11–13 September 2026 · Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Africa’s Stories.
Wales’s Screen.
Express Your Africa. Three days of film, conversation, music and making — Wales’s annual celebration of African cinema and storytelling.
The Festival
Africa is not one story.
It’s thousands of languages, cities, traditions and imaginations — and for three days this September, Cardiff becomes the place where those stories meet an audience ready to see them.
Watch Africa Film Festival is Wales’s annual celebration of African cinema and storytelling. Filmmakers, artists, communities and audiences come together to watch, exchange, make and celebrate.
Whether you’re discovering African cinema for the first time or returning to stories that feel like home — this is your invitation.
13
Years of festival
168
Films screened
10,000+
Viewers
1
Wales’s only African film festival
Opening Night · Friday 11 September
My Father’s Shadow
Two young brothers explore Lagos with their estranged father during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis — witnessing both the city’s magnitude and their father’s own reckoning.
The screening opens the festival at 18:10, following welcome remarks from festival producer Rosemary Adjoa Dery, and is followed by the Akwaaba Launch Party with a DJ set from Samandaal on the Concourse.
Programme Highlights
Three days. Films, workshops, music, market.
13:30
African Storytelling Workshop
Discover the art of African storytelling through guided exercises, creative prompts and shared experiences. Open to all backgrounds and experience levels.
15:00
African Dance Workshop
West African dance traditions meet contemporary performance practice. Live rhythms, a welcoming room, and movement as a form of expression and community.
10:00–18:00
Mansa Market
Inspired by Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage and the cultural exchange it created. Food, craft, textiles and traders across the full festival weekend.
Featured Films
Feature, short, animation, documentary, experimental.
Omen
Four people considered witches and sorcerers find a way to help each other escape their fate, in a phantasmagorical Africa.
Liyana
Five children in the Kingdom of Eswatini turn past traumas into the tale of a Swazi girl who sets out to save her twin brothers.
Saloum
Shot down after fleeing a coup, a group of mercenaries lie low at a remote holiday camp — and find they’re not alone.
Guests & Speakers
The people bringing these stories to the screen.
Akinola Davis
In conversation on Friday 11 September.
Baloji
Screening and discussion on Saturday 12 September.
Adeola Dewis
Sunday 14:30, Cinema Foyer.
Samandaal
Friday night on the Concourse.
The Festival Experience
More than a film festival. A gathering.
Live music, dance and celebration
From the Akwaaba Launch Party to the closing TUZO Party, the weekend is built around gathering. In Swahili, tuzo means award or reward — so we celebrate success and culture together.
Short Snacks and conversation
After a curated selection of films, enjoy a range of African snacks and discuss what you’ve just watched. We know good conversation happens over good food.
Festival Archive
Since 2013, in Cardiff.
Opening nights
Thirteen editions of queues around the block, first-time visitors and returning regulars.
Filmmaker Q&As
Directors, producers and performers in the room, answering the questions the film just raised.
Community screenings
Beyond the cinema — pavilions, gardens and partner venues across the city.
Year-Round Screenings
The festival doesn’t end in September.
Watch Africa runs a year-round monthly screenings programme, bringing African cinema to Cardiff audiences between festival editions — at Chapter Arts Centre, Grange Pavilion, and partner venues across the city.
One film. One evening. A room full of people who came to watch, talk, and stay a while after the credits roll.
WAFF Club
Closer to everything we do.
Our year-round community for people who don’t want to wait until September to be part of Watch Africa.
Free to join. Discounted monthly screenings, networking with filmmakers and industry, a hand in shaping the festival, and an official WAFF Club tee for every member.
Partners & Supporters
Building stronger cultural connections between Wales and Africa.
Stay in the loop
Guest announcements, ticket launches and monthly screenings — first.
Follow WAFF
Watch Africa in the Moment
Follow Watch Africa Film Festival on Instagram for the latest festival news, films, conversations and community moments.
Express Your Africa.
11–13 September 2026 · Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Whether you’re discovering African cinema for the first time or reconnecting with stories that feel like home — there’s a place for you here.