Beyond making films, what are we building?
African Film Futures is an African-led platform advancing the technologies, talent and innovation ecosystem that will shape the future of filmmaking.
A generation that builds.
An African film industry where some tell stories, and others build the technologies, distribution businesses, equipment, software, investment and business models that keep those stories thriving and globally competitive.
Beyond creative output alone.
To move African filmmaking beyond dependence on creative output alone by encouraging local innovation, expanding technological capability, and helping African-built solutions achieve commercial relevance and global competitiveness.
What we set out to do.
Connect
Bring filmmakers together with the engineers, developers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors and institutions who can build solutions.
Turn problems into projects
Identify the industry's most pressing technology and infrastructure gaps, and turn them into practical projects.
Showcase and develop
Demonstrate real tools and workflows, and support locally relevant, African-built solutions and intellectual property.
Recognise innovators
Reward inventors, technical innovators and entrepreneurs through the African Film Innovation Prize.
Widen the path
Show young Africans they can contribute by inventing, engineering, investing and building businesses, not only by making films.
Build lasting partnerships
Create collaborations, mentoring and pilot projects that continue long after each summit ends.
Built to grow into an institution.
African Film Futures Summit
The annual flagship gathering and the public face of the platform.
African Film Innovation Prize
Rewarding and supporting inventors and technical innovators.
FilmTech Innovation Lab
Year-round development of ideas into working solutions.
African Film Technology Outlook
Research and insight on the state of film technology in Africa.
Principles we hold ourselves to.
Credibility is one of our most valuable assets. These principles guide every decision we make.
African-led, globally connected
We welcome international technology companies as mentors, collaborators and training partners, while building local capacity and ownership.
Curated, not crowded
We would rather host 200 highly relevant people with real follow-up than 1,000 with no lasting outcomes.
Fair and transparent
Published judging criteria, independent judges who declare conflicts of interest, and innovators who keep ownership of their inventions.
Honest partnerships
Clearly defined deliverables for every partner. No inflated promises.
Accountable
An annual impact report showing what we promised, what we delivered, and what happened afterwards.
Why this, why now.
We have grown ambitious about making films, telling our stories, building cinema audiences and taking African content to the world. These are real achievements. But one question keeps coming back: beyond making films, what are we building to sustain the future of filmmaking in Africa?
Who is building our distribution infrastructure? Who is developing the software and tools that make production more efficient? Who is creating the technologies, financing models and businesses that will let the next generation of filmmakers work, innovate and compete globally?
We must not only make the films that tell our stories. We must also help build the future that makes those stories possible.
Olamide Odebiyi
Founder, African Film Futures · Filmmaker and Digital Media Strategist · Founder, The Pinnacles🎖