Bantu Film Festival

Origins and purpose

Filmmaker Lesedi Mphothwe established the festival in 2022 through her production company, Butterscotch Productions. The initiative arose to transform the filmmaking landscape in Botswana by creating opportunities for partnership, training, and creative expression. Co-founders designed the event to position the country as a regional centre for pan-African stories and to attract global distributors and buyers. In addition to showcasing artistic work, the gathering seeks to strengthen the domestic economy by encouraging investment, creating jobs in the creative sector, and promoting cultural tourism through screen media.

Screenings and activities

Festival programmes bring together curated features, shorts, and documentaries from across Africa and its diaspora. Screenings take place at venues such as New Capitol Cinema and the University of Botswana. Opening nights often feature live performances by local musicians and spoken word artists alongside regional film premieres. Beyond viewing films, attendees participate in practical masterclasses and workshops tailored for both beginners and experienced directors. Panel sessions invite industry professionals to exchange practical knowledge about funding, production, and distribution within the African media environment.

Awards and recognition

A central element of the festival is its red carpet awards ceremony, which honours outstanding artistic and technical achievements in African filmmaking. Trophies are awarded across multiple disciplines, including best feature, documentary, short film, and animation. The festival also honours individual craft contributions, presenting prizes for directing, cinematography, editing, acting, and sound design, alongside special honourable mentions. Filmmakers from across the continent submit their work through international platforms, competing for accolades that celebrate narrative excellence and technical craft.

Growth and community outreach

From an initial lineup of ten films in 2022, the festival expanded rapidly to receive hundreds of entries from dozens of countries. While mainly centred in Gaborone, editions have also taken place in nearby communities like Ramotswa. Outside the main annual gathering, organisers collaborate with local and international partners on special events. These include community screenings addressing topics such as grief, family relationships, and mental health, as well as collaborative projects with human rights groups, national film associations, and educational institutions.

How Bantu Film Festival is kept

The festival begins with an opening night that includes live artistic performances, welcome addresses from cultural leaders, and premiere screenings of selected local and international films. Over several days, audiences attend cinema sessions showing African shorts, animations, documentaries, and narrative features. Days are filled with educational workshops and expert panel discussions where emerging creatives learn technical skills and industry insights. The gathering concludes with a formal red carpet ceremony presenting awards for directing, acting, technical craft, and best overall productions.

When and where

The festival takes place annually, with recent editions held across several days in October. The scheduling allows for a multi-day schedule of screenings, academic workshops, and industry networking sessions.

The festival is based in Botswana, primarily taking place in the capital city of Gaborone. Venues include the New Capitol Cinema and the University of Botswana campus, with past editions also staged in Ramotswa.

What Bantu Film Festival means

The gathering embodies the concept of pan-African unity through the medium of cinema. It provides a space where African filmmakers reclaim their own narratives, share diverse cultural identities, and explore shared social experiences. By connecting creators across national borders, the festival symbolises creative solidarity, empowerment for emerging storytellers, and the elevation of local African cinema to a global stage.

Questions people ask about Bantu Film Festival

See also

Dithubaruba Cultural FestivalAn annual gathering in Botswana that celebrates the customs, music, and history of the Bakwena people.KgotlaA village meeting and customary court in Botswana, led by the chiefSouthern African traditional healingAncestral divination, herbal muthi, and spiritual care across Southern AfricaKuru Dance and Music FestivalA gathering of San communities in Botswana to share songs, stories and sacred dances

Good reading and sources

• Bantu Film Festival on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.