In a first for the African film ecosystem, seven of the most influential women-focused film advocacy organizations have united for one cause; to ensure gender equity at African film festivals.
REEL BALANCE, initiated by The Ladima Foundation and the Durban FilmMart, is being implemented in partnership with Rawiyat SIF (Sister in Film), Sisters Working in Film & Television (SWIFT), Womxn Activating Transformation Africa (WATA), Girls in Film SA, African Female Filmmakers Collective (AFFC), and African Women in Animation.
REEL BALANCE is tangible and collaborative intervention constructively engaging with over 50 film festivals in Africa to secure a commitment to increase the representation of women, both on screen and behind the scenes.
Informal research conducted by The Ladima Foundation in early 2026 from 12 film festivals on the continent revealed two key challenges. Firstly, it is apparent that it is extremely difficult to access the data required to accurately interrogate and understand the issues of gender representation at film festivals in Africa. Despite this lack of access to data, the research did clearly yield a second insight; the significant need to increase the representation of films directed and produced by women, and particularly African women at film festivals in Africa.
REEL BALANCE has been designed to address both of these challenges, working in partnership with film festivals via a pledge to be signed that will commit signatory festivals to strive for 50/50 representation for films directed or produced by women, but also in management and jury positions, and in terms of participants in panels and workshops at festival events.
Signatory festivals also commit to sharing data on the number of women filmmakers submitting films, as well as the numbers of those selected. The compiling, benchmarking and reporting on this data over the coming years will be an integral part of the initiative and inform best practice solutions to address identified challenges.
To support this process, REEL BALANCE will harness the power of the eight participating partners who will activate extensive networks across the continent to promote participating festivals and encourage women filmmakers to submit their films to significantly increase the pipeline of available films for selection.
REEL BALANCE is founded on partnership and collaboration, as The Ladima Foundation’s Executive Director Lara Utian explains,
“Since its inception in 2018, The Ladima Foundation has worked to address the significant gender imbalances within the film landscape in Africa. We understand that lasting and impactful change takes place only through collaborations and partnerships. This is why we are particularly excited to have initiated REEL BALANCE along with the DFM, and to have been able to partner with so many other like-minded organizations on the continent. The fact that so many festivals have already signed the pledge is inspiring and, with our partners, we will continue to engage more festivals over the coming weeks and months. We will also work closely with signatory festivals to support them and to find constructive solutions to address issues of gender imbalance. In partnership with these signatory festivals, we believe that change can and will happen and that we will see more African women represented both on and off screen in the years to come.”
Nineteen festivals have already signed the pledge, reflecting the commitment of their leadership teams to supporting gender equality and transforming Africa’s film festival landscape. These festivals are to be applauded for their willingness to be leaders in the industry and to make intentional efforts to ensure gender parity at their events and REEL BALANCE will work to support and promote these festivals as we work together in the coming years.
Film festivals that have signed the pledge to date include:
● Kitale Film Week (Kenya) https://kitalefilmweek.org/
● Bantu Film Festival (Botswana) https://filmfreeway.com/BantuFilmFestival
● Juiced Short Film Festival (Kenya) https://filmfreeway.com/JuicedFilmFestival
● Kilifi Creek Festival (Kenya) https://kilificreekfestival.com/
● Mashariki African Film Festival (Rwanda) https://www.masharikifestival.org/
● Ethiopian International Film Festival (Ethiopia) https://www.facebook.com/ethioiff/
● Animatex Animation Festival (Egypt) https://animatex.net/
● Fak’ugesi Festival (South Africa) https://fakugesi.co.za/
● Cameroon African Animation Film Festival (Cameroon) https://canimaf.org/index.php/en/
● AVIJOZI (South Africa) https://avijozi.com/
● Durban International Film Festival (South Africa) https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/
● Joburg Film Festival (South Africa) https://joburgfilmfestival.co.za/
● Encounters International Documentary Festival (South Africa) https://encounters.co.za/
● FESPACO (Burkina Faso) https://fespaco.bf/en/welcome-to-fespaco/
● Zanzibar International Film Festival (Zanzibar) https://www.ziff.or.tz/
● FAME Week Africa (South Africa) https://www.fameweekafrica.com/
● LIFANIMA – Nigeria’s Animation Festival (Nigeria) https://lifanima.com/
● Luxor African Film Festival (Egypt) https://www.luxorafricanfilmfestival.com/
● Festival International du film de l’océan Indien (Reunion Island) https://fifoi.re/
All film festivals within the African continent are invited to become part of this movement and to sign the pledge. Interested festivals can contact lara@ladima.africa for more information.
REEL BALANCE was officially launched on 10 October at the Durban FilmMart who are co-founders of the initiative with Magdalene Reddy, Director of Durban FilmMart Institute explaining their support:
Since its inception, the Durban FilmMart’s purpose has been to develop, support and sustain the African film industry, and to shape how African storytelling is represented in the global market. Partnering with The Ladima Foundation on REEL BALANCE is a natural progression of that mission. Lasting change in on-screen representation begins behind the scenes, with the people who select, programme and decide. As the leading film market in Africa, we can speak directly to festivals and industry players in a way advocacy alone cannot. We are using our platform to open the pipeline for African women filmmakers, and to ensure that the commitment is measured, not merely stated.
REEL BALANCE will continue to engage with film festivals across the continent to sign the pledge as well as to encourage women filmmakers to submit films to signatory festivals. Updates will be issued via media and across partner organization social media platforms.
For more information: www.ladima.africa
#REELBALANCE #RepresentationMatters #FilmFestivals
ABOUT THE PARTNERS:
The Ladima Foundation
The Ladima Foundation is a Pan-African non-profit organization founded with the aim of contributing to correcting the major imbalances within the film, TV and content industries. Through several initiatives, The Ladima Foundation supports, trains, and mentors women in a variety of roles within the film, TV, and content spaces. Through partnerships and collaborations in various countries, as well as through Pan- African networks and interventions, the Ladima Foundation is committed to developing training, networking, and related opportunities for women professionals who demonstrate their seriousness and commitment to their craft. https://ladima.africa/
Durban FilmMart
The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) is a leading pan-African platform for film finance, coproduction and industry development, connecting African filmmakers with the tools, partnerships and markets needed to bring their stories to the world. https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/
African Female Filmmakers Collective
(AFFC) is a Nairobi-based collective of African women filmmakers, founded in 2023 with a commitment to strengthening the voices, skills and opportunities of African women in film. Through six initiatives to date, AFFC has trained and reached over 1,000 women and young people across Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan and South Africa, creating spaces to learn, connect, create and grow while supporting women to tell their stories and shape the industry. https://affc.co.ke/
African Women in Animation
African Women in Animation is an online platform dedicated to connecting, supporting and empowering women across Africa’s animation, VFX and gaming industries. We create space for women to share knowledge, build meaningful connections and access opportunities that help their talent thrive. Our vision is an industry where African women are visible at every level: creating stories, leading teams, building studios and shaping the future of these industries on the continent and beyond. By championing one another, we can open more doors for the women coming after us and help build an industry in which they can belong, grow and lead.
Girls in Film South Africa
Girls in Film is a non-profit organization and a global network that represents, champions, and connects women and gender expansive artists and creatives in the film industry. The South African Chapter was launched in 2020 with support from the Girls in Film Global Network with the mission to make both the local and international industries more accessible to a new generation of filmmakers by sharing resources, insights, and opportunities. Girls in Film South Africa is managed by directors Gale Maimane, Chantel Clark, and Jabu Nadia Newman. www.girlsinfilm.net/locations/gif-south-africa
Rawiyat SIF
Rawiyat-Sisters in Film is a collective of women filmmakers from Arabic-speaking countries and the diaspora joining forces to imagine a new landscape in the region and beyond. As they grow, they aim to connect, share, support and nurture new and existing voices, whilst challenging the status quo to create a more sustainable and creative industry.
SWIFT
Sisters Working in Film & Television (SWIFT) is a non-profit organization advancing gender equality, empowerment, and opportunities for women in South Africa’s audio-visual industry. Through advocacy, skills development and mentorship, and Sisterhood Cinema, SWIFT works to address historical inequalities, promote safe and respectful workplaces for everyone in front of and behind the camera, elevate women’s voices and stories, and create pathways for professional growth, market access, and industry transformation. With a growing presence across South Africa, SWIFT partners with industry stakeholders to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable screen sector. https://www.swiftsa.org.za/
WATA
(Womxn Activating Transformation Africa) is a pan-African community-led non-profit company and creative collective supporting and advocating for African womxn in animation and gaming, with a special focus on the whole creative – professional growth alongside the well-being of the human behind the creative with a commitment to care, inclusion and sustainability. W.A.T.A builds in circles, not hierarchies, dedicated to creating tangible spaces and ways for our community to connect and collaborate across borders, time and cultures.