African Film Press

African Film Press (AFP) is a media and journalism alliance covering African and African-diaspora cinema, television, and screen-sector activity. It was formed in 2024 as a collaboration between three editorial platforms: Akoroko (United States), Sinema Focus (Kenya), and What Kept Me Up (Nigeria).[1]

AFP operates as a networked organization, coordinating editorial coverage, industry reporting, and collective initiatives across multiple regions in Africa and the diaspora.[2]

History

African Film Press was established in 2024 by film industry journalists Tambay A. Obenson, Jennifer Ochieng, and Ikeade Oriade, as a formal alliance linking three independently operating media platforms focused on African screen cultures and industries.[2]

In 2024, African Film Press was selected for the inaugural Moving Pictures Incubator, a programme led by Berlin-based production company Some Fine Day Pix and supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). At the conclusion of the programme, AFP was awarded one of three €20,000 grants during a final presentation event held in Nairobi in December 2024.[3]

In 2025, African Film Press was selected for the EFM Startups programme at the European Film Market (EFM), held alongside the Berlin International Film Festival.[4]

Structure and member platforms

African Film Press functions as an alliance of three editorial platforms:

  • Akoroko, founded in 2022, is a subscription-based publication covering African cinema, film policy, festivals, financing, and distribution.[5]
  • Sinema Focus, based in Kenya, reports on film, television, and theatre activity in East Africa.[6]
  • What Kept Me Up, based in Nigeria, covers Nigerian and African popular culture, film, and television.[1]

Each platform maintains its own editorial identity and publishing operations, while participating in shared AFP initiatives and reporting projects.[2]

Activities

African Film Press coordinates collaborative editorial projects and industry initiatives involving its member platforms.

In 2025, African Film Press launched the AFP Critics Prize, an award for films by African filmmakers screened at four partner African film festivals on the African continent. The prize currently includes a US$500 cash award. The inaugural AFP Critics Prize was awarded on 5 December 2025 at the 5th edition of the S16 Film Festival in Lagos, Nigeria, to the short film Obi Is a Boy, directed by Dika Ofoma.[7]

AFP also participates in international film markets, festivals, and professional programmes connected to African cinema and media development.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Pan-African AFP Critics Prize Launches". Deadline. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "How the African Film Press Is Looking to Elevate Film Conversations". OkayAfrica. 29 August 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Sinema Focus, Akoroko, and What Kept Me Up Launch Groundbreaking Alliance, Securing Initial Funding". Sinema Focus. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  4. ^ "EFM Startups". European Film Market. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Akoroko Wants to Uplift African Cinema". OkayAfrica. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  6. ^ "African Film Press launches pan-African AFP Critics Prize". BroadcastPro ME. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Dika Ofoma's Obi Is a Boy Wins First AFP Critics Prize at S16 Film Festival". Pulse Nigeria. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
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