Bantu Film Festival to decolonise African cinema story
Itumeleng Suping | Friday October 10, 2025 11:44
Speaking ahead of the 2025 edition of the festival, the director said the theme was inspired by the need for Africans to tell their own stories from authentic perspectives.
The 2025 Bantu Film Festival runs from October 14 to 18, beginning with an opening ceremony at Mweketo Cinema Masa. The festival’s industry programme will feature a panel discussion titled 'Actors’ Lens: Exporting Botswana Talent Globally', featuring actors who have worked on international productions such as Generations, Scandal, and The Woman King.
A three-part roundtable with industry stakeholders will also take place, focusing on strategies to strengthen the film industry in Botswana and encourage co-productions across Southern Africa.
“The main reason we chose this theme is to follow through our own story — stories told by us, for us, by our people,” she explained. “For so long, we’ve been consuming Western content and Western interpretations of who we are. Now, as a Pan-African Film Festival in Botswana, we are saying it’s time to take back our narrative,” said Mphotwe.
The director also emphasised that African stories have often been reduced to portrayals of poverty, violence, and suffering. “When we talk about decolonizing the single story, we’re saying Africa is more than that,” she said. “We have beautiful landscapes, diverse cultures, and vibrant communities. We must start using what we have to tell positive, multidimensional stories about our continent,” the director added.
Founded in 2022, the Bantu Film Festival has grown from a local event to a continental platform for African filmmakers. “We started with only 10 films in 2022,” the director noted. “This year, we received 253 film submissions from 39 African countries. That growth alone shows how much the festival has evolved and how it resonates with filmmakers across the continent,” added the director.
'Despite Botswana’s ongoing financial challenges, the festival continues to attract attention from across Africa. Had it not been for the economic crisis, I believe we would have hosted many filmmakers from outside Botswana this year,” she said.
Film selection for the festival was handled by both local and international committees, with a jury led by South Africa’s Teresa Hill, Uganda’s Leonard Amaya, and Zambia’s Lawrence Thompson. They will decide the winners in categories such as Best Short Film, Best Feature, Best Animation, and Best Director.
The festival has also expanded its programming to include animation for the first time. “We saw the need to nurture the animation industry, not only in Botswana but across Africa,” the director said. “African animators are doing incredible work, and animation is another powerful way to tell our stories and reach younger audiences.”
Beyond showcasing films, the Bantu Film Festival is committed to nurturing talent and promoting inclusivity. “We previously had a program called Mosadi Rights to empower female screenwriters,” she said. “Although it was paused due to budget constraints, we continue to collaborate with organisations like Women in Film Botswana to support women filmmakers,” she said.
This year, the festival will also host a sound design workshop led by Rebecca Wilson from Source Elements. “She’ll not only be conducting the workshop but will also award a cash prize for Best Sound (Local), helping to fund the winner’s next project,” the director explained.
Looking ahead, she expressed optimism about the growing global appetite for African stories. “The world is yearning for African content,” she said. “Investors and audiences are beginning to realise that African cinema is rich, diverse, and commercially viable. If we continue investing in ourselves, we can ensure long-term growth and sustainability for our industry.”
The director urged young filmmakers to seize the opportunity presented by the Bantu Film Festival. “This is our homegrown platform,” she said. “It’s a space for cultural exchange, networking, and launching your career. Whether you’re submitting a short film, volunteering, or just attending, you’ll be part of a movement that’s redefining African cinema.”
“The Bantu Film Festival is not just about screening films,” the director concluded. “It’s about reshaping how the world sees Africa — through our own lens. That’s what it means to decolonise the single story.”