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Articles

NollywoodWeek at 12, and the Shifting Shape of African Cinema in Paris

1 month ago | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

Prefer to listen? This newsletter is now available in AI-generated audio format (9 minutes)When Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur launched NollywoodWeek in 2013, they weren’t chasing trends. They were filling a void. Shakur, originally from Washington, D.C., is an African American who has lived in France and across Africa. Noukoué was born and raised in Paris, but his family is from Benin.
One Year of Akoroko Premium: What We've Built

2 months ago | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

The official first anniversary of Akoroko Premium is TODAY—April 28, 2025. This wouldn’t exist without those who continue to subscribe, kept reading, suggesting, questioning, sticking around, and even those who canceled, particularly those who canceled and came back!Akoroko itself launched in April 2022. Two years later, in April 2024, the subscription, Akoroko Premium, went live. One year ago, I posted the tweet you see above: “… even one subscriber would be a win.
Remembering Africa's Greatest Living Filmmaker

Feb 19, 2025 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

It is with profound sadness that I share news of Souleymane Cissé passing today, February 19, 2025, in Bamako, Mali, at age 84. His daughter Mariam confirmed his death to Agence France Presse, the news reaching me as I exited a screening at the Berlinale, in Germany. I find myself stunned, recalling with vivid clarity his presence at the 2024 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) just four months ago.
Challenging the Status Quo and Envisioning Nigerian Cinema's Future

Dec 10, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

The story of Nigerian cinema this century has largely been told through a handful of voices with international profiles – figures like Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, and more recently, various individual deals with streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and other international studios. Their narratives, amplified by the mainstream media’s preference for simple success stories, have often obscured the intricate realities of making films in Nigeria.
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL Is Meditation on Memory and Silence: Trailer, Poster, and Release Date Shift

Nov 30, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

US studio A24 has unveiled the first trailer for Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming A Guinea Fowl,” with a new theatrical release date set for March 7, 2025. The haunting family drama, which earned Nyoni the Best Director prize at Cannes 2024, arrives with momentum, following Picturehouse Entertainment’s acquisition of UK-Ireland distribution rights.
African FIlm Industry Context

Nov 30, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

I landed in Nairobi, Kenya a few hours ago, after a 90-minute flight from Kigali, Rwanda, where I spent all last week primarily participating in the Some Fine Day Pix / GIZ Moving Pictures film distribution initiative. I will be in Nairobi for the rest of the month, marking my fourth major African city visit since September, after week-long stays in Cape Town (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria), and Kigali.
Masharket 2024: Kigali, Rwanda Content Market Builds on First-Year Success, Positioning Itself as Key African Hub

Nov 30, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

In vibrant Kigali, Rwanda, a convergence of creativity, innovation, and opportunity is set to take place. Masharket, the Kigali International Content Market, returns for its second edition from November 7th to 9th, 2024, alongside the 10-year-old Mashariki African Film Festival (MAFF). Building on the success of its inaugural event, Masharket 2024 looks to further establish Rwanda as a burgeoning hub for the African film, television, and other screen content ecosystems.
Who Can Actually Get It?

Nov 30, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

Afreximbank’s October 18 announcement of a doubled $2 billion commitment to African creative industries continues to reverberate across the continent, with filmmakers and other creative professionals voicing familiar frustrations. From its launch in 2020 with an initial commitment of $500 million, Afreximbank’s CANEX (Creative Africa Nexus) funding pool grew to $1 billion in 2022 and is now at $2 billion as announced last month, for deployment over the next three years.
African Film Industries Need Time, Not Templates: Notes on Crafting Local Cinema Pathways

Nov 30, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

My recent travels across the continentâ€”from Cape Town (South Africa) to Lagos (Nigeria), Kigali (Rwanda), and now Nairobi (Kenya) where I currently sitâ€”have placed me in an endlessly contemplative state about the continent’s film ecosystems. These journeys have inspired various conversations, thoughts, and ideas that I’ve been thinking through publicly via Akoroko Premium newsletters to subscribers.
Ivory Coast National Cinema Office Launches First Official Cinema Box Office Reporting Service

Nov 30, 2024 | akoroko.com | Tambay Obenson

This inaugural report, which I received last week, titled “Côte d’Ivoire Cinema Box Office Number 1 – November 2024” (translated from French), provides extensive data from 2019-2024. It offers a comprehensive view of the country’s cinema market structure, audience preferences, and industry evolution. At 19 pages, it’s a fascinating study with much to analyze and draw insights from, particularly for a country like Ivory Coast that, until recent years, has historically lacked much cinema culture.