Luanda International Pan-African Film Festival (LUANDA PAFF)

Overview

The Luanda International Pan-African Film Festival (LUANDA PAFF) is Angola's leading international film festival. Founded in October 2019 by film producer and director Ne Kunda Nlaba through the Kongo Bizizi Academy (Pan African Film Institute), the festival was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and held its first edition November 24 to 27, 2022, at Fundacao Arte e Cultura in Ilha de Luanda. The third edition ran November 20 to 24, 2024, screening more than 40 films from 23 countries across five venues in Luanda.

LUANDA PAFF accepts films of any genre (drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental) made by African filmmakers living in Africa and worldwide, including filmmakers of African descent from the diaspora. The festival is organized by Academia Kongo Bizizi LDA in partnership with Afrika Bizizi Distribution.

Angola's film infrastructure is still rebuilding after the 27-year civil war that ended in 2002. The country's Portuguese-speaking identity connects it to the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) film circuit, but LUANDA PAFF explicitly positions itself as a Pan-African rather than strictly Lusophone festival, screening films from Anglophone, Francophone, and Arabophone Africa alongside Lusophone productions.

The 2024 edition paid tribute to Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene. The 23 participating countries included Angola (host), South Africa, Germany, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Egypt, USA, France, Netherlands, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Portugal, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom, and Sierra Leone.

Key Sections

• Official Selection - competitive feature fiction, short fiction, feature documentary, short documentary, and animation categories
• Pan-African Panorama - non-competitive screenings of African and diaspora cinema
• International Program - curated films from outside Africa
• Tribute/Homage - annual tribute to a major African filmmaker (2024: Ousmane Sembene)
• Industry Sessions - networking, panels, and professional development for Angolan and African filmmakers

Submission Details

Submissions are accepted through the LUANDA PAFF website. The festival has a dedicated submission page on its site.

Eligibility requirements:

• Open to African filmmakers living in Africa and worldwide, including Afro-descendant filmmakers
• All genres accepted
• All submissions must have Portuguese subtitles
• The festival may exceptionally accept films in English or French without Portuguese subtitles during the selection process, but if selected, filmmakers must submit a version with Portuguese subtitles
• The festival team can help arrange Portuguese subtitling for selected filmmakers who cannot produce it themselves

Contact for submissions:

• Email: contact@luandapaff.com
• Phone: +244 925 142 920
• Address: Bloco 8, Centralidade do Sequele, Angola

Submission fees and deadlines vary by edition. Check the official website for current details.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For African filmmakers: LUANDA PAFF is one of the few festivals in Southern Africa with an explicitly Pan-African mandate. If your film explores African identity, diaspora experience, or stories from the continent, this festival provides targeted exposure to Angolan and regional audiences. The Portuguese subtitle requirement is a practical consideration: budget for translation and subtitling if your film is in English, French, or another non-Portuguese language.

For Angolan filmmakers: This is the most significant domestic platform for international exposure. The festival's partnership with Afrika Bizizi Distribution creates a potential pathway to distribution across African markets.

For international filmmakers: The festival accepts films from outside Africa, but the programming priority is African and diaspora cinema. International films with African themes or co-production connections are more likely to be selected.

Practical considerations: Luanda is one of Africa's most expensive cities for visitors, driven by Angola's oil economy. Hotel rates routinely exceed $200 per night for mid-range accommodation. The festival venues (Cinemax Fortaleza, Cinemax Kilamba, Cinemax Nova Vida, Mediateca do Cazenga, CEARTE) are spread across the city, so budget for taxi or ride-hailing transport. Portuguese is the official language; English is not widely spoken outside the diplomatic and business communities.

Major Awards

The 2024 edition screened 9 feature fiction films, 11 short fiction films, 9 feature documentaries, 7 short documentaries, 4 animated films, 2 Angolan short films, and 1 Angolan feature documentary in its official selection. Award categories include:

• Best Feature Film
• Best Short Film
• Best Documentary
• Best Animation
• Best Angolan Film

Festival History

Angola's first international film festival was the Festival Internacional de Cinema Luanda (FIC Luanda), organized by the Instituto Angolano do Cinema e do Audiovisual (IACA) and directed by Portuguese filmmaker Jorge Antonio. The first edition ran November 22 to 29, 2008, with 30 films in competition across feature, short, and documentary categories. FIC Luanda was the first international film festival in the country's history. The festival was later suspended, and its website notes it was "temporarily interrupted."

LUANDA PAFF emerged to fill the gap. Founded in 2019, delayed by COVID-19, the first edition took place in November 2022. The second edition ran November 22 to 26, 2023. The third edition (November 20 to 24, 2024) expanded to five venues and screened 40-plus films from 23 countries.

Two other film festivals operate in Luanda alongside LUANDA PAFF:

FESC-Kianda (Festival Internacional de Curta Metragem da Kianda) is a short film festival focused exclusively on CPLP countries. Founded in 2020, its 7th edition ran January 24 to 29, 2026, screening 50 films from 600 submissions. The top prize is 1 million kwanzas (approximately $1,100 USD), with 500,000 kwanzas for second place and 100,000 kwanzas for other categories. FESC-Kianda is organized by Vanio Almeida through AVS Lequeus in partnership with Mancha Negra productions. The 7th edition honored Angolan director Oscar Gil and was integrated into the 450th anniversary celebrations of the city of Luanda.

DocLuanda (Festival Internacional de Cinema Documental) is a documentary-only festival founded in 2022 by Jorge Antonio (who also directed the original FIC Luanda) in partnership with Camoes Centro Cultural Portugues. The 4th edition ran April 10 to 16, 2025, featuring workshops on screenwriting and intellectual property, a tribute to filmmaker Nguxi dos Santos, and the Sarah Maldoror trophy. DocLuanda includes the exhibition "Independencias nos arquivos: 50 anos de cinema e utopia," marking 50 years of African independence and cinema.

See Also

Use the Festival ROI Calculator to model the total cost of submitting to and attending LUANDA PAFF, including submission fees, travel to Luanda, and accommodation. For broader festival strategy, read Film Festival Strategy. For Lusophone African cinema context, see International Film Markets. For FESPACO, the continent's largest film festival, see FESPACO Ouagadougou.