London Edition at rich mix
For the first time, Matatu Film Stage arrives in London as part of its 3rd Edition (2025–2026), bringing contemporary African cinema to one of the world’s most diverse cultural cities.
Hosted at Rich Mix, the London Edition presents two evenings of curated short film screenings and conversations that explore the movement of African cinema across borders. The programme brings together filmmakers, diaspora audiences, and curious film lovers to share stories, ideas, and perspectives in a space shaped by dialogue and discovery.
The opening evening features a panel discussion titled “Bridges, Borders, and Gatekeepers: African Cinema in the International System.” The conversation reflects on how African films travel internationally, the institutions and structures that influence that journey, and how new connections can be built between filmmakers, the diaspora, and global cultural spaces.
The second evening introduces the Kibanda Cinema Experience, inspired by East Africa’s lively video hall culture. Ugandan Video Joker VJ Emmy hosts a live narrated screening, recreating the communal and interactive spirit of neighbourhood cinema spaces found across East Africa.
The London Edition marks an important step in the festival’s journey beyond the continent, creating a meeting point where African cinema encounters new audiences and new conversations begin.
film screening
At the heart of Matatu Film Stage are the films themselves.
Over two evenings, Matatu Film Stage presents a curated selection of bold, original works from African and diaspora filmmakers. These are stories rooted in place but alive in the present. Some films are quiet and intimate. Others carry urgency or experiment with form. Together, they reflect the richness and range of contemporary African cinema and the many ways filmmakers are exploring identity, memory, community, and the futures we are imagining.
The programme brings together voices from across the continent and the diaspora. Films that question identity, hold memory, challenge familiar narratives, and open space for new perspectives. What connects them is intention. Each film arrives with something to say.
panel discussion
Bridges, Borders, and Gatekeepers:
African Cinema in the International System
As part of the London edition of Matatu Film Stage, we’re hosting a public conversation that sits at the heart of why this festival exists.
This panel looks honestly at how African cinema travels. Who builds the bridges between filmmakers and global audiences? Who controls access to funding, festivals, distribution, and visibility? And once a film crosses borders, does that exposure actually translate into real opportunity for the people who made it?
Join us for a conversation that moves beyond celebration and into structure.
The VJ Session
One of the most anticipated moments will be the live VJ screening.
A curation of short film will be presented with live narration and interpretation, performed in the room. This format comes from East African video halls, where a VJ(Video Joker) translates and re-voices films in real time, adding rhythm, commentary, and humour.
It changes everything.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
festival program
