top of page
Resources
Need context, history, funding, and marketing film resources, or deep dives into iconic works? Our references section has your back with everything you need to understand the culture of Black cinema.
Grants
Urban Vision Makes Casting Call For Male and Female TV Role
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
John Eriomala
Jan 151 min read
BLUHOUSE Studio Releases Casting Call For Female Role
Leading Nigerian studio Bluhouse has put out a call for an Igbo-speaking female role. Deadline is January 11. BLUHOUSE Studios, the production house behind films like Freedom Way (2024) , A Quiet Monday (2023) , the Zikoko Life Anthology Series (2025), and Indie pictures like Obi is A Boy (2025) and Kachifo (Till the Morning Come) , has put out a casting call for a female role. Applicants, between 25 and 35 years, are required to send in a monologue in Igbo as seen
John Eriomala
Jan 61 min read
Casting Call Opportunities for December 2025 and Early 2026
BlackFilmWire’s List of Casting Call opportunities in the black diaspora for December 2025 and early 2026.
John Eriomala
Dec 19, 20253 min read
Outlast Arts Education Celebrates Black and Native Creatives with New Opportunities
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to put your art out into the world, this might be it. Every month, Outlast Arts Education puts together a love letter to creativity in the form of a curated list of grants, workshops, and contests made especially for Black and Native artists. From screenwriting to poetry, filmmaking to nonfiction, it’s a growing space where BIPOC voices are seen, celebrated, and supported. Think of it as your monthly reminder that your art deserves room to
Siona Sakah
Oct 22, 20252 min read
Next Narrative Africa Fund Opens Call for Africa-Focused Film & TV
Apply Now: $40M Next Narrative Africa Fund Opens Call for Film & TV Script Grants Attention filmmakers, screenwriters, and visionaries:...
BFW Staff
Jul 10, 20252 min read
Two Powerful Spaces Black Men in LA Should Show Up For This Men’s Mental Health Month
By Sahndra Fon Dufe | Black Film Wire June is Men’s Mental Health Month—and for Black men especially, this moment carries layered...
Sahndra Fon Dufe
Jun 4, 20252 min read
Audition Alert: NextGen Films Initiative Launches Casting Call for ‘Bwari Blue’
Something BIG is coming to Nollywood and it’s got its eye on the next generation. The NextGen Films Initiative , founded by filmmaker...
Oluwaseun Mary Temitope
May 22, 20251 min read
Red Sea Souk Project Market 2025 Now Open for Submissions: A Golden Gateway for Emerging Filmmakers from the Arab World, Africa, and Asia
2024 Projects FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – [Date] – The Red Sea Souk Project Market has officially opened submissions...
BFW Staff
May 20, 20252 min read
Film Festivals
Christmas Special: 5 Nigerian Film Journos Discuss Their Favourite Coverages of 2025
Top Nigerian film journalists share their favourite 2025 coverage moments, from To Kill A Monkey controversy to indie discoveries and festival highlights.
John Eriomala
Dec 25, 20255 min read
Nigerian Indie Filmmaker Dika Ofoma’s Obi Is A Boy Set For 2026 IFFR Premiere
Dika Ofoma's Obi is A Boy is Nigeria's only film showing at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam
John Eriomala
Dec 18, 20251 min read
A Look at the Three African Films In Sundance 2026’s Short Film Selection
Sundance 2026's Short Film Section features three African films: Praise Odigie Paige's Birdie, Will Niava's Jazz Infernal, and Rami Jarboui's The Bird's Placebo.
John Eriomala
Dec 17, 20252 min read
Idris Elba To Take on New Path as A Director
Idris Elba announces he's stepping back from acting to focus on directing full-time, revealing his career shift at the Red Sea Film Festival.
John Eriomala
Dec 16, 20252 min read
The New Year of Return: How the Asantehene's Barbados Visit Rewrites 400 Years of History
Bridgetown, Barbados – The Diaspora is mostly familiar with Hollywood’s blockbusters kings presented by Marvel and other American studios. We've watched The King's Speech , where a stammering monarch finds his voice to lead a nation through war. We've felt the weight of T'Challa returning to Wakanda to claim his throne in Black Panther . We've laughed as Prince Akeem crossed an ocean to find love in Coming to America I & II. But on November 11, 2025, something far more prof
Sahndra Fon Dufe
Nov 19, 20259 min read
Nigeria's "19" Premieres at GUBA, Lands in Barbados Schools. Is This the Future of Afro-Caribbean Co-Productions?
From L to R, Tola Odunsi, Sola Sobowale, Stan Nze in post-screening conversation hosted by Stephanie Busari | Image- Jot Photography(for GUBA) Bridgetown, Barbados The first day of the GUBA Trade & Investment Forum 2025 concluded with something unexpected: a standing ovation for a Nigerian film that would, within hours, become part of Barbados' national curriculum. On the evening of November 10, after a full day of panels on reparations, financial integration, and diaspora i
Sahndra Fon Dufe
Nov 15, 20258 min read
Celebs Spotted at GUBA 2025: From Nollywood Legends to NFL Stars, Here's Who Pulled Up to Barbados
GUBA 2025 | Photography by Ernest Simmons For GUBA Bridgetown, Barbados – Listen, the GUBA Trade & Investment Forum isn't your average conference. This is what happens when you mix high-stakes business with culture, purpose, and a guest list that looks like the Oscars decided to collaborate with the African Union. From NFL stars to Nollywood royalty, civil rights icons to Afrobeats architects, Barbados became the epicenter of Black excellence last week. And honey, everyone
Sahndra Fon Dufe
Nov 14, 20256 min read
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
Sahndra Fon Dufe
Oct 31, 20252 min read
Apps
Giveaways
98th Academy Awards Nominations: Sinners Breaks Oscars Record With 16 Nominations, Voice of Hind Rajab Represents Africa
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
John Eriomala
4 hours ago4 min read
Beyond the 2026 AFCON Final: 5 Cinematic Post-Credit Scenes
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.
John Eriomala
1 day ago4 min read
The Women Who Held Up the Dream
An MLK Day tribute, through a cinematic lens Left: David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Right: MLK delivers a speech on October 16, 1965, in New York City, New York. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima/Paramount Pictures; Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Every January, we recite the words of Martin Luther King Jr., his thunderous sermons, his moral clarity, his unwavering belief that justice could be bent toward love. We replay th
Sahndra Fon Dufe
3 days ago4 min read
EbonyLife Partners With Silverbird, Genesis, and Nile for December Release of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives Adaptation
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
John Eriomala
6 days ago2 min read
Urban Vision Makes Casting Call For Male and Female TV Role
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
John Eriomala
Jan 151 min read
Submit Your Essays and Pitches to Black Film Wire
Black Film Wire is now accepting essays and pitches on Black film and TV. Join our team of contributors and help shape the narrative of African and Diaspora cinema. We are pleased to announce that the Black Film Wire has begun accepting essays and pitch submissions on Black Film and TV in a variety of categories. We’re seeking passionate, sharp writers with a love for storytelling and a deep interest in the African, diasporan, and Black film industries. Per our Founder and
John Eriomala
Jan 141 min read
83rd Annual Golden Globes Winners: Teyana Taylor, Sinners Win Big
2026 Golden Globes: Teyana Taylor's Best Supporting Female Actor win and Sinners’ Best Original Score and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement were the night's only Black wins. In a surprising turn of events, the 83rd Annual Golden Globes Award Ceremony, which held on Sunday, January 11, 2026, ended with only three wins for nominated Black talent: Teyana Taylor who won Best Supporting Female Actor for her role in One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners whi
John Eriomala
Jan 126 min read
The Voice of Hind Rajab, 2 Other African Films Make Oscars’ Best Picture 201 Film-Long Eligibility List
Three African films have made the Oscars 2026 Best Picture eligibility list: The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Zambia) and Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight (South Africa). Three African films: The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Zambia), and Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (South Africa); have made the Oscars ’ 201-film eligibility list for the Best Picture category, as seen in a January 8 Press statement. These 3
John Eriomala
Jan 92 min read
98th Academy Awards Nominations: Sinners Breaks Oscars Record With 16 Nominations, Voice of Hind Rajab Represents Africa
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
John Eriomala
4 hours ago4 min read
Beyond the 2026 AFCON Final: 5 Cinematic Post-Credit Scenes
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.
John Eriomala
1 day ago4 min read
The Women Who Held Up the Dream
An MLK Day tribute, through a cinematic lens Left: David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Right: MLK delivers a speech on October 16, 1965, in New York City, New York. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima/Paramount Pictures; Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Every January, we recite the words of Martin Luther King Jr., his thunderous sermons, his moral clarity, his unwavering belief that justice could be bent toward love. We replay th
Sahndra Fon Dufe
3 days ago4 min read
EbonyLife Partners With Silverbird, Genesis, and Nile for December Release of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives Adaptation
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
John Eriomala
6 days ago2 min read
Urban Vision Makes Casting Call For Male and Female TV Role
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
John Eriomala
Jan 151 min read
Submit Your Essays and Pitches to Black Film Wire
Black Film Wire is now accepting essays and pitches on Black film and TV. Join our team of contributors and help shape the narrative of African and Diaspora cinema. We are pleased to announce that the Black Film Wire has begun accepting essays and pitch submissions on Black Film and TV in a variety of categories. We’re seeking passionate, sharp writers with a love for storytelling and a deep interest in the African, diasporan, and Black film industries. Per our Founder and
John Eriomala
Jan 141 min read
83rd Annual Golden Globes Winners: Teyana Taylor, Sinners Win Big
2026 Golden Globes: Teyana Taylor's Best Supporting Female Actor win and Sinners’ Best Original Score and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement were the night's only Black wins. In a surprising turn of events, the 83rd Annual Golden Globes Award Ceremony, which held on Sunday, January 11, 2026, ended with only three wins for nominated Black talent: Teyana Taylor who won Best Supporting Female Actor for her role in One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners whi
John Eriomala
Jan 126 min read
The Voice of Hind Rajab, 2 Other African Films Make Oscars’ Best Picture 201 Film-Long Eligibility List
Three African films have made the Oscars 2026 Best Picture eligibility list: The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Zambia) and Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight (South Africa). Three African films: The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia), On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Zambia), and Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (South Africa); have made the Oscars ’ 201-film eligibility list for the Best Picture category, as seen in a January 8 Press statement. These 3
John Eriomala
Jan 92 min read
bottom of page