The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is returning for its 26th edition this summer, with an extensive lineup of films recently announced.

The festival will screen multiple documentaries and films from within and outside the African continent. It will feature thirty-two feature-length films and fourteen short films. Twenty-seven African films and nineteen international films will be screened. Also, forty-three films will have their South Africa premiere at the festival, thirty-seven films will have their first African premiere, and fourteen films will have their world premiere.

Miki Redelinghuys and Pearlie Joubert’s Mother City has been selected as the festival’s opening film. The feature has been described as a “deeply human and often heart-breaking look at the politics of urbanism” where the filmmakers follow activists of the Reclaim the City movement over six years as they make Cape Town’s abandoned spaces their home, and use it as a base from which to lobby for the needs of the working class.

Explaining the decision to open the festival with Mother City, the festival’s director, Mandisa Zitha, remarked, “It has been selected as our opening film, as it represents the heart of what documentary filmmaking is about. It is dedicated, tenacious, and vociferous in its approach to following a group of activists over a long period, to capture their challenges and frustrations, and indeed their successes. It speaks to the power of film in exposing the arduous journey so many in this world have to embark on to effect change. It is also a universally powerful story of the triumph of the collective.” 

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is the country’s formative documentary event, screening contemporary South African and International features and short documentaries since 1999. The festival is supported and funded by: City of Cape Town, Bertha Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa,  University of Cape Town and the Centre for Film and Media Studies, Mail and Guardian (Media Partner), Al Jazeera Documentary, Known Associates, Refinery, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Heineken Beverages,  Documentary Filmmakers Association, German Films, South African Guild of Editors, anima, and Pressure Cooker Studio.

This year’s edition of Encounters will take place at venues in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 20 to 30 June 2024. 

Click here to see the festival’s complete lineup of films.

South African documentary film, Empathy in Africa: Bridging The Healthcare Divide, is set to premiere on Apple TV and other streaming platforms this week.

Diepsloot township, in Johannesburg, South Africa, is known for its challenging infrastructure, overcrowding and limited access to basic resources — but within it exists an oasis that is bringing hope to the community. The Rhiza Babuyile Clinic, founded in 2022, is Diepsloot’s first private brick-and-mortar healthcare facility, offering basic care and paediatrics and reducing inequities for the people of the township. 

Empathy in Africa follows three women empowered by the clinic, who personify resilience in the face of tremendous obstacles. The film shows the many benefits the clinic brings to the community and highlights a nurse who is given the opportunity to build and own a new clinic in a nearby township.

In addition to streaming on Apple TV, Empathy in Africa will be featured on WaterBear Network, the first free streaming platform dedicated to the future of the planet, bringing entertainment and action together. It hosts a diverse array of award-winning documentaries, compelling short films, and impactful series, all created to drive real-world change.   

Empathy in Africa was directed by Dan McDougall (a four-time Amnesty International Award Winner and British Foreign Correspondent of the Year) and produced by Miran Media. McDougall received the Best Director Award at the Barcelona Film Festival for his film on climate change, and won best short film at The Munich Film Awards and The Stockholm Independent Film Festival. 

Empathy in Africa has been selected to screen at the Charlotte Black Film Festival, the People’s Film Festival and the Cleveland International Film Festival’s FilmSlam® Streams Program, a virtual media literacy programme that allows educators to stream films directly in the classroom. The programme encourages teachers to incorporate social impact films into their curriculum and class discussions.

The film was funded and developed by Viatris, a global healthcare company with a mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. Viatris is also a funder of the Rhiza Babuvile Clinic profiled in the film.

Click here to view the trailer. You can also stream the film on Apple TV or on WaterBear.

Nollywood film Breath of Life pulled off a huge scoop of laurels at the recently-held Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) …

The film clinched five awards on the night out of eleven nominations:

• Best Movie
• Best Lead Actor – Wale Ojo
• Best Supporting Actor – Demola Adedoyin
• Best Supporting Actress – Genoveva Umeh
• Best Director – BB Sasore

Breath of Life follows Timi, a brilliant multilingual man who becomes the first African clergyman in the Church of England. After marrying and having a daughter, he returns to Nigeria, leading a fulfilling life until his family is wiped out by a local thug. He manages to exact vengeance, but his soul is crushed and he stays reclusive for more than two decades until Elijah, a young boy, becomes his housekeeper and helps him rediscover his purpose. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

C.J. Obasi’s critically acclaimed fantasy thriller Mami Wata, which has enjoyed an amazing festival run since its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and which received eleven AMVCA nominations, won only one award which came in the Best Makeup category.

Funke Akindele’s blockbuster dramedy A Tribe Called Judah, which made history as the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time, shockingly ended up with no awards, despite being nominated in five categories.

The AMVCAs is an award show presented by MultiChoice recognising outstanding performances in television, film, entertainment, and digital content creation throughout Nollywood and the entire African continent. It is widely regarded as one of the most hallowed award ceremonies as far as African cinema is concerned.

This year’s edition was held on 10 and 11 May 2024, featuring a series of events, the highlights of which included the Young Filmmakers Day, the Cultural Day Celebration, and the main Awards Night. These events saw the African film and television industry come together to honour outstanding talent and creativity in the industry.  For the awards, nine categories were subject to audience voting, while seventeen categories were determined by the AMVCA Jury.

Commenting on its tenth edition, Dr. Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, said, “The Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards was created to honour exceptional achievements in television and film across the continent and we are excited to have been able to keep that fire burning through 10 editions. Year after year, we have received numerous entries and can attest to the growth in the quality of submissions with each edition. While this year’s edition is a milestone edition as it is the 10th, it is also a testament to the growth the film industry in Africa has experienced.”

Click here to see the full list of winners.

South Africa’s Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has announced the lineup of projects and participants for the 17th edition of Talents Durban …

Taking place during the Durban FilmMart (DFM) in Durban from 19 – 22 July 2024. 

This year’s edition of Talents Durban is distinguished by its inclusion of participants from 15 African countries, who collectively reflect the continent’s diversity of emerging film professionals. The selection process was highly competitive, with a record 499 applications resulting in the choice of 26 distinctive projects and 4 film critics, each bringing a fresh perspective to features, documentaries, shorts, series, animation, and film criticism. 

“The Durban FilmMart Institute is dedicated to the growth of African cinema through strategic collaborations that enhance access to markets and professional networks. Talents Durban, a core component of this commitment, aligns with Berlinale Talents to facilitate a rigorous developmental platform for emerging filmmakers. This partnership, now in its 17th iteration, leverages both our shared vision and the bold stories that Africa offers. We are particularly focused on providing filmmakers, animators and film critics with the tools and opportunities to bring their work to both regional audiences and the international stage, thereby ensuring sustained development of the continent’s film industry”, said DFMI Director, Magdalene Reddy.

As the African satellite programme of the Berlin International Film Festival and Berlinale Talents, Talents Durban holds a significant position within the DFMI’s programming portfolio.

Berlinale Talents is a networking platform organised by the Berlin International Film Festival, offering a space for emerging filmmakers to connect, learn, and collaborate. Talents Durban serves as its African counterpart, providing a similar platform specifically tailored to the continent’s unique filmmaking landscape.

The Heads of Berlinale Talents, Nikola Joetze and Florian Weghorn, also weighed in on the importance of Talents Durban to the African film ecosystem.

“Over the many years of our trusted partnership, Talents Durban has grown into a central hub on the continent, where project development, training and lasting exchange come together in the most sustainable way. We are extremely proud to welcome also this year’s very strong selection of participants to the global Talents community.”

Talents Durban is a training and development programme that brings together Africa’s rising film professionals – screenwriters and directors with fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid projects in development (this includes all media formats such as film, television series, web series, and content for mobile platforms).

Talents Durban is an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival and is part of six international initiatives of Berlinale Talents. Talents Durban was founded in 2007 as a partnership between the Durban International Film Festival and Berlinale. Since 2019, Talents Durban has become a project of the Durban FilmMart Institute.

Selected talents for the 2024 programme will participate in a series of project-oriented, hands-on skills development programmes. These include sessions such as Story Junction, where participants present their projects to producers and financiers, alongside masterclasses and one–on–one mentorship opportunities. Mounia Aram, Jihane Bougrine, Hawa Essuman, Yanis Gaye, Karabo Lediga, Carol Kioko, Beverly Mitchell, Kethiwe Ngcobo and Laza Razanajatovo, will serve as this year’s mentors.

Click here to see the full list of participants and feature projects at Talents Durban 2024.

Organisers of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards have unveiled the nominations for its 2024 edition, and four African films made the list.

The four works are part of a shortlist comprising 30 films, chosen from over 8,400 submissions by more than 5,000 filmmakers across 148 countries and territories.

The African nominees include:

• Ìrún Dídì (Olawunmi Hassan, Nigeria) – From traditional Yoruba techniques to modern interpretations, the film traces the evolution of the timeless art of hair plaiting, as it becomes a sacred ritual of self-care and empowerment;
• 
  The Permaculturist (Curtis Essel, Ghana) – Vegan chef, permaculture enthusiast, and content creator Gaz Oakley meets permaculture expert Bemeriki Dusabe, a Congolese refugee who has been living in a settlement in Uganda for the last 16 years;
  
• Anguish (Raheem Razak, South Africa) – In what seems to be a zombie-infested world, devoted son Sam must tend to his zombie mother while surviving the apocalypse himself;

• ABOVE/ZERO (Rana Ramy, Egypt) – A journey through the relationship between light, space, and subject, in an attempt to configure one’s existence within the light;

Established by Creo and sponsored by Sony, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards is a major annual awards program for short films devoted to supporting and elevating independent filmmakers and creators from across the globe. Winners receive cash prizes and a range of Sony Digital Imaging equipment. Free to enter, the Awards comprise six categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Environment, Student, Animation and Future Format, and are judged by a panel of leading figures. 

Ìrún Dídì was nominated in the Non-Fiction category, The Permaculturist was nominated in the Environment category, Anguish was one of the student films shortlisted, and ABOVE/ZERO emerged in the Future Format shortlist.

Scott Gray, Founder and CEO, Creo, stated: “With a staggering 8,400 films submitted this year, the caliber of entries received for this second edition of the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards and the shortlist of filmmakers selected express the exceptional, global stories set to be showcased at this year’s event. We are grateful to Sony for providing this incredible opportunity for emerging filmmakers, and we extend our gratitude to our esteemed panel of judges for their invaluable expertise and insight in selecting the shortlist to join us in Los Angeles this May.”

This year’s jury will be chaired by award-winning director Justin Chadwick, and includes Michael Barker and Tom Bernard (co-founders and co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics),  BAFTA award-winning cinematographer Rob Hardy, and acclaimed British cinematographer Kate Reid.

All nominees will participate in a week of special events at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles, including a workshop program providing unparalleled access behind the scenes of the industry and culminating in the Awards ceremony on 30 May, 2024 where the six category winners will be announced.

Visit the Award’s official website to learn more about the shortlisted films.

South African comedy flick, Real Estate Sisters, is set to premiere globally on Netflix this weekend.  

This follows a recent special screening of the film in New York, after its premiere at the Joburg Film Festival in February.

Written by Reabetswe Moeti-Vogt (who also directs) and Zoe Ramushu, Real Estate Sisters the film is produced by Moeti-Vogt and Ramushu’s Totem Zea, a 100 per cent Black female-owned company, with the support of South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.  Real Estate Sisters marks the company’s debut feature film.

Described as a “love letter” to Moeti-Vogt’s hometown, Pretoria, the film is set in South Africa’s capital city, Pretoria, celebrating the beautiful, cosmopolitan city. It follows the antics of two broke, sassy sisters who run a struggling real estate agency but aspire to move from selling run-down apartments in shoddy parts of the city to selling high-end suburban homes. Things start looking up when they are approached to sell a multi-million Rand mansion in the exclusive Waterkloof, that is until they stumble upon a dead body in the basement. Both ladies, determined not to lose this opportunity, must outwit scary underworld figures and keep a potential buyer on the hook.

The film stars Gina Koffman (The River, Izwe lani Nawe) Leera Mthethwa (Ses’topla, Gomora), Lerato Makheta (eKasie: Our Stories, Isidingo), Marcus Mabusela (iNumber Number, I am all Girls), Sibongile Nojila (Skeem Saam, Isidingo), Jerry Chirindza, Sammy Fever, Jude Ben O’Donovan and Karin van der Laag (Story of an African Farm, God is African).

“The city has always been an inspiration to me, this world has shaped my voice and coloured the lens through which I tell stories”, remarked Moeti-Vogt.

After its New York screening, co-writer Zoe Ramushu took a moment to reflect on her filmmaking journey.

“After leaving New York with a Student Oscar nomination under my belt, it was great to come back to the city with Totem Zea’s short which screened at the Lincoln Center in 2022 and again, now, with this Totem Zea-produced film, from Africa, proving that where you’re based, the colour of your skin, your age – nothing should limit your dreams and ambition as a young Black woman.”

Distributed by leading South African niche film company Indigenous Film Distribution, Real Estate Sisters is one of 6 micro-budget projects supported through a joint film fund by Netflix and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport Arts and Culture of South Africa. The fund was established to alleviate the pressure filmmakers face to raise additional funding and boost recovery of the creative industry from the pandemic, whilst ensuring job creation.

Real Estate Sisters is available on Netflix from Friday 26th April.

Durban FilmMart is confirmed to take place in July.

South Africa’s Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) has confirmed that it will be hosting the 15th edition of its annual flagship event Durban FilmMart (DFM), titled “African Visions Unleashed: From Disruption to Accountability“, set to take place from 19 – 22 July 2024. 

This year’s theme underscores the transformative power of film in reflecting societal issues and championing change, urging the industry towards greater social responsibility and accountability.

The 2024 edition of DFM will feature a wide-ranging programme designed to foster high-quality collaborations and provide valuable insights into the filmmaking process. Key components of the programme will include fiction, documentary and animation projects in development, showcased in the Pitch and Finance Forum. Additionally, the DFM Industry programme will present keynote talks, masterclasses, panel discussions, and think tanks.

“Film is more than an art form or a business; it is a powerful mirror for society, offering reflections that can lead to real change,” said Magdalene Reddy, Director of the Institute. “This year, we aim to spotlight the critical role of film in shaping our world-view and touching lives, making ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ a call to action for every participant – an action that harnesses the possibilities of cinema as a major tool for impact.”

Established in 2020, the Durban FilmMart Institute is a non-profit company that facilitates local and international trade and investment in African film content. The mission of the Institute is to provide appropriate and effective programmes and services to promote, support and facilitate investment in African cinema so that African film industry professionals and products are competitive and celebrated globally. 

The 2024 edition of the DFM will spotlight key elements within the film industry,  including social responsibility and accountability in filmmaking, IP protection, artist/filmmaker rights, labour issues, and much more.

Durban FilmMart runs from 19 – 22 July 2024. Visit the Institute’s website to learn more about the full lineup of programmes.

The New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) returns for its 31st edition, slated to be held from 8-14 May, 2024. 

This year’s theme, “Convergence of Time,” explores the intersection of historical and contemporary roles played by individuals representing Africa and its diaspora in art. With more than 50 films from over 25 countries, the festival invites audiences to delve into the convergence of archival and modern experimentalism, transcending space and time.

Speaking about the festival, Mahen Bonetti, NYAFF Founder and AFF Executive Director, said, “The 31st New York African Film Festival has so much to offer in terms of honouring the origins of homegrown, beloved African and diaspora film industry, as well as celebrating their references in modern masterpieces.”

The Opening Night selection is the North American premiere of Over the Bridge, Tolu Ajayi’s feature about corruption in Lagos. It tells the story of Folarin, a successful investment banker whose company is contracted by the government to oversee a high-profile project, and who searches for answers in a remote fishing village when the project goes awry.

The Closing Night selection features the New York premiere of Dibakar Das Roy’s Dilli Dark, which shows the boundaries Nigerian MBA candidate Michael Okeke will push to succeed as he lives a double life as a student and drug dealer amidst the backdrop of India’s history of colonialism, racism, and xenophobia.

The festival will also host the North American premieres of Matthew Leutwyler’s Fight Like a Girl (depicting the true story of a young Congolese woman who finds liberation after joining an all-women’s boxing club in Goma, led by an ex-child-soldier coach) and Oyiza Adaba’s biographical documentary DELA: The Making of El Anatsui (which delves into the life of El Anatsui, the world-renowned sculptor from Ghana).

An exciting addition to this year’s festival is La Chapelle, Jean-Michel Tchissoukou’s classic feature shot in 1980s Congo, a surreal take on the relationship between Africa, Christianity, and colonialism. 

NYAFF will present an “Art & Activism” Town Hall at The Africa Center on Thursday 2 May, featuring artists Christian Nyampeta, Adama Delphine Fawundu, and Taiwo Aloba, moderated by cultural anthropologist, curator, and scholar Paulette Young.

This year’s Masterclass presented by AFF will feature veteran independent filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah, who will discuss the craft of utilising cinema as a tool for unmasking the dynamics of the socioeconomic status quo. The event takes place in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.

Based in New York, the African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) is a registered nonprofit founded in 1990 as a dynamic platform dedicated to increasing exposure to African arts and culture through the screening of cinematic works made by and about the people of Africa and the African Diaspora. Its offerings include year-round programmes to provide its audiences with greater access to African films and culture.

AFF is dedicated to advancing an enhanced understanding of African culture through the moving image. It offers diverse platforms for the wide distribution of African media through its flagship annual film festival and complementary year-round programming. AFF is committed to increasing visibility and recognition for African media artists by introducing African film and culture to a broad range of audiences in the United States and abroad, bypassing economic, class and racial barriers.

The New York African film festival runs from 8th -14th May. See the full lineup of films for this year’s festival here.

C.J. Obasi’s critically acclaimed fantasy thriller Mami Wata, Tolu Ajayi’s feature debut Over The Bridge and Funke Akindele’s blockbuster dramedy A Tribe Called Judah are some of the films with the highest number of nominations at this year’s edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs).

Mami Wata, which has enjoyed an amazing festival run since its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, is nominated in eleven categories: Best Indigenous Language, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Writing In A Movie, Best Director, Best Movie, and Best Lead Actress (Evelyne Ily).

A Tribe Called Judah, which made history as the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time within six weeks of its cinematic release, is nominated in five categories: Best Movie, Best Writing In A Movie, Best Makeup, Best Supporting Actress (Funke Akindele), and Best Supporting Actor (Timini Egbuson).

But the film with the most nominations is Ajayi’s Over The Bridge, which was acknowledged in twelve categories: Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Writing In A Movie, Best Director, Best Movie, Best Supporting Actor (Ropo Ewenla), Best Supporting Actress (Joke Silva), and Best Lead Actress (Segilola Ogidan).

Other films with multiple nominations include Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani’s epic Jagun Jagun, BB Sasore’s period drama Breath Of Life, Moses Inwang’s survival drama Blood Vessel and Editi Effiong’s commercially successful revenge thriller The Black Book.

At the nomination ceremony on Sunday, March 24th, Dr Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, noted that the quality of work submitted reflected the growth in filmmaking and storytelling across the continent. 

“We are happy to unveil the nominees for the 10th edition of the prestigious Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. The quality of entries received was simply outstanding and the jury had their work cut out for them in shortlisting the nominees. This year’s lineup is exceptional, reflecting the diversity and creativity prevalent in African cinema and television, and we can’t wait to celebrate them”, said Tejumola.

Set to mark its tenth edition, the AMVCAs is an award show presented by MultiChoice recognising outstanding performances in television, film, entertainment, and digital content creation throughout Nollywood and the entire African content. It is widely regarded as one of the most hallowed award ceremonies as far as African cinema is concerned. For this year’s edition, nine categories are open to audience voting, while sixteen categories will be determined by the AMVCA Jury headed by ace filmmaker Femi Odugbemi.

The 2024 AMVCAs award ceremony will be held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, Nigeria and broadcast live on all Africa Magic channels on Saturday, May 11.

Click here to see the full list of nominees.

Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu is set to work with British actor Idris Elba on a new Nollywood short film, with the Beasts Of No Nation star playing a directorial role in the production.

The film, titled Dust To Dreams,  is a collaboration between Abudu’s EbonyLife Films and African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) through the latter’s Creative Africa Nexus (Canex).

Set against the backdrop of Lagos, Nigeria, the film follows the relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter as she meets her father for the first time.

The film will star British singer-songwriter Seal, Nollywood actors Nse Ikpe-Etim, Eku Edewor and Atlanta Bridget Johnson, as well as former Nigerian Idol contestant Constance Olatunde.

Abudu will serve as executive producer, with Heidi Uys playing the role of supervising producer. Other producers are Temidayo Makanjuola, Inem King, and Vanessa Demme.

Also teaming up on the project are Nigerian music record label Chocolate City, alongside Nigerian fashion designers Lanre Da Silva and Yolanda Okereke.

This development ties in with Abudu’s 2023 statement where she revealed that she was joining forces with Elba to develop emerging talent from Africa and to make a slate of African films and TV shows.

“I am delighted to be working with Afreximbank and this incredibly talented team. It is a story close to my heart, and I’m thrilled to bring it to life with such passionate collaborators”, said Abudu, confirming the announcement of Dust To Dreams.

Mo Abudu is a media entrepreneur, philanthropist, filmmaker and former human resources management consultant. In 2011 she launched the successful talk show Moments With Mo, and in 2013 she started Ebonylife TV. Abudu is in charge of EbonyLife Media, which includes EbonyLife Films and EbonyLife Studios. Additionally, she oversees the EbonyLife Creative Academy, a school focused on enhancing filmmaking skills, and EbonyLife Place, a luxury entertainment resort in Nigeria. In the past nine years, she has worked as executive producer and co-producer on several Nollywood commercial releases, including Fifty, The Wedding Party 2, The Royal Hibiscus Hotel, Chief Daddy and Oloture.