Cinema of Africa covers both the history and present of the making or screening of films on the African continent, and also refers to the persons involved in this form of audiovisual culture. It dates back to the early 20th century, when film reels were the primary cinematic technology in use. As there are more than 50 countries with audiovisual traditions, there is no one single 'African cinema'. Both historically and culturally, there are major regional differences between North African and sub-Saharan cinemas, and between the cinemas of different countries.
Lola Kenya Screen, or Lola Kenya Children's Screen is an audio-visual media festival and learning-by-doing mentorship for children and youth in eastern Africa. It encompasses film production, film criticism, cultural journalism, media literacy, marketing, and event planning and organisation.
The cinema of Kenya refers to the film industry of Kenya. Although a very small industry by western comparison, Kenya has produced or been a location for film since the early 1950s when Men Against the Sun was filmed in 1952. Although, in the United States, jungle epics that were set in the country were shot in Hollywood as early as the 1940s.
Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan film director, producer, and author. She is considered to be “one of Africa's most aspiring directors, being part of a new, vibrant crop of talents representing contemporary African culture”. She has received several awards and nominations for the films which she directed, including the awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009 for her dramatic feature film From a Whisper. She is also the co-founder of AFROBUBBLEGUM, a media collective dedicated to supporting African art for its own sake.
Theodros Teshome Kebede is an Ethiopian filmmaker. Theodros is known for initiating the revival of the Ethiopian film industry in the early 2000s, and for helping to create a boom in film-making in the country. Theodros produces, directs, writes and often acts in his own films, and he has produced films that deal with social issues such as HIV, immigration, and violence against women as well as films with nationalistic content.
Ma famille is an Ivorian television series. The series "became one of the greatest success stories in the history of Ivorian television production, reaching most Francophone African countries."
Silverbird Galleria is a shopping mall and entertainment centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Kalasha Film & TV Awards is an annual accolade presented by Kenya Film Commission with a goal to recognize and celebrate achievers in Kenya's TV and film industry. Entries into the award ceremony are films and TV series that have been aired on Kenyan television stations. The inaugural awards were held in 2010 at the Crowne Plaza in Upper Hill, Nairobi and subsequent awards are held yearly at the last quarter of the year at the same venue. The awards represent the five original branches of film making: directors, actors, writers, producers and technicians. However, the Academy organizers will advise on whether or not to include more categories as long as they sufficiently represent the entire film industry.
Mariama Hima Yankori is a Nigerien film director, ethnologist and politician. She became the first female Nigerien film director in the 1980s, was State Secretary of Promotion of Women and Protection of Children, and later the first female Nigerien ambassador to France.
Hawa Essuman is a film director based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her 2017 feature-length documentary Silas, co-directed with Anjali Neyar, tells the story of Liberian environmental activist Silas Siakor's fight to preserve the country's rainforests from commercial logging. The film won multiple awards, including the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award (2018) and the Audience Award for best documentary at the RiverRun International Film Festival (2018). Hawa's first feature film, Soul Boy (2010), also received a series of awards. In addition, Hawa has produced a range of TV programmes, commercial films, music videos and adverts.
Edouard Sailly is a pioneering Chadian film director, "the first filmmaker in Chad".
Akissi Delta also known as Loukou Akisse Delphine is an Ivorian actress and filmmaker.
Women are involved in the African film industry in a variety of roles, though they have been underrepresented in creative positions.
Saïkati is a 1992 Kenyan film directed by the filmmaker Anne Mungai. It was the first feature film by a Nairobi-based female filmmaker.
Jane Munene-Murago is a Kenyan filmmaker, the first woman to study film in Kenya. Most of her films have been documentaries, produced through her company CineArts, on issues affecting women.
Cambridge African Film Festival (CAFF)is a film festival for African film in Cambridge. Founded in 2002, the festival is held annually in October or November. It is the longest running African film festival in the United Kingdom.
Rosine Mbakam is a Cameroonian film director based in Belgium. She has directed many short films and full-length documentaries. Les deux visages d'une femme Bamiléké/The Two Faces of a Bamiléké Woman (2016) and Chez Jolie Coiffure (2018) won a number of international prizes. Les prières de Delphine/Delphine’s Prayers (2021) gained international attention, including reviews in The New York Times, The New Yorker, LA Times, Variety, and NPR. With Mambar Pierrette, Mbakam made her feature film debut in 2023.
Serah Mwihaki is a Kenyan actress and scriptwriter. She kicked off her acting career with a lead role in Kenyan Film Dangerous Affairs in 2002. She created TV Series Changes that was adopted by M-NET in 2009 and co-wrote Nairobi Half Life in 2012 and Kidnapped.
Joseph Gaï Ramaka is a Senegalese film director, screen writer and film producer.
