Portal:African cinema/Selected anniversaries/15

The 45th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) takes place from July 18 to 28. African feature films in contention include Sonti by Terrence Aphane, The Village Next To Paradise by Mo Harawe, and Who Do I Belong To by Meryam Joobeur.

Our Father directed by Biodun Stephen premiers at the ICFF film festival in Toronto July 12. Starring Olarotimi Fakunle, Etim Effiong, Mike Afolarin, Uche Montana, and Audrey Harrison the movie follows a struggling musician who seeks to reconnect with his family twenty years after abandoning them in a quest for stardom.

Lobola Man drops on Netflix July 18th. The South African romantic comedy stars Lawrence Maleka in his first leading role, as the “silver-tongued chief lobola (bride price) negotiator.” The film also stars Sthandile Nkosi, Obed Baloyi, Themba Ndaba, Kwanele Mthethwa, Letuka Dlamini, Nimrod Nkosi, Sello Ramolahloane and Thembsie Matu.

Call for submissions for the Ecrans Noirs Festival is open through July 31. The 28th edition of Écrans Noirs festival will be held from October 19-26, 2024 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and in various cities throughout the country.

July 11th is African Anti-Corruption Day. Checkout Softie a 2020 Kenyan film based on the life of political activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi and his family; King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021), a seven-part limited Netflix crime drama series that explore Nigerian corruption and power dynamics; and the South African 2019 political documentary How to Steal a Country about state capture in South Africa during President Jacob Zuma’s presidency. The film is being used in  German high schools to teach students about corruption.