Portal:African cinema/Selected anniversaries/45

Africa International Film Festival (6 - 12 November) is an annual festival that takes places in Lagos, Nigeria. The 11th edition will screen over 50 movies, including the African premier of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (starring Lupita Nyong'o) and Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny, winner of the 2022 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, and starring Anna Diop. The festival's programming also includes masterclasses given by directors Ryan Coogler and Nikyatu Jusu and scriptwriter Tunde Babalola.

Marrakech International Film Festiva l (11-19 November) After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the 19th edition of Morocco's biggest film festival is back with a star-studded jury that includes Paolo Sorrentino Susanne Bier, Oscar Isaac, Vanessa Kirby, Diane Kruger, Justin Kurzel, Nadine Labaki, Laïla Marrakchi, and Tahar Rahim. 14 films are in competition including Maryam Touzani's The Blue Caftan, Morocco’s submission for consideration in the 2023 Oscar’s Best International Feature Film category.

Angola Independence Day is celebrated 11 November. Check out Sambizanga, a 1972 film by director Sarah Maldoror. Set in 1961 at the onset of the Angolan War of Independence, it follows the struggles of Angolan militants involved with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), an anti-colonial political movement. In 2012, the Guardian’s film critic listed Sambizanga as one of the 10 best classic African films.

Wild is the Wind is a South African crime drama that premiered on Netflix October 28th. The film depicts the corruption and racism in the South African judicial system through the investigation of the murder of an Afrikaner girl by two corrupt policemen played by Mothusi Magano and Frank Rautenbach. It ranked in the streamer's Global Top 10 within the first week of its release.

Elesin Oba,The King's Horseman is the screen adaptation by Biyi Bandele of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, a stage play he wrote during his political exile from Nigeria. The story is based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during British Colonial rule. The film premiered in Nigerian cinemas on 28 October and on Netflix 4 November.