The Capitol

Opening ceremony with music, finger food and refreshments. Followed by the screening of Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions Director: Dani Kouyate BURKINA FASO 2025 Duration 113min drama feature Award: Yelenga Award, Best Film Fespaco, 2025 In this extraordinary modern rendering of Macbeth, director Dani Kouyate has combined both traditional and modern West African flavours to create the atmospheric tragedy that Shakespeare’s Macbeth requires. Dani himself is a filmmaker, musician and storyteller from a lineage of Griots, traditional West African storytellers and keepers of history, as well as being a professor of Performing Arts at Uppsala University in Sweden. Who better to tell the story?! The storyline here is faithful to Shakespeare: Katanga (as Macbeth) is appointed army chief by his cousin, the king. He consults a soothsayer (in place of the three weird sisters) who reads his destiny in the sand, and from that moment……..well, we know the rest! The film was very popular at Fespaco 2025, and gained the highest award of best film of the festival.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Film 1: The Interview/l’Intorrogatoire Director: Jean-Luc Rabatel Togo 2024 French, Mina/English subtitles short fiction/comedy Awards: Gelos Coomedy FF, Ouaga Film court (2nd prize), Subtropical independent FF, Vues D’Afrique, Canada Best Actress. You can’t win whatever you say or do when you are standing in front of petty power with a chip on its shoulder. When Nadou heads to the police station to report a lost ID card a routine task spirals into an unexpected ordeal thanks to an eccentric police officer behind the desk. Ridiculous, beyond real and very funny. Film 2:Atharaka Director: Simon Mitambo Kenya 2024 Swahili/English subtitles Duration: 17min Documentary After the destruction of colonialism, Atharaka (those of Tharaka) are remembering the power of their identity by teaching the next generation, reviving customs and enabling nature to regenerate. Sacred sites are protected as potent places of the ancestors. All of this is “rethreading a complex bio-cultural system that brings balance, autonomy and joy.” The young ones know where they belong and who they are. “Life flows again”. Film 3: BougainvillAea Director: Yasir Faiz, SUDAN/EGYPT 2024, Duration 17min short fiction Arabic/ English subtitles Six young women are arrested and imprisoned for taking part in anti-government protests in the revolution of 2018. We see them together in their prison cell and hear their stories. They are united in solidarity for their cause and support one another tenderly as they wait for the outcome of their supposed crimes. A beautiful tribute to the resilient women of Sudan. Film 4: Chikha Queen Director: AYOUB LAYOUSSIFI, ZAHOUA RAJI Morocco 2024 Duration: 24min short fiction Arabic/French/English subtitles Chikha refers to the women who sing and dance in the Aita tradition, a Moroccan poetic and musical art form which is performed at weddings and circumcisions. It is vibrant and expressive, using the body and voice to dramatic effect, which has led to the stigmatisation of Chikhas as prostitutes in certain circles. It has also been used politically in the past, in former anti-colonial movements. Social activities would be boring without Chikha. In Chikha Queen, Fatine, a talented young performer, must choose between her university studies in another town and her own promising future as a Chikha. The love between Fatine and her family makes her choice even harder. It is the day before she should be leaving and the pressure is on.

‘Hello, hello....is there anybody out there’? Alan Parker brings Pink Floyd’s most enduring album to vibrant cinematic life with a mesmerising mix of colour, sound, and flashbacks. A confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Captain Ibrahim Traore, The Last African Hero, Director: Frank Gharbin, GHANA, 2025 Duration: 94MIN drama feature Akan/Tui/English/English subtitles This is a dramatised version of the work/life of Ibrahim Traore, the president of Burkina Faso, in protest against the realities of West African politics today. Ibrahim Traore’s vision to free Africa is shaking the ruling class of Africa and mobilising the African youth to free themselves of the post-colonial economic yoke of Europe. Ibrahim represents the spirit of the founding fathers of African unity in the name of survival, and self-determination, such as Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Modibo Keita and others. He follows in the footsteps of Thomas Sangara, 40 years after the assassination of his countryman, with his inspiring vision of mass education, self-reliance, respect for African culture and fighting corruption. Currently the most watched film this year in Ghana, the film was made on a small budget in Ghana with Ghanaian actors, with the approval of both Ghanaian and Burkinabe governments. It can be expected to have a highly controversial reception in Europe.

An aging Hong Kong couple move to Australia with their two youngest sons. They stay with a daughter who has already begun a successful career. Meanwhile their eldest daughter lives in Germany and their eldest son remains in Hong Kong. The film explores the different ways the family members cope with isolation and alienation. Director: Clara Law Writers: Eddie Ling-Ching FongClara Law Stars: Annette Shun Wah Annie Yip Anthony Brandon Wong

Stay for the Q&A with Dame Gaylene Preston and Chelsie Preston-Crayford When Meg buys a used Jaguar from a shady car dealer so she can visit her parents on their rural farm, she gets a lot more than she expects. Soon after getting it, she starts hearing choking sounds coming from the back seat. Things get even weirder when she picks up a pair of hitchhikers who mysteriously disappear into thin air. Cast Heather Bolton (Meg) , David Letch (Mr Wrong) , Margaret Umbers (Samantha) , Suzanne Lee (Val) , Gary Stalker (Bruce) , Danny Mulheron (Wayne) , Perry Piercy (Mary Carmichael) , Philip Gordon (Clive) , Michael Haigh (Mr Whitehorn) , Kate Harcourt (Mrs Alexander)

Poor Cow is a slice-of-life drama portraying a young mother’s repeated attempts to find love, stability, and dignity in a world stacked against her—outlined by poor choices and unfulfilled dreams.

Coast to Coast to Coast follows ultra-runner Jillian Edwards as she attempts an extraordinary feat: running the width of New Zealand twice in a single effort. Beginning in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, she covers 97 kilometres of road, trail, and black-sand beach to Whatipu, before turning back to do it all again. Set against New Zealand’s striking landscapes, Jillian battles fatigue, weather, and terrain in a relentless test of endurance, running to support women in crisis. Social Graffiti Event

Two tapes, two Parisian mob killers, one corrupt policeman, an opera fan, a teenage thief, and the coolest philosopher ever filmed all twist their way through an intricate and stylish French-language thriller. Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix Writers: Daniel OdierJean-Jacques BeineixJean Van Hamme Stars: Wilhelmenia FernandezFrédéric Andréi Roland Bertin

DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE, the cinematic return of the global phenomenon, follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. As the beloved cast of characters navigates how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, they must embrace change and welcome a new chapter.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Dr Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Beyond Graceland DR Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Beyond Graceland, Director: Carolyn Carew, SOUTH AFRICA, 2025 Duration 90min documentary feature Zulu/English/English subtitles This is the story of Joseph Shabalala, of Ladysmith Black Mumbaza fame. It covers the singer’s life from his early years in rural South Africa to his global success and later life, and recounts the difficulties he had to overcome against the apartheid regime, as well as his huge impact on world music. Filled with beautiful acapella music, the film also gives insights into the social and political context of the times as it explains how his worldwide popularity came into being. On his death in 2020, aged 79 years, he passed on his legacy to his children, whom we also experience performing on stage as a moving finale to the film.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Freedom Way Director: Afolabi Olalekan, NIGERIA 2024, Duration: 83MIN drama/thriller feature English/Yoruba/pidgin/English subtitles Awards: Best Movie, Best Writer AMVC, Nominee for Best Music, Best Sound Design, Best Supporting Actor (Femi Jacobs), AMVC; Jury Prize, AFRIFF. The big city of Lagos and its inhabitants are the focus of this fast-moving, intense thriller from Nigeria. Government laws and powerful competitors threaten a start-up company by two young, enterprising software engineers, to provide a motorcycle ride-sharing service. Its success becomes known to corrupt police and government ministers, who want to get it banned. As we follow the outcome of the struggle, many other characters and stories of Lagos are interwoven into the plot and converge: a doctor wrestling with his conscience, police at loggerheads over harassment of youth in the streets, and many more. The director is looking at themes of how bad government policies affect all levels of society and deplete people’s humanity, but he is not offering simplistic solutions, and is showing rather than preaching. A picture emerges of complexity and intensity.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Germaine Acony, Essence of Dance, Greta-Marie Becker, SENEGAL, 2025 Duration: 90min documentary feature Award: Nominee for cineCoPro award, Munich FF 2025. Germaine Acogny is not only the "Mother of African Contemporary Dance", but also one of Africa's most important artistic voices and the dancing icon of an entire continent. “This is bigger than yourselves” Germaine tells her students in this documentary on the life and work of ‘the mother of contemporary African dance’, Germaine Acogny. She could well be describing her own work. In 2021 she received the Golden Lion for Dance at the Venice Dance Festival. At 80 years old she still plays an active part teaching at the school she founded in Senegal, L’Ecole des Sables. Inspired by nature and pride in her African heritage, she encourages young dancers and choreographers from Africa and elsewhere through her acclaimed Germaine Acogny technique of dance. With stunning dance sequences and interviews, the film reveals this talented, energetic and dedicated woman in all her glory. Over ten years ago, Germaine Acogny came to Auckland to teach a group of Maori dancers. It is great to have her film at #AFFNZ25.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents; How to Build a Library Director: Maia Lekow, Christopher King | 2025 | Duratution: 103 min | Kenya documentary feature Awards: Special Jury Award, San Francisco IFF; Golden alexander Newcomers Competition, Thessaloniki Doocumentary FF; nominee for Grand Jury Prize, Sundance FF. Two Kenyan women transform an old, decrepit library in Nairobi which is full of ‘white man’s books’ dating from the colonial period, with the broader aim of de-colonising the libraries of Kenya. They have many obstacles to overcome, but they have the support of people of influence in the city, and are committed to the educational importance of their scheme. In the decolonisation process they create an accessible and comfortable place for Nairobi children to come and be at ease with books and resources relevant to them and their culture.

Purchase tickets to KANGAROO and support The Hunger Project in our work to end hunger and poverty for good. Our unique approach empowers people to be the drivers of their own development. By focusing on sustainable, community-led, and women-centered strategies, we work to unlock the capacity, creativity, and leadership of people living in chronic hunger and poverty. Read more about our work at www.thp.org.nz. Doors open at 6:45pm and the movie will screen at 7:30. Tickets are $25 each. KANGAROO is a heart-warming family comedy about ex TV personality, Chris Masterman, who becomes stranded in an Outback town outside Alice Springs. There, he teams up with 12 year old Indigenous girl Charlie. The pair form an unlikely friendship and work together to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned joeys in the remote but stunning Outback community – an endeavour that proves to be life-changing for them both. Please note, the Capitol will share contact information with The Hunger Project for the purposes of communication about this event.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions Director: Dani Kouyate BURKINA FASO 2025 Duration 113min drama feature Award: Yelenga Award, Best Film Fespaco, 2025 In this extraordinary modern rendering of Macbeth, director Dani Kouyate has combined both traditional and modern West African flavours to create the atmospheric tragedy that Shakespeare’s Macbeth requires. Dani himself is a filmmaker, musician and storyteller from a lineage of Griots, traditional West African storytellers and keepers of history, as well as being a professor of Performing Arts at Uppsala University in Sweden. Who better to tell the story?! The storyline here is faithful to Shakespeare: Katanga (as Macbeth) is appointed army chief by his cousin, the king. He consults a soothsayer (in place of the three weird sisters) who reads his destiny in the sand, and from that moment……..well, we know the rest! The film was very popular at Fespaco 2025, and gained the highest award of best film of the festival.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Khartoum Directors: Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed AhmedRawia Alhag Writers: Phil CoxPhilip Cox Stars: Jawa dKhadmallahLokain SUDAN 2024 Duration:80min documentary feature Arabic/English subtitles Award: Peace Film Prize, Berlin IFF; Young Jury Reetena Award, DocsBarceloona ES; Gilda Vieira de Mello Prize for Creative documentaries Competition, Internation FF and forum on Human Rights A documentary about the quest for freedom of five residents of Khartoum: two men, a woman and two boys. Khartoum begins before the latest outbreak of war in Sudan, when life was good and democracy had arrived at last. And then something different happened and the shooting started……It follows them through their survival and flight from Sudan, and establishing their lives again in neigbouring countries, such as Kenya and Egypt. Their stories are filmed in an interesting way, whereby images are projected onto the screens in front of which the five tell their stories, as they tell them to the camera. This has a powerful effect, and we are with the cameraman as he films and becomes emotionally engaged in the stories.

Punk renegade Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits, Dimmer) takes us on an iconoclastic tour through a career of highs and lows from suburban Dunedin to the heights of international fame and back again. Dunedin may seem like an unlikely location for a musical revolution, yet it became the locus of an indie music movement that was heard around the world. Riding the wave of the Dunedin Sound was Shayne Carter a loudmouthed teenage punk whose scrappy devil-may-care attitude is perfectly mirrored by Margaret Gordon’s cheeky and incredibly entertaining rockumentary. Early on Carter objects to having to narrate the film from his droll memoir and blithely suggests bringing in broadcaster Carol Hirschfeld to perform the task instead, which is exactly what Gordon does. We get taken on a self-deprecating tour of some of Dunedin’s less desirable suburbs allowing Carter to reminisce about his schooldays, including a sister-traumatising first gig in the school hall. Gordon’s film also acts as a bit of a primer on the Dunedin Sound with scene bigwigs like The Clean and The Verlaines at first surpassing Carter’s teenage punk ambitions until Straitjacket Fits is born out of tragedy and international stardom awaits. Carter is still living the punk life as Dimmer making now as good a time as any to celebrate a Life in One Chord. — Michael McDonnell

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Megnot (Two Hearts) Director: Abel Tekele Regasa ETHIOPIA, 2025 DURATION: 98MIN comedy feature Amharic/English subtitles Megnot means ‘two hearts’ in Amharic, and this delightful Rom-com which premiered in New York this year gives us a passionate, spirited young student who must negotiate in her own heart between the two men she loves, as they are put through an Ethiopian-style lovers’ test which takes us from Addis Ababa to the beautiful mountains of her home village. It is she who will decide, guided nevertheless by her clever grandfather. In her search, will she embrace the traditional values of Ethiopian culture or the modern individualism of the big city, and which man will give her most happiness?

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Memories of Love Return Director: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, UGANDA, 2024 Duration: 78min documentary feature Awards: Audience Award, Pan African Film Festival (US); Best Documentary, African International Film Festival (US) Ntare Mwine’s chance encounter with photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo, when his car breaks down in Kibaate’s village, becomes a 22 year journey exploring Kibaate’s life and photography. Simultaneously the relationship between the two hugely impacts Ntare himself, as well as the community whose photographic portraits Kibaate made a generation ago. A complex and intimate picture of the community emerges from their collaboration. This film is so rich in humanity with its strengths, its foibles and challenges, that you almost feel you belong yourself to the characters that populate this small village in Uganda.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Director: Rungano Nyoni Writer: Rungano Nyoni Stars: Susan Chardy, Elizabeth Chisela, Roy Chisha Zambia Duration: 98min drama feature Bemba/English/English subtitles Awards: Breakthrough Performance and Best Director British Independent Film Award; Best Director, Un Certain Regard, Cannes FF 2024; Silver Hugo Award, Chicago IFF; Winner Special Mention, London FF; Winner Cinema Extraordinaire, Bergen IFF; Golden Eye Award, Zurich FF; Grand Prize City of Lisbon, Amnesty International Award, Indie Lisboa International Independent FF; plus 9 other nominations. On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family. The sophomore feature by Welsh-Namibian filmmaker Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch), who was awarded Un Certain Regard—Best Director at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, is a surreal and vibrant reckoning with the lies we tell ourselves.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Our Land, Our Freedom Director: Minna Nanji & Zippy Kimundu, KENYA, 2024, Duration: 98min documentary feature Awards: Thomas Sankara Award, Fespaco, 2025. It has been screened at more than 10 international film festivals. Wanjuga Kimathi searches for the burial place and remains of her father, a leader in the Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule in the 1950’s. Her story plays out like a thriller as she begins to investigate colonial atrocities, concentration camps and land theft, and she and her mother spark a larger movement for justice. She transforms over the course of the film into a powerful leader for truth and for those whose land was taken. Stark and shocking, this is a must see for those interested in the history of colonialism in Africa. “Our motivation stems from the belief that it is time that Kenyans author their own history” – director.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Panafricano Director: Antumi Toasije, GHANA, COLOUMBIA, 2025, Duration: 82min documentary feature Spanish/English subtitles An historian from New York University in Madrid, director Antumi Toasije takes us on a journey through African history, culture and identity. With intellectual rigour and beautiful imagery, he explores the Africanness of ancient Egypt, with its pyramids and famous sphinx, and visits the mausoleums of modern Ghanaian and Ethiopian leaders. He travels to the African diaspora living in Colombia. Throughout, Antumi reveals African roots that have been denied or ignored by mainstream Eurocentric African history and highlights his findings through interviews with poets and other historians. His aim is to revive Pan Africanness as a tool of resistance and unity. A compelling watch.

Pitchblack Playback: Lana Del Rey 'Honeymoon' *Please arrive by event start time as latecomers will not be admitted and refunds will not be offered* While we wait with baited breath for Lana's new album, celebrate the 10th anniversary of her classic 'Honeymoon' at Pitchblack Playback's listening session in the dark. Hear this immense record played loud in uncompressed audio on our powerful cinema sound system. No distractions; just you and the music. "This sounds great” — Rick Rubin "A fabulous idea" — Jay Kay, Jamiroquai "The optimal way to listen to an album" — Max Richter "This might just be my favourite new thing to do" — Nihal, BBC Radio 5 Live Ticket includes Pitchblack Playback eye mask for extra darkness. As recommended by The Guardian, GQ, Time Out, Metro and Newsweek. This event is not affiliated with Lana Del Rey or Universal Music Duration: 65 minutes

Pitchblack Playback: Radiohead 'Kid A' (25th Anniversary) *Please arrive by event start time as latecomers will not be admitted and refunds will not be offered* Immerse yourself in Radiohead's groundbreaking 'pivot' record at Pitchblack Playback's listening session in the dark. Hear this immense record played loud in uncompressed audio on a powerful cinema sound system. No distractions; just you and the music. "This sounds great” — Rick Rubin "A fabulous idea" — Jay Kay, Jamiroquai "The optimal way to listen to an album" — Max Richter "This might just be my favourite new thing to do" — Nihal, BBC Radio 5 Live Ticket includes Pitchblack Playback eye mask for extra darkness. As recommended by The Guardian, GQ, Time Out, Metro and Newsweek. Duration: 47 minutes

In August 2017, in the lead-up to national elections, Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand’s opposition party leader. She had just turned 37. Two frenetic months later, she was Prime Minister. Just before the final vote was in, she discovered she was pregnant. She would become only the second head of state in history to give birth while in office. Ardern quickly became one of the most recognizable leaders in the world. She drew global attention from people craving a sensitive and compassionate approach to the critical issues of our time. In private, she struggled with being a mother and proving herself to a public skeptical of women’s leadership. A series of crises - the Christchurch massacre, pandemic lockdowns, and disinformation-fueled protests outside Parliament - would test that leadership and the feminine touch she brought to it. She resigned from office in January 2023, shocking her supporters and critics alike. Going behind the scenes of her administration and her private life, PRIME MINISTER follows Jacinda for seven years as she is catapulted to the top of New Zealand politics, becomes a feminist political icon, resigns suddenly from office and continues to champion the fight against isolationism, fear, and the distortion of truth. Intimate home footage shot by her husband and audio interviews that Jacinda did while in office give us unparalleled access. Along with in-depth contemporaneous interviews, these form the emotional backbone of the story, giving viewers an unfiltered window into her years in power. The world is at a perilous political crossroads. Trust in institutions, expertise, and liberal democracy itself are under dire strain. Which direction will we go? PRIME MINISTER leaves viewers wondering what the world might be like with more Jacindas at the helm.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: Sanko, Le Rêve de Dieu (Sanko, God of Dream) Director: Mariam Kamissoko, Fousseyni Maiga MALI 2025, Duration: 98min drama feature Bambara/English subtitles Tolerance between the three main religions of Mali, Islam, Christianity and Animism, has always been a proud feature of Malian culture, in a country which focuses on fostering social harmony. Sanko-God’s Dream explores this tolerance in the context of a succession struggle for a new imam of Sanko after the death of its loved and respected old imam. Each contender in the struggle represents a quality that fosters (or not) the sought after harmony. The trouble is, they are mainly either dissolute, greedy or rigid. It is a stylised portrayal of the subject, which also gives us delightful snapshots of Malian humour and life on the journey. The question of who will succeed as the new imam is an easy one to answer: the one who embodies the tolerance and humility that will engender harmony, of course. This is good medicine for the modern world. “God’s dream is for everyone”.

When Ashley asks for a divorce, the good-natured Carey runs to his friends, Julie and Paul, for support. Their secret to happiness is an open marriage; that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: a double feature First Film : The Interview/l’Intorrogatoire short fiction/comedy Director: Jean-Luc Rabatel 2024 French, Mina/English subtitles Togo Duration 27min Awards: Gelos Coomedy FF, Ouaga Film court (2nd prize), Subtropical independent FF, Vues D’Afrique, Canada Best Actress. You can’t win whatever you say or do when you are standing in front of petty power with a chip on its shoulder. When Nadou heads to the police station to report a lost ID card a routine task spirals into an unexpected ordeal thanks to an eccentric police officer behind the desk. Ridiculous, beyond real and very funny. Main Feature: Sur les Traces de Bembeya Jazz (In the Steps of Bembeya Jazz) Documentary feature Direcrtor: Abdoulaye Diallo Mandingue/Sousou/Peulh/French/English subtitles 2007 Duration 52min A portrait of the mythical band Bembeya Jazz, which contributed hugely to the blossoming of the cultural renaissance of President Sekou Toure’s Guinea. Bembeya Jazz was created in 1961 in the city of Beyla in the rainforest of Guinea, and rapidly became Africa’s greatest orchestra. The president recognised sport and culture as some of the pillars of development. Successful artists and sport man and women were employed by the government as public servants with full rights. The Bembeya Jazz was one of the first bands to receive that consideration. From 1966 it became known as Bembeya Jazz National and nits musicians became government employees. It is said that Bembeya can make you dance, cry and laugh: the band created a powerful and hypnotic fusion of traditional music, Jazz, Afropop and Cuban music. Their work lives on in this documentary history.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: The Brink Of Dreams Director: Nada Ryadh, EGYPT, 2024 DURATION: 102MIN documentary feature Arabic/English subtitles Award: Oeil D’or best documentary, Cannes, 2025 This film documents the trials of a group of adolescent girls in a small Coptic town in upper Egypt who form a street theatre group to challenge gender roles and express their frustrations and dreams. Their passion is disrupted by the hard reality of what is in front of them: the pressure to submit to the strict gender roles of a country town in Southern Egypt in 2020. What makes this work shine is that as it was filmed over four years, the directors were able to develop trusting and close relationships with the girls, and to really step inside their lives and that of their town they live in. We get a precious entry into their world and get to watch as they navigate relationships with siblings, parents and lovers, and maintain their loyalties to each other.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: The Crazies, Director: Fousseyni Maiga, MALI, 2025, Duration: 91min documentary feature Bambara/French/ English subtitles “Culture is by essence the alpha and omega of all development….. For a society culture is as vital as the heart to the human body. The director’s goal is to use cinema as a tool for preserving Malian cultural heritage, placing it at the core of community resilience” – director Fatow follows the story of 4 so-called ‘madmen’, each one standing for a critical issue of environment and culture: desert, forest, mountains (representing the people), water. Each issue is debated using well-known Malian social advocates. In Mali, ‘madmen’ are seen as those who speak truths uncompromisingly, and are prepared to say what others are too scared to say. In addition, they naturally elicit a sympathetic and tolerant response from others in Malian society, so their words may be better absorbed by the general public. In the film, the clothing they wear symbolises environmental pollution caused by plastic, a serious global issue.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: The Fisherman, Director: Zoey Martinson, GHANA, 2024, Duration:105 min comedy feature Awards: Winner of the Fellini Award by UNESCO at Venice Biennale IFF 2024; Ja’Net Dubois Best Narrative Feature Film 2025, Los Angeles; Best Narrative Feature and Best Director, American Black FF Miami 2025. Here is a heartwarming, wise, and quirky comedy from Ghana, a tale of family, spirit and resilience. When fisherman Atta Oko is forced suddenly into retirement, he teams up with a talking fish to try and continue with his livelihood and save his pride. The result is a journey of infectious joy and laughter, as he and his outsider friends tackle the big city of Accra in his quest to buy his own fishing boat. Combined with empathetic social commentary on the issues of modern Ghana, such as the tension between the values of village and city and the changing roles of women, the result is great entertainment and food for thought.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: The Mystery of Waza Director: Claye Edou, CAMEROUN, 2024 DURATION 94MIN animated feature French/English subtitles Awards: LFC Awards (Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing & Best Screenplay) in Douala, Cameroon, The 7even Award for BEst Animated Film in Douala, Cameroon, The BEst Animation Award at the Luanda PAFF in Luanda, Angola, The Special Jury Award at Africlap Festival in Toulouse, France; The Innovation Dikalo Awards et The PAnafrican Film Festival in Cannes, France; 3 Awards at Mboa Drawing Awards (Best Animator, Best Background Artist and Best Voice Actor) in Yaounde, Cameroon The growth of the animation industry for young people is currently blossoming in Africa, giving the rest of the world a much-needed view into the lives of African youth, and an insight into the commonalities of youth everywhere. In this animated adventure, four dynamic17 year old Cameroonians who have grown up together are admitted to the brand-new Scientific University of the Sahel in the north of their country. Just after their arrival one of the staff goes missing, followed shortly by another. The four friends decide to investigate. This leads them to the heart of Waza National Park where they are instrumental in the resolution of the mystery and the discovery of archeological riches. The film has been featured at various festivals in the US and Canada, as well as Africa, and has been praised for its visual storytelling.

African Film Festival New Zealand Presents: a double screening Chikha-Queen short fiction Director: Ayoub Layoussifi, Zahoua Raji 2024 Arabic/French/English subtitles Morocco 24min Chikha refers to the women who sing and dance in the Aita tradition, a Moroccan poetic and musical art form which is performed at weddings and circumcisions. It is vibrant and expressive, using the body and voice to dramatic effect, which has led to the stigmatisation of Chikhas as prostitutes in certain circles. It has also been used politically in the past, in former anti-colonial movements. Social activities would be boring without Chikha. In Chikha Queen, Fatine, a talented young performer, must choose between her university studies in another town and her own promising future as a Chikha. The love between Fatine and her family makes her choice even harder. It is the day before she should be leaving and the pressure is on. Women of Rumba Music (La RUMBA Congolaise, les Heroines) Director: Yamina Benguigui, Tunisia/ DR Congo 2024 Duration 62 min documentary feature Premiered at Vues D’Afrique, Canada French/English subtitles France Congolese Rumba has been presented in the past as a masculine creation and women’s role in this rich vein of Congolese music and dance has until now been hidden or ignored. And yet women’s contribution has been crucially important. This documentary looks at the history of the Rumba through its heroines and the contribution of Congolese women musicians and dancers, and brings to light their role as inspiration for change for women in Congolese society. Full of beautiful historical footage, it is as informative as it is enlightening and entertaining.