Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF16) in Review: A Festival to Remember - Film Festival Report
- Sahndra Fon Dufe
- 2 days ago
- 17 min read
Updated: 14 hours ago
92 Films. 32 Countries. 1 Weekend. October 9–12, 2025 | San Jose.
“Original landlords of the planet.” Chike Nwoffiah doesn’t just say it, he means it. The founder and festival director of the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) has spent the last 16 years pulling off what sounds, on paper, like a fever dream: an African film festival thriving in the tech capital of the world, where Black residents make up less than 3% of the population. Sixteen years later, the “impossible idea” has become one of America’s most quietly powerful cultural revolutions, a gathering where African and diasporic filmmakers don’t show up begging for space; they own it.
This year’s edition, held from October 8–12, 2025, carried that same defiant, unmistakable energy but with a tenderness that could only come from a quindecennial of doing the impossible, reminding audiences once again that African cinema, like the continent itself, is anything but a monolith.
At the festival’s opening ceremony, the City of San José presented SVAFF with an official Proclamation on behalf of the entire City Council, honoring the festival’s sixteen-year contribution to cultural diversity, storytelling, and community in the heart of Silicon Valley.
More intimate than last year’s 15th anniversary blowout (the one that quite literally shut the Bay down), SVAFF 2025 felt like a homecoming. The ghosts of greatness were in the room. Just last year, the festival had hosted five Black cinema icons Souleymane Cissé (Mali), John Kani (South Africa), Richard Mofe-Damijo (Nigeria), and Julie Dash (USA) among them a constellation of brilliance gathered in one small corner of San Jose. Remarkably, it turned out to be Cissé’s final public appearance before his passing earlier this year. He was scheduled to preside over FESPACO as jury president but transitioned before. And so, on opening night, SVAFF did what SVAFF does best: it paused, reflected, and honored.
For ten quiet minutes, time stood still. Words were few but full of feeling. Board member Ali Garba spoke softly, invoking memories of Cissé from just last year, camera in hand, smile wide, slipping in French jokes draped in quirk. It was a beautiful ache, suspended between grief and gratitude. When the legend’s daughter, Sira Cissé, rose to the stage to honor her father’s memory, the room stood with her in a long, heartfelt ovation. And with that, the festival began.
SVAFF FILMOGRAPHY 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
The festival opened with The Fisherman, a Ghanaian adventure directed by Zoey Martinson and executive produced by Yvonne Orji, which later took home the Narrative Feature Award. A buoyant yet deeply introspective film, The Fisherman stars Emmanuel France (Ataa Oko) as an aging, once-celebrated waterman whose accidental encounter with a literal fish forces him to reckon with his fading fame, amidst an invasive modern world and the quiet cruelty of ageism. Equal parts satire and fable, it was a pan-African standoutsmart, strange, and irresistibly hilarious.
The evening's second act plunged into darker waters with Wrong Address, a haunting short film written, produced, and headlined by Senegalese filmmaker and painter Abdoulaye Ahmadu Ndiaye, and directed by Johnny Simmons. The film unfolds as an unflinching meditation on police brutality and the psychological scars it leaves on Black men in America.
Stark and intimate, yet visually mesmerizing, the film captured the audience in a tense, lingering silence that stretched long after the credits rolled. For his searing vision, Simmons took home the Diaspora Narrative Short Award, a recognition as incisive and necessary as the story itself.
Together, these films, one whimsical and reflective, the other raw and urgently announced SVAFF 2025’s range: unapologetically Pan-African, daring in scope, and unafraid to hold space for both joy and pain.
The festival’s range extended beyond narrative cinema to powerful documentary storytelling. Marking its 50th anniversary, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was honored in the centerpiece documentary Beyond the Headlines: The NABJ Journey, directed by James Franklin Blue III. The film traces NABJ’s storied history from its founding by 44 visionary journalists in Washington, D.C., in 1975to its ongoing mission to amplify Black voices in media.
Among the NABJ representatives present were Terry Collins (USA Today), Khari Johnson (CalMatters), and Delrisha White, a Harvard alum and Bay Area journalist.
“Beautifully capturing the resilience of HBCU students and the importance of preserving our history, the NABJ journey is true legacy and SVAFF was the perfect platform to celebrate it.” Delrisha reflected on the documentary after its screening.
Notably, Mother’s Love Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s directorial debut screened on Saturday at 7:00 PM as one of the festival’s most anticipated highlights. Both her presence and the film’s reception became emotional high points of the weekend. Omotola was later honored with SVAFF’s Trailblazer Award for three decades of contribution to cinema, from Ije to an enviable catalog of Nollywood classics. Fresh off its TIFF debut and en route to a March release by FilmOne, the narrative feature drew a rousing response for its inventive portrayal of African tech ingenuity and its poetic framing of Makokothe “Venice of Africa.” At its core, A Mother’s Love is a haunting exploration of motherhood and PTSD, seen through the eyes of troubled young Adebisi, played with quiet intensity by Noray Nehita.
In a full-circle moment, Beware! directed by Soussaba Cissé screened in memory of her father, the legendary Souleymane Cissé. The documentary, which went on to win the SVAFF 2025 Documentary Feature Award, stood as both a cinematic elegy and a defiant act of continuity. I Jantô! traces Mali’s crisis since 2012, steering clear of reductive ethnic framings to expose the tangled political, economic, and social roots beneath. Through haunting testimonies of survivors, displaced families, and peacebuilders, Soussaba’s lens captures the ache of a nation clawing toward reconciliation and the uneasy work of peace itself.
Subtitled from Bambara, the film reminded audiences that lineage in African cinema is not just inherited, it's reimagined. As film critic and USC alum Wilfred Okiche observed, the film “carries Souleymane Cissé’s DNA a call for the light he championed in Yeelen, and a reminder that Africans must reimagine healthier futures for ourselves and our children.”Beware! doesn’t just document history; it wrestles with it, demanding that we look longer, listen harder, and remember better.
SVAFF 2025 showcased films from 32 Nations, highlighting the remarkable breadth and depth of contemporary African cinema. Here’s a snapshot of the line-up:
Opening & Centerpiece
Select Features & Notables
Osamede James Kalu Omokwe (Nigeria) Narrative Feature Award IMDb | Trailer
58 Years Later (Botswana) | Trailer
Nwavu, The Blind Man (Mozambique; batik animation) SVAFF Link
Lights Out Enah Johnscott (Cameroon) IMDb | Trailer
Yana: Till Death… (Cameroon) IMDb | Trailer
The Brittle Little Ones Jade Andrivon, Laura Cuvillier, Clémentine Damic | Trailer
Loot and the Lost Kingdoms of Africa (Nigeria) Special Mention (Doc Feature) IMDb | Trailer
Documentaries & Shorts
Beware! Soussaba Cissé (Mali) Documentary Feature Award | Trailer
Ghetto Mama (Uganda) doc short IMDb | Trailer
The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Sèyí Àjàyí (Nigeria) Narrative Short Award IMDb | Trailer
Umhlaba Wokhokho (Land of My Ancestors) Nondumiso Masache (South Africa) Documentary Short Award IMDb | Trailer
“For far too long, our story as people of African ancestry has been told through a foreign lens, the Tarzan narrative. We encounter, especially in America, an Africa we don’t recognize. What we do with SVAFF is bring authentic African filmmakers here to Silicon Valley to let them tell Africa’s stories through their own lenses.”- Chike Nwoffiah (at KTVU2 (Fox Channel 2 News) 10/08/25, media rounds)
YOUTH AND INCLUSION: HIGHLIGHTS FROM SVAFF 2025 CHILDREN PROGRAMS
Beyond the red carpets and late-night film debates, one of SVAFF’s most radiant traditions continues to unfold far from the limelight. This year, it wasn’t the awards or afterparties that stole hearts, it was the kids.
In partnership with the Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators (SCCABE), SVAFF’s Student & Children’s Programming returned in full force, inviting middle schoolers into the cinematic fold. For many, it was their first time watching African and diasporic stories on a big screen, an introduction not just to film, but to themselves. As has been the case for the past four years, this partnership between SVAFF and SCCABE has turned film education into a kind of rite of passage. But this year’s edition went a step further. On Friday, October 10, students gathered for a curated block of short films followed by small, spirited discussions led by Nia Miranda and Taylor Popoola.
Then, on Saturday morning, SVAFF tested something new: engaging an even younger audience. In partnership with Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the festival hosted a special Kindergarten Animation Block from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., where kids watched and critiqued four Black animations from across Africa and the diaspora. Moderated by Nia Miranda, the session was both playful and a profound window into how the youngest minds interpret movement, color, and story.
“Most adults walk into a room full of children expecting to only teach and inspire the youth. I went in open to have a film discussion with young artists and that’s exactly what happened. Because of their genuine interest in the films screened and their intellect, I left inspired and hopeful for the future of art through the African diasporic lens.”
Nia Miranda
These youth-focused sessions reflect SVAFF’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, education, and the nurturing of young African and diasporic voices, reminding everyone present that the future of storytelling begins in classrooms, community halls, and spaces like these.
(Film list to follow.)
Black Animations Featured In Sessions
A Kalabanda Ate My Homework (2017) by Robin Malinga and directed by Raymond Malinga. (6 minutes) – Uganda IMDb | Trailer
The Boy and The Jazz (2021) (3 minutes) | Brazil by Flavio dos Santos IMDb | Trailer
The Greedy Lords of the Jungle (2009) (7 minutes) – Kenya directed by Gatumia Gatumia IMDb | Trailer
Fly (2 minutes) | Ghana
INDUSTRY DAY & KNOWLEDGE TOWNHALLS: THE BUSINESS OF BLACK CINEMA, DISTRIBUTION, TECH & THE NEW ECONOMICS OF REPRESENTATION
Two nights prior, Wednesday, October 8, 2025the heart of Silicon Valley beat to a different rhythm. Around a long round table, filmmakers having just arrived from across the globe leaned in, trading stories, laughter, philosophy and breaking bread as is custom on SVAFF’s arrival night. From The Gambia, Botswana, Senegal, Portugal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil, the United States, Ghana, Congo DRC, Mali, Tunisia, Namibia, Egypt, and Kenyan creators gathered, each carrying a film and a fragment of home.
Among the most compelling voices was Gambian founder Malang Sambou, who, during a knowledge-sharing session, spotlighted Nangul, a narrative short directed by Saffiatou Badjie, Rose Jatta, and Fatoumatta Dibba, three young women and media students from his organization Fandema Women Development Skills Training Center, which empowers out-of-school girls through film and storytelling. Their work, he said, represents not just creativity but reclamation, a new generation telling its own stories on its own terms.
Other filmmakers echoed the same refrain: Africa must build its own distribution muscle at home and across the diaspora. The call was clearinvest in subtitling, localization, and grassroots publicity; create screening forums not only in major cities but in smaller towns and indigenous-language communities, where audiences are waiting to see themselves reflected.
By Thursday, October 9, 2025, conversation gave way to conviction. Industry Day gathered a sharp cross-section of marketers, distributors, educators, and critics to unpack what it means for African cinema to compete in a marketplace defined by streaming giants and shrinking distribution ecosystems. The consensus: mastering craft is only half the work. Understanding film history, language, and strategy: the invisible scaffolding of global cinema is what sustains it.
Esteemed filmmakers and critics from across Africa and the diaspora including Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Tambay Obenson, Sherif Awad, and Angela Onoura arrived at Adobe’s sleek San Jose campus for a reception that felt part masterclass, part reunion. Guests were welcomed with an African-fusion dinner and the kind of warmth that made Silicon Valley feel, for one night, unmistakably Black, after being welcomed by Gordon Sinclair, a leader of the Black Employee Network (BEN) at Adobe.
Discussions turned practical, calling for more knowledge-transfer programs, translation initiatives, and culturally fluent marketing tools that could push African-language and region-specific films beyond the continent’s borders. The day closed on a forward-looking note, as Silicon Valley’s own Adobe hosted a product demo and dinner, underscoring the growing fusion of technology and storytelling that defines SVAFF’s evolving ecosystem.
The day closed on a decidedly futuristic note as Adobe hosted a product demo and dinner led by Principal Product Manager of Premiere Pro, Francis Crossman, introducing filmmakers to Adobe’s AI tools for filmmakers. Crossman walked attendees through features that felt equal parts wizardry and workflow revolution. Generative Extend uses Adobe’s Gen-AI model, Firefly, to add time to video and audio clips. “Media Intelligence” uses AI to help find clips fast by providing searchable metadata that locates images or sound bites by phrase. AI-generated transcripts can be turned into captions, which can then be translated, and soon, even the speech can be dubbed with near-perfect lip sync. The promise was simple but seismic: save time, protect authenticity, and give creators back the one resource no software can generate more room to imagine.
“We’re not replacing editors,” Crossman told the room, “we’re giving them back time.” For filmmakers balancing limited budgets and limitless vision, that promise landed like a love letter to the creative process.
RUNWAY MEETS REEL: FASHION TAKES THE STAGE
If cinema is storytelling through light, then fashion is its choreography in fabric. At SVAFF 2025, the runway belonged to Victoria Adjekpiyede, who convened a dazzling fashion showcase that turned the festival lobby into a living gallery of African artistry. Models glided through the space draped in bold prints and contemporary silhouettes, each piece a dialogue between heritage and modernity.
The show featured Wummi Couture, whose collection paid homage to the continent’s timeless craftsmanship, rich textiles, intricate beadwork, and silhouettes that whispered both Lagos and Paris. Guests sipped wine and applauded as photographers leaned in; it wasn’t just a fashion show, it was a reminder that Africa’s stories are as wearable as they are watchable.
Swipe for More Looks.
THE AFRICAN UNION ANNOUNCEMENT: A MOMENT OF POLITICAL AND CULTURAL WEIGHT
One of SVAFF 2025’s most consequential moments arrived not on screen, but on stage. In a speech that rippled through the auditorium, SVAFF’s Honored Guest, Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana, African Union Commissioner on Human and Peoples’ Rights, announced a new AU framework recognizing African diasporic communities as the Union’s official Sixth Region, a bold step toward institutionalizing cultural and political ties between the continent and its global descendants.
The declaration positioned African-Americans and other diasporic Africans as a formal zone of engagement within AU initiatives and inclusion met with thunderous applause and visible emotion from attendees. More than policy, it felt like reclamation: a rewriting of belonging long deferred.
Invoking Maya Angelou’s timeless refrain, “Still, I rise,” Dr. Musyimi-Ogana framed the announcement as a bridge between creative production and reparative politics, calling on artists, filmmakers, and cultural workers to see themselves as architects of the continent’s soft-power renaissance. The policy, she hinted, will open doors for collaborative projects, travel and exchange programs, and new funding mechanisms that could materially empower African and diasporic storytellers alike. She left the stage to a standing ovation that felt, in cinematic language, like the moment the reel shifts a quiet but certain cut to a new chapter.
LEGACY IN CONVERSATION: OMOTOLA TAKES THE STAGE
A surprise honor for Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde added a note of heartfelt spontaneity to the night. The audience erupted in applause as the festival recognized her not only for her Trailblazer Award but for her decades-long impact as a cultural ambassador for African cinema. The evening closed with a warm, reflective fireside chat, moderated by Cornell Ph.D. student Rejoice Abutsa, whose quiet intelligence and incisive questions turned the stage into a masterclass on legacy and reinvention.
OMOTOLA Jalade-Ekeinde is Surprised with a Trailblazer Award at the #SiliconValleyAfricanfilmfestival 2025 in California Rejoice remarked, framing the exchange as both personal and political dialogue between generations of storytellers united by the same impulse: to tell the truth beautifully.
The Last Reel: Ubuntu, Applause, and Farewell
Swipe to see award winners from Silicon Valley African Film Festival 2025.
The closing ceremony on October 12 shimmered with that unmistakable mix of ceremony and sentiment. Flags from thirty-two nations framed the stage, the air thick with pride, nostalgia, and the faint hum of anticipation. This was the moment where art met acknowledgment where stories became legacy. As the lights dimmed, SVAFF’s Ubuntu Awards took center stage, celebrating artists whose work embodied the spirit of ubuntucraft, courage, and community in motion.
Selected Awards
Trailblazer Award: Omotola Jalade Ekeinde honoring 30 years of excellence
Narrative Feature Award: Osamede James Kalu Omokwe (Nigeria)
Narrative Feature Award: The Fisherman Zoey Martinson (Ghana)
Documentary Feature Award: Beware! Soussaba Cissé (Mali)
Narrative Short Award: The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Sèyí Àjàyí Abbesi Akhamie (Nigeria)
Documentary Short Award: Umhlaba Wokhokho Nondumiso Masache (South Africa)
But the night wasn’t just about filmmakers; it was a convergence of civic pride and cultural diplomacy. Councilmember Rosemary Kamei (City of San José, District 1) presented a City Proclamation on behalf of the Mayor and Council, while Supervisor Lisa Gauthier (San Mateo County, District 4) offered a Resolution recognizing SVAFF’s enduring contribution to cultural diversity in Silicon Valley. Closing the night, California Assembly Member Ash Kalra (District 25) awarded Certificates of Special Recognition to the Ubuntu honorees and visiting filmmakers turning the ceremony into an act of state-level acknowledgment for African creativity.
Among those honored were community leaders whose service embodied ubuntu in civic form: Pastor Paul Bains, Andre V. Chapman, Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, Pastors Sean and Lorianna Gardere, Rev. Dr. James Okafor, Deanna Taylor (Chief of Protocol, Silicon Valley Office of Protocol), Viera Whye (Artistic Director, Tabia African American Theatre Ensemble), and Jahmal C. Williams (Director of DEI Partnerships, San José State University).
As applause filled the room, the symbolism was impossible to miss: governance meeting art, policy meeting passion, Silicon Valley meeting the spirit of Africa. In a world still learning to listen, SVAFF 2025 ended not with a curtain drop, but with a collective standing ovation to the idea that we rise by lifting others.
THE MARKET, THE MAKERS, AND THE MUSK OF COLLABORATION
If the screenings fed the soul, the SVAFF Marketplace nourished the senses. Nestled just outside the main theater, the space buzzed with color, fragrance, and conversation, a mini cultural bazaar where creativity met commerce. From handmade crafts and wearable art to books, jewelry, and artisanal snacks, each vendor told a story, one transaction at a time.
Among the sponsors, Coco de Mer Perfume from Seychelles enchanted guests with its exquisite scent derived from the world’s largest seed, the mythical Coco de Mer palm. Its representative, Kahshanna Evans, spoke about the fragrance’s symbolic roots in resilience and sensuality, likening it to “Africa’s timeless ability to turn history into beauty.”
Adding to the evening’s highlights, Henning Morales, CEO of ECHOS TV, announced a new partnership with SVAFF aimed at expanding the visibility of African films through streaming and digital storytelling initiatives. “We’re here to amplify African voices on global platforms,” Morales said. “What’s happening at SVAFF deserves to be seen everywhere and we’re making that happen.”
The marketplace and its sponsors reminded everyone that festivals like SVAFF are more than screenings, they’re ecosystems. Spaces where trade, technology, and taste come together under one flag: Africa’s creative abundance.
FADE TO BLACK: THE PEOPLE AND FACES
As the festival lights dimmed and the screens went dark, what remained was the heartbeat behind it all, the SVAFF team. The planners, volunteers, and dreamers who worked quietly behind the scenes to make SVAFF 2025 feel effortless. From months of coordination and sleepless nights to last-minute tech checks and airport runs, this wasn’t just production, it was devotion.
Under the steady vision of Chike C. Nwoffiah, Founder and Executive Director, and the collective grace of his organizing committee, SVAFF once again proved what happens when passion meets purpose. The festival’s creative and operational backbone included curators, programmers, publicists, technical leads, and cultural liaisons who turned ideas into impact, crafting an experience that felt intimate yet international.
Their guiding principle-ubuntu, “I am because we are,” wasn’t just a theme, it was a work ethic. Every smile at check-in, every film cue that landed on time, every story that found its audience was the result of a small army of believers in African excellence. To the team that built the magic: your fingerprints are on every frame.
And as the curtain falls on SVAFF 2025, the glow you created lingers-proof that the truest storytellers are sometimes the ones behind the camera, quietly shaping the scene.
Team SVAFF
Head of Digital Innovation and Growth: Gabriel Nwoffiah
Director of Operations: Deffria Bass
Director of Programming: Maia Modeste
Director of Outreach & Community Relations: Nia Miranda
Director of Development & Partnerships: Taylor Popoola
Director of Media Partnerships: Sahndra Fon Dufe
Director of Creative Media Production: Tejiri Adjekpiyede
Director of Academic Programs: Rejoice Abutsa
Filmmaker Experience Manager: Mmakgosi Anita Tau
Audience Experience & Fashion Show Manager: Victoria Adjekpiyede
Volunteer Experience Manager: Dr. Olabisi Victoria Adekoya
Production Manager: Lidia Doniz
Communications Assistant: Chinedu G. Nwoffiah
Logistics Coordinators: Pakal Vargas | Marcellus Demer
Production Assistants: Austin Osagie | Adedoyin Adeleye
Transportation Unit: Crystal McLaughlin | Roberto Martinez
Vendor Coordinators: Shaka Bogolani | Amatula Jacobs
Government Affairs & Protocol: Deanna Tryon, Silicon Valley Office of Protocol
Event Hosts & Talkback Facilitators: Taylor Leigh Popoola | Nia Miranda | Maia Modeste
Chairman, SVAFF International Advisory Board: Professor Jude Akudinobi (USA)
Founder & Executive Director: Chike C. Nwoffiah
Audio Visuals: Ken Davis, K-Style Productions
Videography: Kee Vang
Photography: Asha Weal, Asha Alessandra Images for R.I.C.E Media LEC
Creations by Sam
Drew Altizer Photography (Sponsored by Silicon Valley Office of Protocol)
Live Media Reports: Delrisha White
Featured Fashion Designer: Marie Kaba, Prisca’s Art, Mali
Program Booklet Design: Gabriel C. Nwoffiah, Rhesus Media Group
T-Shirts / Bag Design & Print: Outbound Africa, Lagos, Nigeria
Trophies: Handmade in Uganda by Eric Rwakoma, RAC Studioz Kampala
THEMES & TAKEAWAYS
SVAFF 2025 returned repeatedly to certain themes that signal where African cinema might be headed:
Continuity & Memory: Films and panels interrogated lineage, what we inherit and how we carry it forward.
Distribution & Ownership: Conversations moved from “How do we enter” to “How do we control the narrative and its channels?”
Language & Accessibility: The festival pushed localization, arguing for translations and localized screenings beyond English and French.
Children & Education: Programming that centers youth points to a long-term strategy for sustainable industry growth.
Pan-African Diplomacy: The AU announcement reframed SVAFF as not just a cultural festival but a diplomatic forum.
THE CREDITS ROLL
SVAFF 16 felt simultaneously intimate and expansive, small enough for deep conversation, large enough to influence cultural policy. As founder Chike Nwoffiah reminded the Class of 2025:
“This past weekend was a testament to the power we have as daughters and sons of Mama Africa. Magic happens when we connect with each other, in the spirit of Ubuntu, and take our rightful place in the global media conversation.”- Chike Nwoffiah
SVAFF proved again that African cinema is not emerging, it's expanding.
Save the Date: SVAFF 2026
The Silicon Valley African Film Festival returns next year from October 8–11, 2026. Mark your calendars for another unforgettable celebration of African storytelling, innovation, and cultural exchange in the heart of Silicon Valley.
For a comprehensive PDF version of this SVAFF 2025 Industry Report—including extended interviews, festival data, and the complete list of award winners—please contact us at info@blackfilmwire.com