For decades, filmmakers of African descent have been working in European countries. Med Hondo, Sara Maldoror or Safi Faye were at the forefront with works such as “Soleil Ô” (1970), “Monangambee” (1968) or “Man sa yay” (1980), addressing the experience of colonization and immigration. With their films, they were contesting the self-perception of white Europeans with a perspective both from inside and from outside Europe. In the 1980ies and 1990ies, the Black Audio Film Collective was a key player in the UK. Today, the success of filmmakers such as Alice Diop (Grand Jury Prize for “Saint Omer” in Venice in 2022), Mati Diop (Golden Bear for “Dahomey” in Berlin in 2024), and veteran Steve McQueen speaks for itself. At the same time, lesser-known artists such as Oliver Hardt, Patricia Bbaale Bandak, Ines Johnson-Spain, or Jide Tom Akinleminu are producing outstanding work across the European continent, thus enriching the European film culture. However, this thickly woven tapestry of diasporic filmmaking is rarely seen and discussed on the continent. Consequently, our project aims at creating platforms for artistic exchange, transcultural dialogue and mutual knowledge transfer - via workshops, masterclasses, film screenings, and Q&A sessions both in urban and rural areas. A close and fair collaboration with our Kenyan partners (NBO Film Festival, Docubox, and Ateker International Film Festival in Lodwar) is a key factor for the success of Afropean Cinema.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon!