The Third Festival of African Culture and Film Africa. Together into the Future will take place in Moscow.The festival will run from 15 to 19 October.

“The festival’s mission is to expand opportunities for the popularization of Russian, African, and joint projects in culture, media, education, and the creative industries. Africa today is not only a place of tradition, but also a powerful center of cultural power that influences the global agenda. We witness African culture actively developing: new genres and bold experiments are emerging, and African film directors are in the focus of attention of major film forums. African art is no longer just “exotic” – it is a full-fledged participant in the global dialogue, and our festival helps Russian audiences hear this voice,” notes Anna Shtil, the General Producer of the festival.

For the third year in a row, the festival presents African cinema in all its diversity, as well as contemporary art from African countries. This year, the festival’s main venue will be the cinema hall of the Engineering Building of the Tretyakov Gallery. The grand opening will take place at the legendary Illusion Cinema.

The festival will open with the premiere of the Russian movie My Africa, shot in the South Africa. This full-length family film follows the life and adventures of a Russian family on the distant southern continent. The film features an international cast, including Russian actors Irina Rozanova, Denis Shvedov, Ravshana Kurkova, and Alena Babenko, along with renowned South African actors who have received international acclaim: Nat Ramabulana (Blood Diamond, The Good Lie, Warrior), Zac Wastie (Raised by Wolves, Recipe for Love and Murder, Spinners), Zandile Lujabe (African America), and Sisekho Velelo (Mia and the White Lion), among others. The children’s roles were also played by young talented actors from the two countries: Makar Fomin, Pabayo Landu, Nikita Rodionov, Alisa Konashenkova, Atule Mazana, Thando Maseko, and Kaeila Joshua Hector.

The festival’s film program will traditionally showcase the full spectrum of contemporary African cinema—from winners of major international festivals and Oscar nominees to intimate auteur films. Films participating in the program will be announced soon. Each year, the festival  arranges screenings of films that rarely go into Russian release, thus making it a unique platform for discovering African cinema. Viewers will also have an opportunity to take part in Q&A sessions with creators of these films after the screenings.

The festival’s public program will include roundtables, master classes, panel discussions, and public talks featuring African and Russian experts. Viewers will have the opportunity to get acquainted with contemporary African street art, discover experiments and new approaches to design, and discuss the prospects for the development of African and Russian cinema. Special attention will be paid to dialogue and sharing experiences, which will help to discover new points of contact between cultures and ideas.

The cultural and educational festival Africa. Together into the Future was held for the first time in July 2023 in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The event was part of the St. Petersburg Seasons cultural festival program held under the umbrella of the Second Russia-Africa Summit.

The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Senegal, the Embassy of the Republic of Senegal, the Embassy of Burkina Faso, and the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa. Partners of the festival: Federal State Budgetary Cultural Institution ROSCONCERT, the State Tretyakov Gallery, Agency for Strategic Initiatives.