Mostra de Cinemas Africanos is proudly hailed as “The only festival exclusively dedicated to contemporary African cinemas in Brazil.” Established in 2018 by Brazilian cultural producer and researcher Ana Camila Esteves, alongside Spanish curator and researcher Beatriz Leal-Riesco, the festival emerged in response to the dearth of platforms showcasing newly released African films in the country. While other events in Brazil, including specific showcases and international film festivals, present a limited number of African films, MCA aimed to bridge this gap. The festival accomplishes this by bringing to Brazil all relevant titles previously featured at major international film festivals and other noteworthy films identified through the curators’ research.

Since 2019, the festival has primarily received funding from Sesc São Paulo, a Brazilian non-profit private institution supported by business leaders in the trade of goods, services, and tourism, with multiple branches across Brazil. This partnership ensures ongoing support and guarantees at least one edition of the festival each year. Moreover, MCA has expanded its reach by hosting screenings in various cities throughout the year.

In addition to film screenings, MCA is committed to fostering knowledge in the academic realm of African cinemas. The festival produces academic content in Portuguese, making it accessible to Brazilian students, scholars, and the Official Portuguese-speaking African countries. To date, the festival has published six catalogues, including one in e-book format, featuring contributions from scholars and film critics worldwide. MCA also maintains a website dedicated to critiques of African films and a memorial honoring Professor Mahomed Bamba, a pivotal scholar in African cinemas in Brazil who passed away in 2015.

Since 2022, MCA has been extending invitations to African filmmakers, film critics, and scholars to participate in the festival. Their roles include introducing films, hosting Q&A sessions, and facilitating debates and roundtable discussions with Brazilian counterparts. From its inaugural edition, MCA has formed partnerships with other African film festivals globally, engaging in the exchange of curatorial processes and film selections. In recent editions, the festival has aimed to collaborate more closely with African practitioners in various fields, hiring professionals from Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Kenya each year to contribute to the curation and production of MCA.