Africa Rising International Film Festival

The 8th Draft.

Hey besties! My quest for immersion into South African culture continues, and today we are discussing the 8th draft of the Africa Rising International Film Festival.

I found out about it while scrolling on social media, next to one of Nqanawe Shangase's posts on how he became a self-taught filmmaker. He regularly recommends South African films too. Needless to say, I trust his judgement.

Between the 28th and the 30th of November 2025, African films were screened at the Atlas Studio to promote African cinema and creativity. The pan-African initiative emerged in 2018 (can you believe 2018 was 8 years ago?) with an inclusive focus on youth, women, the LGBTQIA community, and people with disabilities. I did not know that was a thing, but I was excited to partake.

The atmosphere felt eclectic and exclusive (in a good way). I felt part of a creative ecosystem. I went alone as an observer, with little to no knowledge of the directors or how the event was run. All I knew, according to my ticket, was that a selection of 5-6 films would be shown in phases according to their respective themes. I took a seat in the dark auditorium already full, waiting for the beginning of Phase 6, called Moments and Encounters.

In between screenings, we were treated to a panel discussion with the respective directors and collaborators, who welcomed three to four questions each time.

First up is Ubani Lore, written and directed by Nqanawe Shangase, the very reason why I found out about the festival.

The film is about three friends off to a bookstore to find the book that the movie The Matrix is based on. According to them, every good movie is based on a book. After going back and forth about the existence or lack thereof of the book, they leave rather defeated. The film is full of easter eggs, and I was jealous that I could not grasp all the cultural references like Ja-Rule's sample of the national anthem for his song New York. Sechaba Rampele is a great actor; he feels like the friend who'd gladly tag along on almost every random side quest. The three friends together make for an interesting blunt rotation, with a witty and well-written dialogue. I particularly liked the display of "Error 404 Page Not Found" on the bookstore door, with a double-entendre, as the place closed permanently during COVID. Nqanawe explained over the panel discussion that he wrote the whole script in a day because not much research was needed; he lived through the cultural landmarks and could recount them with accuracy at any given time. His creative process could be described as several open tabs at once. I love it!

Next up is Unit 304, directed by Zigi Ndlovu and Gcinuhlanga Dibi. It recounts the aftermath of a drunken night and a one-night stand, where two strangers find themselves locked up in her apartment after her roommate left with the keys. Sechaba Rampele appears again in Unit 304, a delight to watch, bringing ease and emotional availability. Behind a strong carapace, the female protagonist holds a soft interior that longs to be held, and he does it well after her ex clumsily bangs on her door, begging for a chance to talk things through. What stood out for me in this film is the beauty in the mundane and the angle of the shots. I felt like I was watching them from her couch as they exchanged polite glances that gradually turned into smiles charged with hidden meaning and words left unsaid. Unit 304 portrays the tenderness of young love very well: heartache, rebounds, new beginnings, and residues from past relationships.

During the panel discussion, Zigi shared with us his inspiration and creative process, and we begged him to turn this short film into a Netflix series. I believe the roommate is the real main character. I'd hate to spoil more, given all I've already said. Shall we move to the next one?

Coming up is Blind Spots, a short film directed by Miselwa Nqamlana. It follows Nandi, a lesbian serial dater whose love life thrives on Instagram likes and DMs. In the opening scenes, she shares a bed with a woman (presumably her partner), while she reaches out to Sinethemba and invites her over for dinner after some flirty texts. Dinner during which Sinethemba found out that Nandi might be in a relationship already, when her phone rang on the table while she ran to get dinner out of the oven... Awkward!

After making it back home, Sinethemba spent the following days overthinking a break-up text to Nandi until she resorted to ghosting. Nandi, confused but not discouraged, went back to her favourite place: the dating pool. Bombarded her next target with Instagram Likes (I see a pattern, mmh...) and so it ends.

The split-screen shots work particularly well for this piece. From the moment Nandi and Sinethemba were texting, we were immersed in their respective point of view. The dinner preparation on one side, the getting dressed up on the other side, until they were finally in the same room and jumped from one side to the other. Overall, beautiful! Ironic to realise Nandi does not grieve her relationships, especially when we see she is capable of being soft, but not ready to be vulnerable. Over the panel discussion, Miselwa explained that some aspects of the short film were inspired by certain personal experiences that she had to correct as time went on. Nandi's obsession with being partnered felt like a dopamine chase,  like she was running away from something, like she was avoiding facing herself.

Next up is Grogan's Lodge, directed by Isaya Evans. The film follows two Kenyan girls on their way to an interview for a hostess job in a well-off area on the outskirts of Nairobi. Approaching the house in the woods, they grew wary of the legitimacy of the job offer. What was their surprise when they were welcomed by a housekeeper, alone in a massive house.  The house was adorned with antique sculptures and vintage photographs that looked more disturbing than they should have because of the background music. The housekeeper asked them to rest in a bedroom upstairs until they'd be called for "the party" that would only start at 7:00 PM. The restriction heightened their anxiety and fear of the unknown. I don't entirely blame them. The more you ask me not to do something, the more I want to mess around and find out! You know the saying curiosity killed the cat, well...

This was a horror short film, and it lived up to the genre. The suspense had me at the edge of my seat, and I soon wished I were not attending alone. It's a critique of what financial struggles push the youth to accept as a side job in pursuit of some extra cash. The two young girls put their lives at risk, and if my memory serves me well, one of them needed the money to sustain her school fees.

The suspense was astonishingly built. As much as I cannot watch horror for the life of me, it was well shot, and the tension was plausible from my seat. I did not entirely expect the plot to unfold that way, which made me appreciate it even more. This short film offered a sad depiction of the remains of colonialism through the lens of two students in need of money. Unfortunately, we did not get a panel discussion from Isaya as he could not make it to the Festival, but his short film was a strong testimony of his outstanding work.

The next two films are Noor, directed by Nijla Mu'min, and Indigo, directed by Mona Okulla Obua

Noor, directed by Nijla Mu'min

Indigo, directed by Mona Okulla Obua

Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to watch the last two because it was getting late, but I will jump at the next occasion to view them. The directors' names already point to the inclusivity of the festival; after all, it is a pan-African initiative.

ARIFF is more than a film festival; as I stated earlier, it's a creative ecosystem that favours African talent from different countries. The need for a full series after watching Unit 304 is not random; the film builds enough momentum, and the words left unsaid leave room for the imagination. Ubani Lore felt like an episode of the show Atlanta, and my only critique is that it was too short. Blind Spots was perfectly timed, with the irony of Nandi falling back into old habits. Grogan's Lodge could be a solid 120-minute movie with more background on the ghosts inhabiting the house and the girls' families.

This was a beautiful occasion to expand my horizons and sit with stories that deserve far more attention than they often receive. I'd highly encourage you to do the same. Why? Because being cultivated is so freaking cool, and I have terrible FOMO.

But for now, let me leave you on that note. Until next time, besties!