2025 saw the 20th anniversary of our Afrika Eye Film Festival celebrating the richness and diversity of film including features, documentary and shorts from across the continent of Africa and the diaspora. For those 20 years we have been determined to sing the praises of those directors who have shone a light into every corner of the continent with a keen eye, sensitive to the dramas, the creativity, the politics, the humanity and the day to day that is Africa. We wanted to reflect on the quality and quantity of work that we’ve presented over the years but also bring to our audience’s attention to several recent releases with a South- West premiere of ‘The Man Died’ and ‘The Anchorage of Time’. We based ourselves at Arnolfini Arts, The Cube and Easton Community Centre, so, reaching out to communities in different areas of the city. Our short film programme at the Cube was curated by film legend and Afrika Eye alumni Michael Jenkins. His selection brought bold, original films that amplified underrepresented voices and sparked ongoing conversations. Partnering with the film & TV department at University of Bristol and the Centre for Black Humanities, we responded to their Colonial Reels project with a screening of the classic ‘Come Back Afrika’, a 1959 masterpiece and one of the cinema’s bravest political statements of the time, exposing the racism, cruelty and exploitation of the South African apartheid government. The film was introduced by way of song by singer/musician Sisanda Myataza, South African born, but living in Bristol. Our Saturday morning film for families was ‘Liyana’ which brought together the power of story-telling through live action and animation. Afrika Eye family screenings are very popular and offer films rarely on general release here in UK. As always, we had a wide range of speakers from university professors and film academics to members of the public with specific knowledge of the subject of a film and members of the LGBTQ+ community who curated and brought together an excellent panel discussion post screening of ‘Rafiki’. Whenever possible we invite a wide range of voices to discuss the films and engage the audience in conversation and debate. Ticket prices were kept at 2024 prices and the public were encouraged to ‘pay it forward’ if they were able to, to allow those on lower incomes to experience the films. Students came in at a reduced rate and we had a strong cohort of film student volunteers, supporting our screenings with the opportunity to watch a number of films for free and network with industry professionals. We also commissioned two photography students to document the programme. Access and use of the Arnolfini foyer allowed us to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere pre films and in between screenings. Avery’s supplied us with wine for our opening evening and it was heart-warming to see friends old and new coming together to celebrate the success and longevity of the festival, demonstrating what an important part of the cultural landscape of Bristol, Afrika Eye has become.

Our board met in early February to discuss our 20th anniversary event and there was much debate as to how it might differ from previous festivals or not! We put out a poll to various stakeholders and The Friends of Afrika Eye to find out if there were specific films that we had shown in the past, which they felt would warrant a second viewing. In the end it was up to us to curate a programme that tried to encompass just some of their choices. We felt it was important to include ’Flame’, a film directed by Ingrid Sinclair (one of the founder members of Afrika Eye) which was a celebration of women’s independence and resilience during the war of independence in former Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. In consultation with members of the young Queer Community in Bristol, we came up with the decision to screen Rifiki, which was a fantastic hit in 2018 when it was released and which many of the young adults had been too young to see previously. Our partnership with The Arnolfini was a great success and we intend to develop those links in the future as they look to further engage with a wider arts community. Their openness and flexibility gave us the scope to bring a strong programme throughout the weekend. As a small ‘not for profit’ CIC, we have a dedicated team of a director, producer, designer, marketing manager and PR and our funds are raised through Film Hub Southwest an outreach arm of the BFI. Our closer links with University of Bristol, The Centre for Black Humanities and The Colonial Reels project was a new and rewarding association and one we intend to nurture for future events. We also partnered with the Bristol Beira Link to screen The Anchorage of Time and with the Morel Trust to screen The Man Died. Circumstances precluded us from screening with our long-term partner Watershed, this year, but we will be reigniting our relationship with them in 2026. There is no doubt that the enthusiastic attendance at this year’s festival showed an ongoing appetite for African film with audiences in the Southwest and as one loyal attendee noted, ‘Bristol would be a poorer city culturally without Afrika Eye’.

The total amount paid or receivable by directors in respect of qualifying services was £1,835. There were no other transactions or arrangements in connection with the remuneration of directors, or compensation for director’s loss of office, which require to be disclosed.

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration