Day 1 - Friday, May 15, 2026
09.30 - 10.50 AM
A series of 10 to 15 minutes, One on One Interviews led by Zoe Ramushu, Actress, Writer, Journalist, Founder, Chiseri Studios, South Africa + Zimbabwe
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Guests:
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Kalungi Ssebandeke, Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, Sse So Productions, Rapper, UK + Uganda
10.55 AM Introduction by AfroCannes Host, Yared Dibaba, TV Host, Germany + Oromio/ Ethiopia
11:00 AM
11:40 AM
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Panel 1
Mobile-First, Culture-First
Swipe, Watch, Repeat: How Afro & Global Creators Are Reshaping the Microdrama Boom
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The microdrama boom is no longer emerging—it’s already reshaping how content is financed, consumed, and scaled. Across Africa and other global markets, creators are moving fast: testing formats, building audiences in real time, and generating traction without waiting for institutional backing. Yet the landscape remains uneven. Monetisation is still fragmented, platform ecosystems are consolidating, and questions around IP ownership, revenue share, and long-term sustainability are becoming more urgent. At the same time, standout successes are proving that vertical storytelling can travel, convert, and scale globally. This session takes a grounded look at what’s actually working now—where creators are winning, where the gaps remain, and how Afro and global talent can turn short-form momentum into durable, revenue-generating businesses.
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Key Talking Points
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What’s Working Now: Real-world wins: audience growth, viral formats, and platform traction across markets
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The Monetisation Gap: Where the money is (and isn’t yet): platform payouts, brand deals, and scalability challenges
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IP Ownership in Fast-Moving Ecosystems: Who owns what in vertical formats—and how to protect long-term value
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Platform Dependency vs Independence: Navigating reliance on TikTok, YouTube, and emerging vertical drama platforms
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From Momentum to Business: Turning short-form success into sustainable companies, franchises, and long-form opportunities
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Moderator: Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, Technologist, Filmmaker & Producer, USA
Speaker: ​
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Erik Gordon, VP Corporate Partners, FilmHedge, USA
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Nathan Abadadzie, Investment Director, Media Finance Capital, Ghana + UK
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Oma Areh, Founder, Digital Creator Africa, Vice-President, WIFT Africa, Nigeria
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Till Schmerbeck, Producer, Till Schmerbeck Film Production, Germany
11:50 AM
12:50 PM
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Panel 2
Global IP, Local Power
Scaling African Stories Through Cross-Continental Co-Production (Europe, The Americas, GCC, Asia and other emerging markets)
As global demand for authentic, diverse storytelling accelerates, African IP is gaining unprecedented attention—but sustainable pathways to scale remain fragmented. This conversation explores how to move beyond one-off collaborations toward structured, long-term co-production pipelines linking Africa with Europe, The Americas, Asia, GCC and emerging markets. Panelists will unpack financing models, equitable partnerships, rights ownership, distribution strategies, and the role of festivals and markets in bridging ecosystems. The discussion will also address how to position African creators and companies not just as contributors, but as lead IP owners driving globally competitive content.
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Key Talking Points:
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The rising global demand for African stories and the opportunity to scale beyond one-off collaborations
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Building structured, long-term co-production pipelines between Africa, Europe, North America, MENA, and emerging markets
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Financing models: combining public funds, private investment, and international partnerships
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Ensuring equitable partnerships and protecting African IP ownership and creative control
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The role of film markets and festivals as gateways to international collaboration
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Positioning African creators and companies as lead producers, not just contributors
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Creating sustainable ecosystems that support repeat collaborations and industry growth
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Moderator: Barbara Sam, TV Host, Journalist, Sierra Leone
Speaker:
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Jean-Marie Teno, Filmmaker, Director, Cameroon
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Tella Kpomahou, Filmmaker, Actress, Director, Guinea Conakry
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Anouar Moatassim, Filmmaker, Director, Founder, Cabablanca Pictures, Morocco
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Andrea Vogt, Journalist, Co-Founder, Head of Productions, Millstream Films & Media, UK + Italy
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Patricia Bebia Mawa, Multi-Award Winning Media Personality, President, Diamond Plus Media; Film Director & Producer; EVP, Afroglobal, Canada + Nigeria
1:10 PM
1:50 PM
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Spotlight 1
Zambia in Focus
Beyond Collaboration: Building Sustainable Africa–Europe Co-Production Pipelines for Global IP
This session positions Zambia as a forward-looking partner in structured Africa–Europe co-production, with a focus on long-term IP development, enabling policy environments, and investment collaboration.
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Moderator: Zoe Ramushu, Actress, Writer, Journalist, Founder, Chiseri Studios, South Africa + Zimbabwe
Speakers:
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Kangwa Chileshe, Permanent Secretary – Youth & Sport, Ministry of Youth, Sport & Arts, Zambia
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Tivo Shikapwasha, Vice-President, National Arts Council, Zambia
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Oma Areh, Founder, Digital Creator Africa | DCAA Microdrama Academy, Nigeria
2.00 PM
2.30 PM
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Panel 3 | Music & Film
Sound Worlds: Where Electronic Music Meets Film Composition
As the boundaries between music and cinema continue to blur, this panel brings together pioneering voices from electronic music and film composition to explore how sound shapes storytelling across mediums. Featuring Juan Atkins alongside a leading film composer, the conversation examines the shared language between club culture and cinematic scoring—from rhythm and mood to world-building and emotional impact. As electronic music increasingly influences film soundtracks, trailers, and immersive experiences, the session highlights how composers and producers are collaborating to create new sonic identities that resonate with global audiences.
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Moderator: Yared Dibaba, TV Host, Germany + Oromia / Ethiopia
Speakers:
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Juan Atkins, Renown Record Producer & DJ, Originator of Techno Music Genre, USA
2.40 PM
3.30 PM
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Panel 3
Reclaiming Narrative Sovereignty
Who owns the story in the age of AI?
AI is not emerging in neutral territory. It is being trained on vast cultural archives—images, voices, rhythms, and narratives—many of which originate from African, diasporic, and other historically marginalized communities. As these systems begin to generate stories at scale, the question is no longer simply about innovation, but about who controls the transformation of cultural memory into computational output—and who is credited, compensated, or erased in the process.
For creators across these communities, the challenge is not just authorship, but agency within systems they did not design. When storytelling becomes a function of data extraction and pattern replication, long-standing imbalances risk being reproduced in new forms. This session interrogates how narrative power is shifting beneath the surface—and what it means to assert sovereignty in an ecosystem where culture is continuously mined, remixed, and redistributed.
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Key Themes:
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From Cultural Archive to Training Data: How creative works and lived histories are absorbed into AI systems without clear attribution or consent.
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Authorship vs. Simulation: The tension between original creation and the replication of voice, style, and perspective by machines.
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Data Extraction and Value Capture: Who benefits economically and structurally when cultural material is transformed into AI-generated content.
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Reclaiming Agency in AI Systems: Pathways for African, diasporic, and diverse creators to influence, own, or redefine the tools shaping their narratives.
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Moderator: Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, Technologist, Filmmaker & Producer, USA
Speakers:
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Sten-Kristian Saluveer, Academy Award Nominated Producer & Strategist at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and innovation ecosystems; Strategic Advisor, Cannes Next; Director, MAIEFP, Estonia
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Petri Kemppinen, Executive producer and audiovisual strategist, CEO of Good Hand Production, and former CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Aurora Studios, Finland
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Ene Katrine Rasmussen, Head of Industry & Continuing Education, National Film School of Denmark; Project Manager, MAIEFP, Former Head, Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Denmark, EAVE Graduate, Denmark
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Zoe Ramushu, Actress, Writer, Journalist, Founder, Chiseri Studios, South Africa + Zimbabwe
4:30PM
5:30PM​​​​
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Town Hall Panel 5 | No Audience, No Deal
Film Marketing & Promotion in the Creator Era
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In today’s market, films don’t fail at release—they fail long before production begins. With buyers, streamers, and festivals increasingly looking for built-in audiences and cultural momentum, marketing is no longer an afterthought but a core part of development. From Cannes premieres to TikTok rollouts, this panel challenges traditional models and explores how filmmakers and producers can package projects with audience, visibility, and demand from day one—across feature films, series, and vertical formats.
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Key Themes:
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No Audience = No Deal: Why financiers, distributors, and even festivals are prioritizing projects with proven traction
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Festival Strategy as Marketing Engine: Leveraging festivals for press, sales, partnerships, and global positioning
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Creators vs Traditional Campaigns: How influencers, talent, and digital-native creators are reshaping film promotion
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From Long-Form to Vertical Content: Building multi-format campaigns that extend across feature films, series, and short/mobile-first content
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Marketing Starts at Development: Integrating audience-building, community, and visibility into the project from day one
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Moderator: Serge Noukoué, Founder, Nollywood Week, Okadia Media Distribution, France + Benin
Speakers:
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Heidi Zwicker, Senior Programmer, Feature Films and Short Films, Sundance Film Festival, USA
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Azize Tan, Film Festival Director & Programmer, Istanbul Foundation for Culture & Arts, Istanbul Film Festival, Turkiye
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Salym Fayad, Director, MUICA African Film Festival, Colombia
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Faridah Gbadamosi, Senior Film Programmer & Curator, Tribeca Film Festival, USA
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Mimi Plauché, Director, Chicago International Film Festival, USA
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Robyn Citizen, Director of Programming, Festival & Cinematheque, TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), Canada
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Arshad Khan, Director, Mosaic International Film Festival of New South and West Asian Cinema MISAFF, Producer, Director, Canada + Pakistan
5:45PM
7:45PM
Zambia Cocktail Reception