Mostra de Cinemas Africanos takes place from September 18 to 25 in Salvador, featuring a groundbreaking audiovisual forum
The programme includes film premieres in Brazil, sessions with historical milestones, the presence of filmmakers, and over 50 professionals from the African and Brazilian audiovisual industries.
The Mostra de Cinemas Africanos is back for another edition in Salvador (BA) from September 18 to 25, with screenings at the Circuito Saladearte Cinema da UFBA, Cine MAM e Cinema do Museu, as well as at Cineteatro 2 de Julho (IRDEB – Federação). This year, the programme in the capital city of Bahia is also marked by an groundbreaking audiovisual forum that will bring together over 50 professionals from the African and Brazilian audiovisual industries, working in various sectors of the production chain, from scriptwriting to distribution. Other parallel activities, such as courses, debates, and film critic workshops, are also part of the programme.
This edition will highlight 20 feature films and 7 short films from 16 African countries, with several titles making their Brazilian premieres, and a curated selection of special programmes revolving around historical milestones such as the 30 years of freedom in South Africa, 30 years since the Rwandan genocide, and the centenary of Amílcar Cabral (1924-1973), the iconic revolutionary leader of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
The festival opens on September 18th, at the Cineteatro 2 de Julho (IRDEB – Federação), at 8:00 PM, with a screening of Banel & Adama (2023), by the young Franco-Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy. The Senegalese tale follows a young couple from a small village confronted by the conventions of their community. The film, which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, will have its pre-commercial premiere in Brazil during the festival. Another highlight is the feature Black Tea (2024) by Abderrahmane Sissako, one of the most renowned filmmakers from the African continent. The film, which is also making its Brazilian debut, tells the story of a young woman from Ivory Coast who falls in love with an older Chinese man after immigrating to Asia. Both filmmakers will attend the festival.
Among the films premiering in Brazil that will also feature the presence of their directors are the docufiction Pirinha (2024), by Cape Verdean Natasha Craveiro, which presents the journey of a young woman struggling to free herself from the dungeons of her subconscious and childhood traumas. From South Africa, the documentary Banned (2024) by Naledi Bogacwi, recounts the events surrounding the film Joe Bullet (1973), composed of an all-African cast and banned by the apartheid government. Meanwhile, Nigerian Dika Ofoma explores the complexities of community and family relationships in a context of political tension in the short A Quiet Monday (2023).
The Mostra de Cinemas Africanos 2024, the only festival in Brazil exclusively dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary African films, has the feature-length curatorship of Ana Camila Esteves, director and creator of the event, and Senegalese programmer Ibee Ndaw. "Once again, we reaffirm our commitment to bringing the best of recent African cinema to Brazil, allowing the Brazilian public to know and appreciate the richness and diversity of these cinematographies," says Ana Camila. She also highlights the importance of the festival in promoting content production on African cinema: "It is essential for us to address the events that marked African history, such as the traumas of the Rwandan genocide and the apartheid in South Africa, which still resonate in the imagination of filmmakers from these countries. Similarly, celebrating the centenary of revolutionary leader Amílcar Cabral is a way to honor the resistance stories of African peoples as a whole."
Learn more about the special programmes of this edition:
In focus: 30 Years of Freedom in South Africa
Curated by Marcelo Esteves and in partnership with the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos offers a special programme of films that discuss the traumas, controversies, and aftermath of the apartheid regime, whose end in 1994 marks three decades this year.
Special: Amílcar Cabral Centenary
A special programme reflecting on the legacy of revolutionary leader Amílcar Cabral (1924-1973) in Cape Verdean and Guinean communities. The curatorial focus includes films that explore his influence and impact.
Special: 30 years since the Rwandan genocide
One of the most devastating events of the 20th century, which claimed the lives of nearly one million people from the Tutsi, Twa, and Hutu ethnic groups, leaving deep scars on Rwandan society. This programme highlights films that explore the scars left by the genocide, inviting reflection on the complex social and historical dynamics of Rwanda.
In focus: Madagascar
This selection of locally and diasporically produced films portrays characters facing deep questions of identity, violence, and resistance in a Malagasy context. Each work reveals how personal and collective stories intertwine to form a complex and evocative portrait of a nation.
Special Programme: The right to art, land, and mourning
A selection of films addressing colonial exploitation, racism, and epistemicide is part of a special programme at the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos 2024. Curated by Ana Camila Esteves, Gabriela Almeida, and Emi Koide, this session features short and feature-length documentaries that address, in different ways, the trauma and mourning of colonial violence and the right to the restitution of objects, artworks, and remains.
Mostra de Cinemas Africanos Retrospective
The programme revisits the most popular titles screened since the first edition of the festival in 2018. The screenings, which take place at Cine MAM and Cineteatro 2 de Julho, bring back films that were audience favorites, offering a new opportunity to appreciate these works that captivated viewers over the years. Whether to rewatch beloved films or discover them for the first time, the retrospective invites the audience to revisit important milestones of contemporary African cinema.
Parallel Activities
In line with its mission to spread knowledge, produce content, and promote dialogue between African and Brazilian audiovisual production, the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos also offers parallel activities. This edition will feature the short course Cinematic constructions of Amílcar Cabral: Reflections on African cinemas and their narratives, facilitated by PhD in Communications, Culture, and Arts Jusciele Oliveira, and the Film Critic Workshop, conducted by journalist and film critic Rafael Carvalho. The activities are free of charge and will take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Bahia from September 17 to 24. The full programme is available on the website: www.mostradecinemasafricanos.com/en
The Mostra de Cinemas Africanos in Salvador-Bahia has financial support from the State Government, through the Fundo de Cultura, the Treasury Department, and the Secretary of Culture of Bahia.
Brazil-Africa Audiovisual Encounters
As part of the 2024 programme, the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos will promote from September 19 to 22the first edition of the Brazil-Africa Audiovisual Encounters, an initiative that fosters partnerships and collaborations between African and Brazilian cinema. The event will gather over 50 professionals from both sides of the South Atlantic, creating a dynamic space for collaboration where knowledge and experiences can be exchanged to enhance the film industries in both regions. The activities will take place at Cineteatro 2 de Julho (IRDEB – Federação).
The programme is structured around four key pillars: Research, Production, Distribution, and Training. Specialists from Brazil and Africa will share insights and promote partnerships, aiming to further strengthen and expand the reach of African and Brazilian cinema. Over four days, the event will feature intensive activities including debates sessions, presentations by film professionals, and a forum dedicated to discussing sustainable cooperation between Brazil and Africa in the creative industry, with a particular focus on cinema.
The participation is free of charge and limited to the number of available seats for each activity. The full programme and applications are available on the website: www.mostradecinemasafricanos.com/en
The Brazil-Africa Audiovisual Encounters project was selected in the Editais da Paulo Gustavo Bahia and has financial support from the Government of the State of Bahia through the Secretary of Culture via the Lei Paulo Gustavo, directed by the Ministry of Culture, Federal Government. Paulo Gustavo Bahia (PGBA) was created for the implementation of emergency support actions for the cultural sector, in accordance with Lei Complementar nº 195, of July 8, 2022.
Details:
Mostra de Cinemas Africanos 2024
Salvador (BA): September 18 to 25
Screening venues: Cineteatro 2 de Julho, Circuito Saladearte Cinema da UFBA, Cinema do Museu, and CineMAM;
Brazil-Africa Audiovisual Encounters: Cineteatro 2 de Julho (IRDEB – Federação).
Parallel Activities: Museum of Contemporary Art of Bahia (MAC)
Films: 8 days, 20 feature films, 7 short films, and 16 countries
African filmmakers: Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritania), Ramata-Toulaye Sy (France/Senegal), Natasha Craveiro (Cape Verde), Naledi Bogacwi (South Africa), Dika Ofoma (Nigeria)
Full Programme: www.mostradecinemasafricanos.com/en
FEATURE FILMS
Goodbye Julia (Goodbye Julia, Sudan, Egypt, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden: 2023), dir.: Mohamed Kordofani – Trailer;
The Empty Grave (The Empty Grave, Tanzania, Germany: 2024), dir.: Agnes Lisa Wegner and Cece Mlay;
Banel & Adama (Senegal, France, Mali: 2023), dir: .Ramata-Toulaye Sy – Trailer;
Banned (Banned, South Africa: 2024), dir.: Naledi Bogacwi;
Black Tea (Black Tea, France, Luxembourg, Taiwan, Mauritania: 2024), dir. Abderrahmane Sissako – Trailer;
Dent pour dent (Dent pour dent, Senegal, Belgium, France, Rwanda: 2023), dir.: Ottis Ba;
After the Long Rains (Baada Ya Masika, Kenya, Switzerland: 2023), dir.: Damien Hauser;
Father’s Day (Father’s Day, Rwanda: 2022), dir.: Kivu Ruhorahoza;
Didy (Didy, Switzerland: 2024),dir.: Gaël Kamilindi and François-Xavier Destors;
Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story (Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story, France, Germany, Mauritius, Qatar, South Africa: 2023), dir.: Luck Razanajaona;
Donga (Donga, , Libya: 2023), dir.: Muhannad Lamin;
Legacy: The De-Colonised History of South Africa (South Africa: 2024), dir.: Tara Moore;
Don’t Be Late for My Funeral (Don’t Be Late for My Funeral, South Africa: 2023), dir.: Diana Keam;
Nome (Nome, Guinea-Bissau, France, Portugal, Angola: 2023), dir.: Sana N’Hada;
Our Land, Our Freedom (Our Land, Our Freedom, Kenya, Portugal, EUA: 2023), dir.: Meena Nanji and Zippy Kimundu;
Omi Nobu (Omi Nobu, Cape Verde: 2023), dir.: Carlos Yuri Ceuninck;
London Recruits (London Recruits, South Africa: 2024), dir. Gordon Main;
Pirinha (Pirinha, Cape Verde: 2024), dir.: Natasha Craveiro;
All the Colours of the World are Between Black and White (Nigeria: 2023), dir: Babatunde Apalowo;
Zaho Zay (Zaho Zay, Madagascar, Austria, France: 2020), dir.: Maéva Ranaïvojaona and Georg Tiller.
SHORT FILMS
The Wait (The Wait, South Africa: 2023), dir.: Imran Hamdulay;
The Story of Ne Kuko (The Story of Ne Kuko, Netherlands: 2023), dir.: Festus Toll;
Statues Also Die (Les statues meurent aussi, France: 1953), dir.: Alain Resnais, Chris Marker, Ghislain Cloquet;
Keba, Interrupted (Keba, Interrupted, South Africa: 2024), dir.: Meja Shoba;
A Quiet Monday (A Quiet Monday, Nigeria: 2023), dir.: Dika Ofoma;
You Hide Me – The Colonization of African Art in the British Museum (United Kingdom: 1970 ), dir.: Nii Kwate Owoo.
Zanatany – When the Soulless Shrouds Whisper (Zanatany, l’empreinte des linceuls esseulés, Belgium, France: 2024), dir.: Hachimiya Ahamada
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