African Cinema Classics (ACC) was born out of pure passion for uncovering and celebrating the history of African film, and although there wasn’t any real structure, intricate roadmap, or funding, I knew that I could not sit around and wait for the “perfect time” to pursue this mission. I had just begun my masters in Law at the time, and I felt that the project would serve as a great distraction from the pressures that came with school. However, after publishing the first article on the blog in January 2024, I soon found out that running a project based purely on passion was not an easy task at all. Although there were countless setbacks and roadblocks, the small wins kept me going through the initial phases. By the time I was done with my masters, I had lost interest in everything else, and I could not imagine myself pursuing a career outside of ACC. After battling with the customary doubts that came with such decisions, delusion finally prevailed over common sense, and I decided to abandon a promising law career and dive headfirst into the unknown.
Of course, the first few months were terrible. In a bid to develop some competencies in film curation and archival practice, I reached out or applied to various programs that I felt would be interested in my project and motivations and would be happy to teach me a thing or two. After a barrage of rejections, it seemed like things weren’t going anywhere and whenever I thought I had hit rock bottom, the ground seemed to open and throw me even deeper into a seemingly endless pit of disappointments and setbacks.
Seeing as I was finding it difficult to find the structure to hone my skills, I fell back on the only thing that hadn’t failed me yet: passion. If I was going to fail, it was not going to be for lack of trying, and I decided to go all out and put on a screening in London. With the help of people in my life who I can never thank enough, and after a few more delays and setbacks, we were able to put on our first screening in October 2025 at Mayday Rooms. It was a free screening of Moustapha Alassane’s 1972 classic, FVVA, and we had a beautiful post screening discussion that strengthened my resolve for the work I was doing with ACC.
At this screening, I met Sadatu, a poet, photographer, educator, and general radical who expressed a desire to collaborate on a subsequent screening for No More Exclusions (NME), an organisation with which she volunteers. We decided to screen the Gabonese film Dôlé (2000) by Imunga Ivanga, but after finding out that the rights to the film were nowhere to be found, we embarked on a month-long journey to locate the film’s director and obtain his permission to screen his work.
After receiving his blessings, we were able to put on a free screening in November 2025, followed by a talking/listening circle through which our audience was able to share their thoughts on the film and its themes. The next week, we put on a Zine making workshop (mostly Sadatu, lol) where members of the audience could return and creatively express themselves based on the themes of Dôlé and its connection to the missions of NME.
As I reflect on the small steps that ACC has taken towards its goals, I cannot put into words how grateful I am to everyone who has contributed in one way or the other to its success. And to all of you who have read our articles, interacted with our content, attended our events, and supported us in any way, I thank you.
Now, enjoy some more pictures from our 2025!
