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African Cinema's Global Voices Converge in D.C.
18 Feb
Summary
- The festival features 25 films from 18 countries across Africa and its diaspora.
- Nigerian British filmmaker's debut makes history at Cannes and for Oscars.
- Immersive Labs unveils 'The Science of Animation' documentary on a new pipeline.
The 22nd New African Film Festival will be held in Washington, D.C., from March 13 to March 26. This year's event promises one of its most extensive lineups, featuring 25 films from 18 countries. The festival is presented by the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and the Africa World Now Project.
Opening night features "My Father's Shadow," the directorial debut of Nigerian British filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. This film previously made history as Nigeria's first Cannes selection, earning a Caméra d'Or Special Mention. It is also the United Kingdom's official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards.
Festival highlights include acclaimed films such as "The Eyes of Ghana," "Cotton Queen," and "Laundry." Several selections from the Cannes Film Festival, including "Untamable" and "Aisha Can't Fly Away," will also be screened, alongside official Oscar submissions from various African nations.
Separately, Immersive Enterprise Laboratories has launched "The Science of Animation." This short documentary showcases a novel animation production environment where story, character performance, and world-building develop concurrently in real-time, diverging from traditional sequential pipelines.
