The 2025 Festival Program

Feature Films

Opening Night Film – I Do Not Come to You by Chance (2023): A gripping Nigerian comedy-drama based on Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s acclaimed novel. The film follows Kingsley, a university graduate pulled into the orbit of his uncle’s email scamming empire, a morally complex world where opportunity and exploitation go hand-in-hand.
Thu, 4 Sept | Sydney Opera House | 8:30 pm | 1h 45m | in English | Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

Fanon (2024): Directed by Jean-Claude Barny, which explores the radical political awakening of renowned post-colonial Martinican-born philosopher and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon in 1950s Algeria.
Fri, 5 Sept | Sydney Opera House | 8:30 pm | 2h 12m | in French and Arabic (English subtitles) | Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

Samia (2024): Winner of the grand prize for best feature film and best actress at the 13th Dakhla International Film Festival for this stirring biopic based on the true story of Somali Olympic runner Samia Yusuf Omar.
Sat, 6 Sept | Riverside | 9:30 am | 1h 42m | in Somali and English (English subtitles) | Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

Sudan, Remember Us (2024): A poetic and urgent chorus of Sudanese youth activists whose words and creativity fuel the 2019 revolution.
Sat, 6 Sept | Riverside | 3 pm | 1h 18m / in Arabic and English (English subtitles) /Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

Nteregu (2024): A lyrical documentary that traces Guinea-Bissau’s rich musical lineage, from ancestral drum traditions to diaspora soundscapes, with women firmly at its centre.
Sat, 6 Sept | Riverside | 5:15 pm | 83m / in Portuguese (English subtitles) / Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

The Heart is a Muscle (2025): A Berlinale standout from South Africa in which a father’s violent past resurfaces after a harrowing case of mistaken retribution.
Sat, 6 Sept | Riverside | 7:45 pm / 1h 26m / in Afrikaans and English (English subtitles) | Get Tickets

Nawi: Dear Future Me (2024): Winner of best International feature and best performance at Reindance Film Festival, which tackles child marriage and the fight for education in rural Turkana.
Sun, 7 Sept | Riverside | 11:30 am | 1h 43m / in Swahili and English (English subtitles) / Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

Closing Night Film – The Fisherman (2024): A retired coastal fisherman finds an unlikely companion in a talking fish. A crowd favourite at recent festivals, The Fisherman is a celebration of intergenerational wisdom, absurdity and Ghana’s rich storytelling tradition.
Sun, 7 Sept | Riverside | 5:30 pm | 1h 46m / in English / Australian Premiere | Get Tickets

Special Events

Opening Night Party: Celebrate the Festival’s commencement at The Rawson, before heading to the Opening Night screening of I Do Not Come to You by Chance.
Thu, 4 Sept | The Rawson | 6:30 pm | Get Tickets

Screen Industry Forum (in partnership with AFTRS): A day-long gathering for African screen creatives, the forum will feature conversations with emerging and established talent working across film, TV, animation and digital platforms, exploring the challenges and opportunities facing African storytellers in the industry today.
Fri, 5 Sept | Arts & Cultural Exchange | 10 am | Get Tickets

Stories from the Motherland: A vibrant screening of short films celebrating the artistry and imagination of African animators. Spanning folktales, futuristic worlds and deeply personal stories, this family-friendly session showcases a new wave of talent redefining what African animation can look and feel like. The program includes a Q&A with the Nigerian animation director, Somto Ajuluchukwu
Sat, 6 Sept | Riverside | 12 pm | Get Tickets

Ngano Shorts: Short Film Program: From experimental forms to intimate narratives, Ngano Shorts offers a window into the diverse lived experiences and imaginations of African and Afro-diasporic communities.
Sun, 7 Sept | Riverside | 2:30 pm | Get Tickets

Closing Night Party – Chale, Let’s Go!: Draw the curtain to a close with AFFA at the Riverside Courtyard, commemorating the Festival that was, amongst great company (and even better dancers).
Sun, 7 Sept | Arts & Cultural Exchange | 7:30 pm | Get Tickets

Workshops

Creating New Worlds: Building Worlds, Characters and Stories: A two-day comics and visual storytelling workshop for African Australians aged 16–25. Hosted by the University of Technology Sydney, the workshop is led by Nigerian animation director Somto Ajuluchukwu and Sydney-based illustrator Steph Martei.
30 – 31 Aug | University of Technology Sydney | 10 am | Apply Today