Knowledge Sharing Session with Sherif M. Awad on a Call for African Film Collaboration and Global Storytelling

92 Films. 32 Countries. 1 Weekend.  October 9–12, 2025 | San Jose.

Sherif Awad at the SVAFF Knowledge Sharing Session | Photo Credit: SVAFF

At the just-concluded Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), the conversations go far beyond screenings and applause. We dug deep into history, culture, creativity and the shifting heartbeat of African storytelling. This year’s knowledge sharing session with Sherif Awad, an Egyptian film critic, curator, and cultural ambassador known for his decades-long work connecting African, Arab and global cinema. His session at the table delved into the pressing challenges and boundless possibilities within African filmmaking, from language diversity to distribution and cross-border collaboration.

Awad began by dispelling the notion that Africa’s vast linguistic diversity is a barrier to cinematic success. “A film is a visual art,” he emphasized, explaining that the medium’s universal language allows stories to transcend linguistic borders through subtitles, dubbing, and streaming platforms. The real obstacle, he argued, lies not in communication, but in mobility and distribution.

Sherif Awad at the SVAFF Knowledge Sharing Session | Photo Credit: SVAFF

Drawing comparisons between Africa and other regions, Awad noted how filmmakers in Latin America, Europe, and North America enjoy the ease of movement and co-production opportunities, which is an advantage that remains limited for many African creators. stressing that filmmakers’ inability to travel freely within the continent hinders collaboration, co-production, and the organic exchange of ideas.

He offered practical solutions grounded in both creativity and strategy. One approach, Awad suggested, is casting internationally recognised actors to enhance distribution potential and audience reach. “Sometimes the distribution is based on the name of the director or the actor,” he explained. He cited the example of Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako, who successfully cast Hollywood actor Danny Glover to bridge markets and attract global attention.

Beyond individual tactics, Awad passionately called for pan-African collaboration, envisioning a future where Nigerian, Egyptian, Moroccan and Tunisian talents work seamlessly together. Awad also challenged the audience to rethink what qualifies as an “African film” underscoring the need for Africans to tell their own stories, ones rooted in real history, culture and contemporary experience.

The veteran critic encouraged filmmakers not to wait for validation from platforms like Netflix or Amazon but to build their own distribution networks and partnerships. “We must find our own way of co-production, sharing ideas, collaborating,” he urged. Such unity, he added, could also pressure governments to reform restrictive visa policies and facilitate greater cultural and human exchange.

Watch the Session Here:

Knowledge Sharing Session | Video Credit: SVAFF

Sherif Awad’s participation in the Silicon Valley Film Festival was more than an appearance. His insights bridged continents and generations, inspiring filmmakers to see Africa not as a collection of isolated markets, but as a creative powerhouse capable of producing globally resonant stories.

As the festival drew to a close, attendees left with a renewed sense of purpose: to collaborate, to innovate and to tell African stories that belong not just to the continent, but to the world.