Cinema of Africa
African cinema spans diverse industries from Egypt to Nigeria.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Cinema of Africa refers to the film industries and films produced on the African continent, covering both history and present-day production and screening. It dates back to the late 19th century, with Cairo serving as the capital of African film since the early 20th century. There is no single 'African cinema' due to major regional differences between North African and sub-Saharan cinemas and among different countries.
- earliest known screening
- 1896 (Lumière films in Alexandria, Cairo, Tunis, Susa, Libya, Hammam-Lif)
- first indigenous producer
- Albert Samama Chikly (short documentaries, December 1905)
- first film produced
- Barsoum Looking for a Job (Egypt, 1923)
- first feature-length film
- Laila (Egypt, 1927)
- largest industry by revenue
- Egyptian film industry
- largest industry by volume
- Nigerian film industry (second largest film producer in the world)
- Nigerian GDP contribution (2016)
- 2.3%
Lore & Background
During the colonial era, Western filmmakers depicted Africans as exoticized or savage. The 1934 Laval Decree prohibited Africans in French colonies from making films. Paulin Soumanou Vieyra shot Afrique-sur-Seine (1955) in Paris, considered the first film directed by a black African. After independence, filmmakers like Ousmane Sembene used cinema to rectify African images. Sembene's La Noire de... (1966) won the Prix Jean Vigo. The festival FESPACO was created in 1969, and the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) formed the same year.
Reader's Guide
Cinema of Africa encompasses multiple national industries with distinct histories. Egyptian cinema is the most established and flourishing in Africa by revenue, while Nigerian cinema leads in volume and is the world's second largest film producer. The industry dates to the late 19th century, with early indigenous production emerging in Egypt and Tunisia. Colonial restrictions, such as the Laval Decree, stunted African filmmaking until independence. Post-independence, African filmmakers used cinema as a political tool to counter colonial stereotypes. Key milestones include the first African film to compete at Cannes (Yeelen, 1987) and the formation of FESPACO and FEPACI, which promoted African film industries. The article notes that there is no single 'African cinema' due to regional and national differences.
Did You Know?
- The Lumière brothers screened films in Alexandria, Cairo, Tunis, Susa, Libya, and Hammam-Lif in 1896.
- Albert Samama Chikly is often cited as the first producer of indigenous African cinema, screening short documentaries in December 1905.
- The first film produced in Africa was the Egyptian film Barsoum Looking for a Job (1923).
- The Nigerian film industry contributed 2.3% to Nigeria's GDP in 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cinema of Africa?
Cinema of Africa is the umbrella term for all film production, distribution, and exhibition taking place across the African continent. Rather than describing one unified tradition, it covers a broad spectrum of distinct national and regional industries, each with its own history and aesthetic.
When did African film production actually begin?
The earliest known screenings on the continent took place in 1896, when Lumière brothers' films were projected in cities including Alexandria, Cairo, and Tunis. The first locally produced work came from Albert Samama Chikly, who shot short documentaries in December 1905, and Egypt delivered the continent's first narrative feature, Laila, in 1927.
Which country has the biggest film industry in Africa?
Egypt leads the continent in revenue, making it the most financially significant national film industry in Africa. In terms of raw output volume, Nigeria's Nollywood is the largest, holding the position of the world's second-biggest film producer after India.
Why can't African cinema be treated as a single movement?
The continent's film landscape is far too culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse to be flattened into one category. North African, West African, East African, and Southern African cinemas each developed along very different trajectories, with distinct traditions, languages, and industrial structures.
Why does Cinema of Africa matter to global film history?
It is one of the oldest and most geographically spread-out film traditions on Earth, with roots tracing back to the very first commercial screenings in 1896. Its sheer scale—especially Nigeria's enormous output—makes it a major force in world cinema that is frequently underrepresented in Western-centric film histories.
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