Ghana’s Black Star International Film Festival has announced its official selection for the 2026 edition, bringing films and filmmakers from 11 countries to Kumasi as the festival explores the changing shape of African cinema.
The 11th edition will run from 24 to 27 September at Golden Eagle Cinemas in Kumasi. The final selection follows submissions representing 42 countries, according to reports by MyJoyOnline and Broadcast Media Africa.
African cinema, local language and new technology
The programme spans the International Showcase, Ghanaian Showcase, Student Showcase, Documentary, Africa Rising, Animated Films, AI Generated Films and Kumawood, alongside special screenings.
The inclusion of Kumawood is particularly significant as the festival moves to Kumasi, placing one of Ghana’s best-known popular filmmaking traditions within the programme. At the same time, a dedicated AI-generated film category brings emerging technology directly into the festival’s conversation about African storytelling.
Countries represented in the final programme include Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, the United States, China, Singapore, the Dominican Republic and Russia.
The next wave of African cinema
The 2026 festival is being held under the theme “Film & Global Culture: The New Wave of African Cinema.” Its programme is expected to examine audience development, local-language cinema, artificial intelligence and the wellbeing of creative professionals.
The Kumasi edition also gives BSIFF an opportunity to connect international filmmakers with a city whose popular film industry has played an important role in Ghanaian storytelling and local-language screen culture.
More information on the festival is available from the official BSIFF website, while the official-selection announcement is covered by MyJoyOnline.
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