The African Screen

Cinema

From the independent auteurs reshaping global narratives to the booming infrastructure of Nollywood. We document the visionaries, the craft, and the critical voice of African film.

Film Directors Festivals Reviews Industry & Craft

The Showcase

New Releases & Critical Voice

Deep Dive

Beyond Nollywood: The New Wave of Independent Nigerian Cinema

Away from the blockbuster comedies and rapid-fire productions, a quiet revolution is happening in Lagos. We explore the aesthetic choices and storytelling of the surrealist indie directors taking their films straight to international festivals.

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Review

Omen (Augure)

Dir. Baloji • DRC / Belgium

A visually breathtaking descent into belief, exile, and sorcery. A masterful debut.

Editor's Choice

Goodbye Julia

Dir. Mohamed Kordofani • Sudan

An intimate, devastating portrait of a fractured nation told through the bond of two women.

Retrospective

Touki Bouki (1973)

Dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty • Senegal

Revisiting the avant-garde classic that redefined the visual grammar of African cinema forever.

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Genre Focus

African Sci-Fi Shorts

Streaming Guide • Showmax

The best Afrofuturist short films currently streaming. Where mythology meets cyberpunk.

The Directors

Masterclasses, auteur paths, and the rising stars holding the camera.

The Auteur's Path

Mati Diop

Senegal / France

Discussing the ghosts of migration, documentary aesthetics, and capturing the unseen energy of Dakar's youth.

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Masterclass

C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi

Nigeria

How he built the surrealist, high-contrast black-and-white world of "Mami Wata" entirely independent of the studio system.

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Rising Star

Amil Shivji

Tanzania

Bringing Zanzibar's colonial history to the big screen with sweeping romance and sharp political critique in "Tug of War".

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The Festival Circuit

Live reports and awards analysis from the events linking the continent to the world.

Live Report

FESPACO 2026: The Future of Pan-African Cinema

What the latest edition in Ouagadougou tells us about funding trends, the decline of European co-productions, and the fierce independence of new filmmakers.

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14 May

Cannes Focus

African Selections at Un Certain Regard

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20 Jul

Durban DIFF

The Rise of South African Thrillers

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Industry & Craft

The technical artistry and the business of the moving image. Behind every frame lies a structured economy.

Production Voices

The Sound of Africa: Modern Film Scoring

How a new generation of composers is discarding stereotypical "tribal drums" in favor of complex electronic and orchestral soundscapes to score African sci-fi and drama.

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Tech & Tools

The Art of the Cut: Evolving the African Pacing

An exploration of editing techniques across the continent. Why the rapid-fire pacing of early Nollywood is transforming into a deliberate, atmospheric visual grammar.

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Want to understand how these films get funded?

Explore the Film Industry Economic Models