About 60 African and African diaspora films will be shown during the 20th anniversary of the CinemAfrica Film Festival which will be held from February 26 to March 4 in Stockholm, Sweden.

CinemAfrica said on its website that it has “… assembled the perfect mix of classical narratives, documentaries exploring the most current and vital subjects, some experimental shorts and even a small selection of Virtual Reality films from Kenya, Senegal and Ghana.

“CinemAfrica is a non-profit organisation that works towards spreading high-quality African and diaspora cinema in Sweden.” 

Swedish-Ugandan prize-winning poet Johannes Anyuru will put up a special performance when the festival opens on February 26, follow by a showing of the Oscar-nominated Senegelase/French film, Felecite by Alain Gomis.

Also, CinemAfrica and a number of partners, including the Nigerian and Cameroonian associations in the northern city of Umea, will host the showing of Potato Potahto, a Ghanaian/Nigerian film, in the city on March 2 and 3.

A filmmaking workshop is also on the cards. But it will be held before the festival commences.

Meanwhile, four films are shortlisted for the CinemAfrica Long Film Prize. They are A Day for Women by Egyptian Kamla Abou Zekri; A Season in France by Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Felecite , I am not a Witch by Rungano Nyoni, Razzia by Nabil Ayouch and Vaya by Akin Omotoso.

Entries from the USA, Morocco, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, Sudan and Britain are contesting for the Transfer Galaxy Short Film Prize.

Other events at the festival include a March 3 round table discussion on the black feminist’s sexuality, power, body and agency while a discussion titled No Taxation Without Representation 2, a further examination of a 2015 report from The Swedish Agency of Cultural Policy Analysis which focuses on, among others, diversity and representation in Sweden’s cultural sector.

There will also be activities for the kids with the airing of two movies:  Bino Fino, an education-focused animation film series for kids from 5 years and the Kenyan film, Who am I.

 Started in 1998, CinemAfrica is Scandinavia’s largest African and African Diaspora film festival, aiming to celebrate cultures and people through the vital language of film. In addition to an annual film festival, and event screenings held throughout the year, CinemAfrica is also a pedagogical platform for children and youth, notes the organization on its website.