Cinema of Africa encompasses the history and present of film production and screening on the African continent, as well as the individuals involved in this audiovisual culture. With over 50 countries and diverse audiovisual traditions, there is no single "African cinema." The cinema of Egypt and Tunisia are among the oldest globally, with Egypt boasting the most established and flourishing industry in Africa.
FESPACO Film Festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Early Beginnings and Colonial Influences
The history of African cinema dates back to the early 20th century, coinciding with the rise of film as a primary cinematic technology. Pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière screened their films in Alexandria, Cairo, Tunis, Susa, Libya, and Hammam-Lif, Tunisia, in 1896. Albert Samama Chikly is often credited as the first producer of indigenous African cinema, showcasing his short documentaries in Tunis as early as December 1905. The first film produced was 1923's "Barsoum Looking for a Job" in Egypt.
During the colonial era, Africa was largely represented by Western filmmakers. These films often depicted black Africans as "exoticized," "submissive workers," or "savage or cannibalistic," portraying Africa without history or culture. Examples include jungle epics based on the Tarzan character and films like "The African Queen" (1951).
Much early ethnographic cinema "focused on highlighting the differences between indigenous people and the white civilised man, thus reinforcing colonial propaganda". Marc Allégret's first film, "Voyage au Congo" (1927) respectfully portrayed the Masa people, in particular a young African entertaining his little brothers with a baby crocodile on a string. Yet Africans were portrayed merely as human, but not equals; a dialogue card, for example, referred to the movements of a traditional dance as naive.
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In the French colonies, Africans were prohibited by the 1934 Laval Decree from making films, stunting the growth of film as a means of African expression. Before the colonies' independence, few anti-colonial films were produced. Examples include "Statues Also Die" (Les statues meurent aussi) by Chris Marker and Alain Resnais, about European theft of African art.
The Rise of African Filmmakers
The late 1950s and early 1960s saw a wave of African countries gain independence, leading to the development of the African cinema industry. African cinema evolved through different historical phases, each reflecting the socio-political landscape of the continent. The post-independence era saw a surge in films by African filmmakers who sought to portray authentic African stories, often focusing on themes of decolonization, identity, and cultural heritage.
Sembène Ousmane (1923-2007), a Senegalese film director, producer, and writer, was one of the pioneers of the African film industry and was often referred to as the "Father of African Films". His first feature film, "La Noire de…" (1966), based on one of his own short stories, was the first feature film ever released by a sub-Saharan African director in 1966. Sembène’s films were always centered around the history of colonialism, the failings of religion, the critique of the new African bourgeoisie, and the strength of African women.
Initially a writer, Sembène had turned to cinema to reach a wider audience. With the creation of the African film festival FESPACO in today's Burkina Faso in 1969, African film created its own forum. The Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (Fédération Panafricaine des Cinéastes, or FEPACI) was formed in 1969 to promote African film industries in terms of production, distribution and exhibition. From its inception, FEPACI was seen as a critical partner organization to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union.
Caméra d'Afrique (African Cinema: Filming Against All Odds) Restored - Ousmane Sembène Excerpt
Key Themes and Movements
African cinema came to strongly feature social and political themes and the neocolonial condition. Migration and relations between African and European countries is a common theme among many African films. Africanfuturism and Afrofuturism is a growing genre, encompassing Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora who tell science or speculative fiction stories involving Africa and African people.
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In Algiers in 1975, the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) adopted the Charte du cinéaste africain (Charter of the African cinéaste), which recognized the importance of postcolonial and neocolonial realities in African cinema. The filmmakers start by recalling the neocolonial condition of African societies. "The situation contemporary African societies live in is one in which they are dominated on several levels: politically, economically and culturally."
Recognised as one of the pioneers of Senegalese cinema as well as cinema developed on the African continent at large, ethnologist and filmmaker Safi Faye was the first African woman film director to gain international recognition. Sarah Maldoror, a French filmmaker and the daughter of immigrants from Guadeloupe has been recognised as one of the pioneers of African cinema in the diaspora.
Spotlight on Ethiopian Cinema
In December 2019, film connoisseurs in Ethiopia received a rare treat when the Addis Ababa Cinema Houses Administration Enterprise arranged a festival to showcase some of the classic Ethiopian movies made between 1964 and 1992. These films had been largely inaccessible to filmgoers, filmmakers, instructors, and students, for decades. The desire to go back in time and see some of these early masterpieces was evident as crowds lined up to enter the Ambassador Theatre in the center of Ethiopia’s capital city. After the screening, audiences expressed joy and amazement at the artistry of these films and wondered why they had not had the opportunity to see them before.
The first film in the line-up was Hirut, abatwa mannew/Hirut, Who is the Father, the first black and white feature film, produced and written by Ilala Ibsa and directed by Lambros Jokaris in 1964. It portrays the story of Hirut, who was forced to become a prostitute, but instead of accepting her fate, she attempts to alter her life by enrolling in school. The film offers a progressive portrayal of Hirut as she grows into a successful, educated, modern woman. The film also has beautiful shots of a modernizing Ethiopia, including the newly constructed African Union building in Addis Ababa and the streets of Asmara in the early 1960s.
Another film that screened at this festival was Aster, directed by Solomon Bekele Weya in 1991-1992. Its production was begun under the Derg regime and the film was completed shortly after the Ethiopia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) came to power. The film, set in the 1960s, is told through a sequence of flashbacks in which the protagonist reveals her life story to a friend at her wedding anniversary dinner party.
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Nollywood and Contemporary Trends
Then, slowly but surely, the Nigerian Film industry emerged as one of the prominent film industries of the world. The oil boom of 1973 through 1978 also contributed immensely to the growth of cinema culture in Nigeria, as Nigerians’ purchasing power increased.
Nigerian cinema experienced a large growth in the 1990s with the increasing availability of home video cameras in Nigeria, and soon put Nollywood in the nexus for West African English-language films. The popular 2009 thriller film The Figurine is generally considered the game-changer which heightened media attention towards the ‘New Nigerian Cinema ‘ revolution. The film was a critical and commercial success in Nigeria, and it was also screened at various international film festivals. Several grants have been given by the Nigerian Government, to support quality content in Nigerian films.
Lionheart, a 2018 Nigerian film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by Chinny Onwugbenu and directed by Genevieve Nnaji the film was acquired by Netflix making it the first Netflix original film from Nigeria.
Some African countries suffer a lack of freedom of speech, that undermine the film industry. In 2025, Angola premiered its first musical film, still one of the few to be shot in Africa.
Lionheart film poster
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite its growth, African cinema faces significant challenges, including limited funding, distribution difficulties, and competition with Hollywood and Bollywood. Many African filmmakers struggle to secure financing for their projects, and those who do often face hurdles in distributing their films both within Africa and internationally. The lack of a robust distribution network means that many African films do not reach a wide audience, limiting their impact and profitability.
African cinema undeniably needs to develop its own way of making films, support local initiatives, and invest in cinematic cultures. Although the African film industry does not currently attract the same levels of popularity claimed by the well-developed European and American industries, it has shown significant growth and progress in recent years.
The future of African cinema looks promising with the advent of digital technology and the rise of new platforms for distribution, such as streaming services. These advancements are making it easier for African filmmakers to produce and distribute their films globally. Additionally, there is a growing interest in African cinema from international audiences and film festivals, providing more opportunities for African filmmakers to showcase their work on the world stage.
UNESCO Report Highlights
In October 2021, UNESCO published a report of the film and audiovisual industry in 54 states of the African continent including quantitative and qualitative data and an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses at the continental and regional levels.
Part 1 of the report is titled Pan-African Trends Shaping the Future of the Continent's Film and Audiovisual Sector, Part 2 is Strategic Development and Growth Models, Part 3 presents detailed national mappings of the countries, and an annex lists historical key dates in African cinema from 1896 to 2021.
| Part | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Pan-African Trends Shaping the Future of the Continent's Film and Audiovisual Sector | Overview of current trends and future directions in the African film industry. |
| Part 2 | Strategic Development and Growth Models | Analysis of strategies for developing and growing the film industry in Africa. |
| Part 3 | Detailed National Mappings of the Countries | In-depth look at the film industry in each of the 54 African states. |
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