in French cinemas on 23 November. Based on the true story of a Senegalese woman accused of murdering her 15-month-old child, the film won the Silver Lion Grand Jury prize at the 79th Venice International Film Festival and is the French entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.
Central African Republic celebrates its Independence Day 1 December. The Silence of the Forest, a 2003 Central African Republic drama directed by Bassek Ba Kobhio and Didier Ouenangare, is the first ever CAR produced feature film. The story centers around 'pygmies' or more properly known as BaAka, and the racism they encountered by other Africans. It received critical acclaim and was screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, the only African film to do so that year.
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