Where does cultural appropriation end and good business begin? The film production company Disney sparked yet another discussion on what is acceptable when it trademarked the Swahili phrase “Hakuna matata”
Meaza Ashenafi is not only Ethiopia’s new Supreme Court president, she is also a women’s rights activist whose achievements inspired a movie produced and championed by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie.
Since its original premiere last year, ‘Liyana’, which has received critical acclaim on the continent and at global festivals, is finally set to premiere in the US this October. The short film, produced by ‘Westworld’ actress Thandie Newton, is a story within a story about five Swazi orphans and a girl who goes on a journey to save her family.
Rafiki, the first Kenyan film to premiere at Cannes and the recipient of an international commendation, was banned in its country of origin by the Kenya Film Classification Board. The film’s creator has now won a court case to temporarily lift the ban, making it eligible to enter for the Foreign Language Oscar.
Global streaming giant Netflix is injecting an $8 billion original production budget into Nollywood the world’s second largest film industry. This immense win for Nollywood points to the lack of domestic investment in the film industry and the infantilism of it elsewhere on the continent.
In an age that venerates celebrities and self-promotion in the arts and culture sector, Winston Ntshona remains a role model for his modesty.
‘Too Black’ to Play a Superhero: Senegalese-American Anna Diop is experiencing racist backlash from fans for her role as DC Comic’s Starfire. Her response has been: “I am here to remind you that whatever ugly and negative thing anyone ever chooses to say about you is always a reflection and revelation of themselves.”
Society expects journalists to report objectively. But a documentary filmmaker has an opinion.
Kenya’s feature-film debut at the Cannes Festival is an inspirational story of perseverance in the face of great oppression. Filmmaker and creator Wanuri Kahiu described her film Rafiki as “a story about all that is good and difficult about being in love so that for those fortunate moments we are lifted above our prejudices”.
The Nairobi Film Festival is all about Africans sharing African stories of all genres with an audience hungry to watch more content from the continent by creatives that defy the stereotypes of Africa’s portrayal to and by the world.
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