From Algeria to South Africa; Cape Verde to Ethiopia, our specially curated strand shines a light on life across the vast African continent and celebrates the powerful voices and creativity of African filmmakers.
ABLED DIFFERENTLY
KENYA
Directed by Mwixx Mutinda
Written by Mwixx Mutinda & Charlse Njuguna
Produced by Kamau Muthee
Language: Swahili
Duration: 8 mins
Documentary
Having become disabled herself due to a lack of access to medical help, Maryanne and other community workers dedicate themselves to taking care of disabled children in one of Nairobi’s biggest slums.
Instagram: @afro_imagination
Facebook: facebook.com/afroimaginationke
CALL ME NEGUINHO
CAPE VERDE
Written & Directed by Selim Harbi
Produced by Murat Suner
Language: English – Creole
Duration: 9 mins
Documentary
Neguinho, literally: the little Negro, is a name fully charged with colonial and racist meanings as well as the brutal and tragic past of slavery in Cape Verde. Renato carries this name consciously, as a strong statement of awareness and of empowerment. Between dreams and reality, he reconnects with a deep sense of self, refusing a futile reality by empowering his surroundings with Capoeira. Neguinho is on the move, looking for the light.
Website: fairplanet.org/story/breaking-through-the-narrative-of-slavery
FANAN
SUDAN & KENYA
Directed by Konan Tipen
Written by Rathapel & Reel Mauz
Produced by Artrika
Language: TBC
Duration: 4 mins
Documentary
In their quest for an Islamic state, the regime in Sudan forced many artists and intellectuals to flee the country while also destroying much of Sudan’s art and history. One Sudanese artist living in Kenya expresses his feelings about all that has happened.
Twitter: @konan_tipen
I AM CHUMA
SOUTH AFRICA
Directed by Wendy Spinks & Clea Mallinson
Written & Produced by Wendy Spinks
Language: English
Duration: 8 mins
Documentary // Queer
I Am Chuma explores the story of how a young gay black, disabled woman studying at a business college in Cape Town found herself homeless and living rough on a park bench for 3 years. Chuma Somdaka unexpectedly finds her calling as an artist when – to survive – she responds to an inner voice and embarks on an empowering journey of awakening and healing.
Website: zeropoint528.com/project-3-i-am-chuma
Twitter: @wendyspinks
Instagram: @wendy.spinks
Facebook: facebook.com/IamChumaFilm
MKUNGA (MIDWIFE)
KENYA
Directed by Nyakundi Isaboke & Mwixx Mutinda
Written by Mwixx Mutinda
Produced by Joseph Muthee & Samantha Musimbi
Language: Swahili
Duration: 7 mins
Documentary
The ability to give birth in a hospital is a privilege in Kenya and one that comes with a high cost. For women living in the slums, there is no hope of access to such medical luxuries. One woman, a Mkunga (midwife), helps women in the slums deliver their babies safely. A local hero and loved by many, this is the story of Mama Mbela.
Instagram: @afro_imagination
Facebook: facebook.com/afroimaginationke
MORNING AFTER
KENYA
Written & Directed by Brian Munene
Produced by Brian Munene & Millicent Ogutu
Language: English & Swahili
Duration: 13 mins
Fiction
Joe’s usual plan of bringing a random girl back from the club to his strict mother’s house and smuggling her out before she realises runs into problems when he discovers the girl’s washed clothes hanging out to dry.
Instagram: @kibandapictures
OMNIPRESENT
ETHIOPIA
Written, directed & produced by Abel Mekasha
Language: Amharic
Duration: 4 mins
Fiction
A person is co-existing in different places at the same time, unable to comprehend that reality.
Facebook: facebook.com/cintamanifilms
RAWHYA’S SAFE HAVEN
EGYPT
Written, directed & produced by Mohmed Fathi
Language: Arabic
Duration: 5 mins
Documentary
Rawhya is a 60-year-old mother who takes care of her 3 adult sons living with special needs. Together under the same roof in a small Egyptian village, Rawhya dedicates herself to their care. But where a story of sorrow could easily be, hers is one of strength, love and faith. Rawhya’s unwavering commitment to her children is a safe haven and one she hopes can endure when she is no longer able to nurture them.
SCALP DEEP
UGANDA
Written, directed & produced by Naseeba Bagalaaliwo
Language: English
Duration: 7 mins
Animation
Influenced by the intersections of African hair, femininity and personal identity, Scalp Deep captures the struggles of a young African woman as she navigates the expectations of others after she makes the decision to commit to a new look.
THE MINERAL BASKET
UGANDA
Written, directed & produced by Achiro. P. Olwoch
Language: English & Akarimojong
Duration: 7 mins
Documentary
The region of Karamoja in Uganda has been marked as a mineral basket because of the numerous minerals that have been discovered there. The same region is also rich in culture that is fast being forgotten as a result of the encroaching demands on the land and people.
Website: chiropolwoch.com/themineralbasket
THE SHACK
SOUTH AFRICA
Written, directed & produced by Tebogo Chologi
Language: Tswana
Duration: 7 mins
Documentary
In a densely populated informal settlement in South Africa, Buti must endure hardships and dangers during the age of Covid. Narrated by The Shack, the story of Buti, like many others living in these conditions, unfolds to reveal a simmering frustration and scathing indictment of class society in South Africa.
THOUGHT POLICE
ZAMBIA
Written, directed & produced by Auckly Simwinga
Language: English
Duration: 11 mins
Fiction / Queer
Forbidden lesbian love is brought to a devastating halt at the hands of a tyrannical government in this mesmerising melodrama from Zambia.
Instagram: @thoughtpolice.film
TO SURVIVE
UGANDA
Directed by Nazzinda Ruth
Produced by Ola Visualz
Language: Luganda
Duration: 8 mins
Documentary
A true story about Uganda’s youngest female chairperson (parish leader) in the history of Ugandan politics and her mission to ensure her community doesn’t go hungry during the Covid-19 lockdown.
WHITE NIGHT
ALGERIA
Written, directed & produced by Issam Taachit
Language: no dialogue
Duration: 7 mins
Fiction / Animation
Snow covers everything, accumulating in the trees until three snowballs form to begin a magical journey down the mountainside in this wintry Algerian animation.
Facebook: facebook.com/Film-White-Night