Tunisia part of Kaduna Film Festival, championing social progress
Tunisia is one of the 15 countries to have a film nomination accepted for the 2025 Kaduna Film Festival, according to Africanews on September 1st.
Held in Nigeria, the eighth Kaduna International Film Festival will have the theme, “Film for Social Change”, highlighting the opportunity for a new wave of progressive African filmmakers to drive progress.
Audu Kashim Israel, the Executive Director of the Festival, remarked that cinematic storytelling is one of the most effective ways to drive social development, a point that is particularly prevalent in the Maghreb region, where socially conservative values dominate and perpetuate existing inequalities.
Tunisia, in particular, has arguably regressed on progressive matters it once championed. Progressive gender policies that were evident in the 1990s in developing women’s rights, and then later after the 2011 Arab Spring, tackling violence against women, have since been eroded under the current regime.
Nevertheless, Tunisia’s role in the Kaduna Film Festival should not be overlooked, with a 9-member board selecting 168 films from 15 countries out of 2,000 film submissions from over 50 countries.
Audu added that the festival has been able to reach out to many countries in Africa, including Tunisia, and there has been a consistent increase in entries from African nations, underscoring the desire of filmmakers across the continent to propel social issues into highly visible, highly visceral mediums.
Filmmaker Gloria Ugolee-Ehiosun emphasises the importance of being conscious in content creation and producing films that encourage behavioural change in broader society, stating that “films are powerful tools and should be utilized appropriately.”
There is also an important element of pride at stake for African filmmakers. UK journalist and film director John Coster believes now is the time for young, African filmmakers to “rise up and start telling stories about Africa from an African perspective, rather than letting others tell their stories.”
For Tunisia, whilst progress on social issues remains at a political standstill, the power of film can become a more potent tool for progress than dubious legislation.
Africanews, Maghrebi.org
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