As has been the case over the last few years, a number of African films (including coproductions) have been selected or this year by Sundance, the prestigious American film festival.
The African projects going to Sundance 2025 include How to Build a Library from Kenya, Khartoum from Sudan, Where the Wind Comes From from Tunisia, B(l)ind The Sacrifice from South Africa, Deadlock an Algerian-French film, and Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune, an Ivorian-US collaboration film making the list.
Below Film Efiko presents the synopses of the African films showing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival:
How to Build a Library
How to Build a Library is in the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition category. The film is directed and produced by Maia Lekow and Christopher King. It is a feature-length documentary telling the story of two Nairobi women who transform a former whites-only library into a vibrant cultural hub. Along the way, the two women must navigate local politics, fundraise millions for the rebuild, and confront the ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.
Lekow, a Kenyan musician and filmmaker, co-directs the film with her husband King, an award-winning filmmaker. Their first feature film, The Letter, was Kenya’s official submission to the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.
Khartoum
Sudanese film Khartoum, also in the World Cinema Documentary Competition category is directed by Sudanese filmmakers Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, and British director Phil Cox. The film reenacts the stories of five Sudanese citizens of Khartoum who fled their country due to war, and their stories of survival and freedom through dreams, revolution, and civil war.
The directors, Anas Saeed is a filmmaker and cinematographer who creates long-form features as well as music videos, commercials, and shorts. Rawia Alhag is a writer, director, and playwright. Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad is a journalist and filmmaker specializing in culture and human rights. Timeea Mohamed Ahmed is a filmmaker and multimedia maker, and Phil Cox is a British director and writer specializing in long-form cinema documentaries.
Where the Wind Comes From
Tunisian film Where the Wind Comes From, directed by Amel Guellaty, is in the Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Competition category. The film follows the journey of two young friends, Alyssa and Mehdi, who embark on a road trip to escape their reality. And when they both discovered a contest in the south of Tunisia that may allow them to flee, they undertake a road trip regardless of the obstacles in their way.
Amel Guellaty is a Tunisian filmmaker and photographer. Following the success of her award-winning short films, Black Mamba and Chitana, Guellaty made her feature debut with Where the Wind Comes From. Her photography work has also been featured in prominent publications, including Elle France.
B(l)ind The Sacrifice
B(l)ind The Sacrifice, directed by Nakhane is in the Sundance Short Film Program 4. The film tells the story of how a nomadic family wanders the land under the father’s leadership. The men one day ascend a mountain to make a sacrifice. But today, things are different, which alters the family forever.
Nakhane is a South African writer, singer, and actor group. They have recorded three studio albums and have toured Europe, the U.S. and Australia. They are formerly known under the stage name Nakhane Touré. Their work has been championed by Elton John, who interviewed Nakhane on his Beats 1 radio show, and Madonna, who cited them as one of her two favourite artists and said their music influenced her 2019 album Madame X.
Deadlock
Deadlock, directed by Algerian filmmaker Mahdi Boucif and French director Lucien Beucher follow the story of Sifou and Mahrez, as they are stuck in their Algiers neighborhood, while they gaze at the sea thinking of their brothers who left for new lives. As uncertainty lingers, they wonder if they can break the deadlock.
Mahdi Boucif, an Algerian documentary photographer, makes his directorial debut with the film Deadlock, which builds upon his photographic work and sets the stage for future projects.
Collaborating with Boucif on Deadlock is French director Lucien Beucher, who co-founded the music video production collective Bleu Désert in 2018. With this film, Beucher ventures into documentary filmmaking, bringing his unique perspective to the genre.
Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune
Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune is an Ivorian-United States film directed by Dominic Yarabe. The film follows the story of an Ivorian father and his daughter as they set out to continue the book he never finished about a war he experienced as a child.
Dominic Yarabe is a filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist, distinguished as a 2024 MacDowell fellow. Her films have garnered international recognition, screening at esteemed festivals such as Sundance, Telluride, and True/False. Yarabe holds advanced degrees from Stanford University (MFA in Documentary Film) and Brown University (MA in Visual Culture), underscoring her expertise in both filmmaking and visual arts.
Sundance Film Festival 2025 Dates
The Sundance Film Festival, organised by the Sundance Institute, is the largest independent film festival in the United States. Held annually in January, the festival takes place across multiple venues in Utah, including Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort. This event showcases innovative works from American and international independent filmmakers.
The 2025 festival is scheduled to run from Thursday, January 23, to Sunday, February 2. A key highlight of the festival is its awards ceremony, which honours outstanding films and filmmakers across various categories.
Previous winners of the awards include C.J. Obasi’s Mami Wata, Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny, Chinonye Chukwu’s Clemency, Sofia Alaoui’s Animalia, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere, and Jamie Dack’s Palm Trees and Power Lines.
