Auteur film voices like Wanuri Kahiu, Kagiso Lediga and Thabang Moleya have achieved ground-breaking success with their works, while Afrobeats and Gqom have steadily become globally recognised musical genres with acts like Wizkid, Burna Boy and Sho Madjozi steadily breaking the mainstream.

Launched in 2018, The Africa Rising International Film Festival is the brainchild of a group of young filmmakers and trailblazers, including Kweku Mandela, Ayanda Sithebe and Lala Tuku. 

The collective aims to signify what the rise of Africa represents — a young, diverse and hungry nation ready to make a change. The ARIFF team says that the festival is a vehicle for the change that is desired within the industry. The festival's first year in 2018 saw it engaging international and continental film industry stakeholders on the issues of commercialisation in line with global standards.

This year, the teams says that it aims to take it to another level with conversations around connecting and facilitating film distribution at a continental and global level. This will be done in a practical manner without distorting the stories being told.

According to Lala Tuku, who is part of the team, they see themselves making a tangible contribution to the industry — not just for filmmakers and distributors but other related industries in the African continent, which could gain from these conversations.

Kweku Mandela, who is also on the team, says, "ARIFF screenings fuels my quest, even more, to play a part in growing the African film industry. Filmmaking in Africa is challenging — budgets are limited yet the African filmmakers have found ways to make it work and as a film festival, we aim to help them showcase their work to as many relevant people and stakeholders as possible so that they can also grow."

The ARIFF began in 2018 as a pre-event to the Global Festival Week in South Africa and the Mandela 100 Festival. It ran from Monday, 26 November 2018 to Friday, 29 November 2018.

Running from Wednesday, 27 November to Saturday, 30 November in Newtown Precinct, the full programme will include:
  • international and pan African film screenings
  • The ARIFF Film Child program for school children
  • masterclasses
  • panel discussions
  • live film masterclasses
  • Pan African Legends series curated by Lebone Maema
  • Film Poker Pitching
  • the Digital Hub
This year’s Pan African Legends Series will see ARIFF honouring and celebrating South African producer, director and writer Ramdan Suleman. His award-winning feature films Fools and Zulu Love Letter, including his latest documentary By All Means Necessary, will form part of ARIFF’s 2019 film screenings programme.

Other African films/documentaries include: 
  • Busiswa: An Unbreakable Story, which takes its sudience through Busiswa Gqulu's journey and the complex conditions that she faced 
  • Mama Africa, by MIKA KAURISMÄKI, which is a documentary about the humanitarian and musical icon Miriam Makeba
According to Tuku, through the festival's core film programme, it aims to address lack of accessibility, women empowerment and youth development. The full international and African film screening programme is currently being communicated through the ARIFF social media platforms.

The opening night and closing night attendance and participation are on an invitation basis only. The other screenings and discussions details are available on the website. 

For more information, visit www.ariff.me. You can also follow the ARIFF on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.