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Nile-Distributed Mother’s Love Advances Global Festival Campaign Star of the evening, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, in Ade Bakare London. Image: Sammy Oguejiofor Los Angeles, California- February 16, 2026 Following a successful international festival trajectory from the Silicon Valley Africa Film Festival (SVAFF) to the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Mother's Love , the directorial debut of Nollywood legend, TIME 100 honoree, and global screen force Omotola Jala

Pamela Adie's ìfẹ́: The Sequel premieres at BFI Flare 2026. Nigerian LGBTQ filmmaker's narrative debut explores queer love and identity in Lagos. Nigerian LGBTQIA+ Filmmaker Pamela Adie ’s narrative debut feature ìfẹ́: The Sequel is set to make its its world premiere on March 23, 2026 at the 40th edition of the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival . The film, which is the highly anticipated follow-up to the 2020 short ìfẹ́ will be showing at BFI Southbank, London,

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose legacy extended from marching with MLK to running for President twice and shaping Black American history, dies at 84. The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., one of the most significant civil rights leaders in American history, has died at 84. According to a statement from his family, Jackson passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 and had been battling Progressive Supranuclear

You know that feeling when you stumble on an old Nollywood or Ghallywood film on YouTube and suddenly it's 3 AM and you're crying over a love triangle that involves juju, class warfare, and at least two people pretending to be dead, BlackBerry in hand? That's " jakusco" energy, the beautifully chaotic, melodramatic African love stories from the late 90s to the early 2010s that defined a generation, with raw emotional performances that prioritized drama and cultural depth. I

The Akunna Cook-led fund, intending to deploy $50 million in support of audio-visual content made by African and African-diaspora creators, has set up an advisory board. In an exclusive announcement via The Hollywood Reporter , also shared via their newsletter, the Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF), a content and media investment vehicle targeting $50 million in support of audio-visual content made by African and African-diaspora creators, has unveiled a 13-member advisory

Birdie at Sundance 2026: Nigerian-American director Praise Paige Odigie crafts a moving portrait of a Biafran refugee family navigating loss and identity Once upon a time, a mother and her two daughters lived in the American countryside. They were from another country, building a new life in the aftermath of a war between their people and those whom they once called compatriots. The older daughter believed her father was dead. Mother and younger teenage daughter believed he w

Netflix special proves the comedian wasn't conspiracy theorizing; he was just early Katt Williams opens his fourth Netflix special, The Last Report , by doing something you don't see enough in comedy these days: acknowledging God. Not as a punchline, not as a setup, but as genuine gratitude. "I'm God's own," he declares early in the hour, and it sets the tone for what becomes a masterclass in truth-telling wrapped in hilarious packaging. Released February 10, "The Last Repor

Pan African Film & Arts Festival showcases dynamic range of storytelling from established auteurs and emerging voices (February 16-22) Los Angeles - The 35th Pan African Film & Arts Festival returns to Los Angeles February 16–22, 2026, bringing together a compelling slate of Black cinema that spans continents, and generations. As one of the premier platforms for African diaspora storytelling, PAFF 2026 offers audiences a front-row seat to the evolution of Black filmmaking,

Why the Lupita Nyong'o Helen of Troy controversy exposes Hollywood hypocrisy: From White Jesus to Egyptian gods, accuracy only matters for Black actors. What should be a non-issue has quickly devolved into ugly Internet discourse about race and historical accuracy, flawed as the latter is. Elon Musk says Christopher Nolan "has lost his integrity." The crime? Rumoured casting of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in his upcoming epic The Odyssey , set to premiere July 17, 2026

What the T-Mobile–Netflix deal quietly teaches creatives and media founders about long-term value By Sahndra Fon Dufe , Partnerships Lead SVAFF There’s a reason T-Mobile didn’t bundle Paramount+ or Max; and it’s not because Netflix has better shows; though that’s debatable depending on who you ask and what week it is. The Netflix On Us program, launched in 2017 and refined through multiple iterations since, represents something far more calculated than a customer perk. It’s

Review: Olive Nwosu's Sundance 2026 debut Lady explores sisterhood and sex work in Lagos with spirited ambition but uneven execution. Jerry Chiemeke reports Image Credit: Sundance Nigerian-born filmmaker Olive Nwosu 's feature debut Lady (2026) announces itself with ambition as it wafts on an intriguing backdrop: an inverted view of the Lagos lagoon, two childhood friends perched on a dilapidated shack, and the shadow of trauma that will reverberate through the film's 92-min

Twenty-four years after Halle Berry's historic Oscars win, Black women remain trapped in a ‘supporting role win hole’. By Sahndra Fon Dufe On March 24, 2002, Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. In her tearful acceptance speech for Monster's Ball , she declared the moment was "for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened." Twenty-four years later, the door remains o

How Black actors are shaping the conversation in this Awards season. By Sahndra Fon Dufe The 2026 Actor Awards nominations arrived with a record-breaking seven nods for One Battle After Another , but the real story extends beyond any single film's dominance. Black actors secured five individual nominations across the film categories (two in the TV category), distributed across leading, supporting, and ensemble categories in ways that reveal progress, but also persistent patt

Looking for film funding or festival entries? Explore the January 2026 Black Film Wire guide to resources for filmmakers across the global Black diaspora. 2026 is heating up to be an exciting year for film and TV. For budding and established black talent, this also represents multiple opportunities to upskill, exhibit work on larger stages, and secure funding for passion projects. It is to this end that Black Film Wire has put together an extensive list of available opportun

AFFC Storytellers Film Lab Cohort III is now accepting applications from emerging female filmmakers in Nairobi. 6-week program, apply by February 2. The African Female Filmmakers Collective (AFFC) has announced an open call for its highly anticipated Storytellers Film Lab Cohort III , a transformative opportunity designed specifically for emerging women filmmakers based in Nairobi, Kenya. This intensive six-week program offers hands-on training, professional mentorship, and

2026 Oscars: Black talent shines as Sinners and One Battle After Another lead with a record-breaking 16 and 13 nominations, respectively. Tunisia’s Voice of Hind Rajab becomes Africa’s sole representative. Full list below. The nominations for all categories at the 98th Academy Awards have been announced in a ceremony hosted by actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman. Ryan Coogle r’s Sinners broke the record for the most ever nominations for a single film at the Oscars wit

As we draw the curtains on AFCON 2026, here are five moments that have made life after the finals feel cinematic. We’re more than halfway to a week since Senegal won the 2026 African Cup of Nations. To say the competition was anything short of a cinematic masterpiece would be distorting the truth. Protagonists, villains, plot twists, colourful costumes, and ensemble performances all combined, culminating in one of the most interesting male football finals in recent history.

BEbonyLife Films partners with Genesis, Nile, and Silverbird for the 2026 release of "The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives." See the star-studded cast here. EbonyLife Films has partnered with Genesis Group, Nile Group , and Silverbird Group , for the December 2026 release of the big-screen adaptation of Lola Shoneyin ’s critically acclaimed novel, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives . According to Deadline , the film will be directed by Daniel Orahi with screenplay by

The Nigerian studio behind ‘The Men's Club’ has put out a call for a male and female role in a new TV Series. Apply by 26 January, 2026. Filmmaker and Founder of Urban Vision 360 Tola Odunsi has put out a casting call for two lead roles in an upcoming TV series. The announcement, made via social media yesterday, states that interested actors and actresses should be between 25 and 35 years old, and preferably be relatively new faces. They are to send a profile, social med

For Black Film Wire The Producers Guild of America has officially announced key nominations and honorees for the 37th Annual Producers Guild Awards , recognising outstanding producing achievement across documentary, innovation, film, television and emerging media. This year’s slate reflects a wide range of storytelling approaches from socially driven documentaries to technology-forward experiences and underscoring the central role producers play in bringing ambitious work to