The best of films from AFRICA from around the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Feature Film: Mwananga
Best Short Film: Behind the Behind the Scenes
Best Micro-Short Film: Alone, Yet Not
Best Direction: Voice of the Voiceless

Mwananga, 69min., Namibia
Directed by Elisabeth Tonata Hamukwaya
In a dark and tense city, Lusaka, gripped by the mysterious disappearances of newborns, a tenacious pregnant detective who tries to hide the trauma of losing her husband by overworking herself is at the forefront of the investigation. Her world is turned upside down when, after giving birth, her own baby is taken from her. She is told that her baby has died, but she refuses to believe it. Returning to work amidst her personal turmoil, she throws herself into the investigation with renewed determination. However, her journey is fraught with challenges and deceit, particularly from her partner, who seems to be hiding something. The plot thickens when the prime suspect in the kidnappings is the people closest to her. Torn between her personal feelings and her duty as a detective, she must navigate through a web of lies and betrayal. She embarks on a dangerous path to uncover the truth, not just to solve the case, but to find her own child. But at what length is she willing to go? And will she manage to find her baby?

https://www.instagram.com/_elisabeth_hs

Behind the Behind the Scenes, 8min., Kenya
Directed by James Ongige
Behind the Behind the Scenes is a 2025 mockumentary film written and directed by James Ongige. The film pulls back the curtain on the hilarious disasters of student filmmaking. The story follows The Director, a delusional perfectionist who truly believes his class project will change cinema forever — if only his team would cooperate. Alongside him is The Sound Guy, a sarcastic realist whose patience wears thinner with every “artistic” rant; The Actor, a self-proclaimed genius stuck in his own performance; and The Camera Guy, a chill observer who captures the madness with deadpan humor.

https://instagram.com/ongigejames

Alone, Yet Not, 5min., Uganda
Directed by Sean Kalinaki
“Alone, Yet Not” is a film about family, expectations, and failure. Through the story of a young woman at her breaking point, it explores these pressures and shows that, even in silence, we are never truly alone.

VOICE OF THE VOICELESS, 7min., Nigeria
Directed by Luqman Mohammed Ibrahim
This is a short film about a poor and unkempt boy who eventually overcomes poverty, homelessness, and bullying when a middle -aged man brings him to his home and takes care of him. When the boy grows into an adult, he repays the kindhearted man by taking care of him as a senior citizen.