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.
Past Winners
LUANDA PAFF's award categories include the Kwanza Awards (the highest prize), Kimpa Vita Awards, and Ndinga Awards, named after figures of Angolan and African historical significance. Specific winner names for the 2022 and 2023 editions have not been widely published in international press, reflecting the festival's still-developing media infrastructure.
The 2024 edition (third) 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. Awards were presented across the following categories:
- Best Feature Film
- Best Short Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Animation
- Best Angolan Film
The festival's youth jury also awards a separate prize. The full list of 2024 winners has not been published in English-language press. Filmmakers seeking specific winner information should contact the festival directly at contact@luandapaff.com.
Notable Alumni
LUANDA PAFF is a young festival (first edition 2022) and its alumni network is still developing. However, the festival has already screened work by several notable Angolan and African filmmakers:
- Ne Kunda Nlaba - Festival founder and director. An Angolan film producer, director, and actor who founded the Kongo Bizizi Academy (Pan African Film Institute). He established LUANDA PAFF in 2019 to fill the gap left by the suspension of FIC Luanda.
- Fradique - Angolan filmmaker whose feature Air Conditioner (Ar Condicionado, 2020) had its world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam and was distributed worldwide by MUBI. The film, produced by Geraçao 80, is one of the most internationally recognized Angolan films of recent years.
- Kamy Lara - Angolan producer and cinematographer with over 15 years in the audiovisual sector. Her documentary Beyond My Steps (2019) was screened at dozens of festivals and won awards at DOC Luanda and the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. She founded Uika Filmes in 2023 and participated in the Atlas Workshop and IFFR Pro.
- Kiluanji Kia Henda - Angolan visual artist and producer whose work spans photography and film. He produced the documentary Fuckin'Globo (2024), which was featured at the Mostra de Cinemas Africanos.
- Jorge Antonio - Portuguese filmmaker who directed the original FIC Luanda (2008) and later founded DocLuanda (2022), the documentary festival that runs alongside LUANDA PAFF in the Luanda festival ecosystem.
Submission Tips
LUANDA PAFF is one of the few African festivals with an explicitly Pan-African mandate open to diaspora filmmakers. Key strategies for selection:
- Submit through the official website. The festival does not currently use FilmFreeway. Submissions go through the LUANDA PAFF website or by email to contact@luandapaff.com.
- Ensure Portuguese subtitles. All submissions must have Portuguese subtitles. The festival may exceptionally accept films in English or French during the selection process, but 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.
- Target the Angolan categories if you are Angolan. The festival has dedicated categories for Best Angolan Film and Angolan short films, which have less competition than the international categories.
- Emphasize African identity or diaspora experience. The festival's programming priority is African and diaspora cinema. International films with African themes or co-production connections are more likely to be selected than films with no African connection.
- Budget for travel if selected. Luanda is one of Africa's most expensive cities. Hotel rates routinely exceed $200 per night. The festival does not appear to offer travel support for selected filmmakers, so budget accordingly.
- Contact the festival before submitting if you have questions about eligibility or Portuguese subtitling requirements.
Industry Reputation
LUANDA PAFF is a young festival (first edition 2022) that is still building its international reputation. In just three editions, it has established itself as Angola's leading international film festival and one of the few Pan-African festivals in Southern Africa with an explicitly continental mandate.
The festival's reputation rests on three pillars: its Pan-African programming (screening films from 23 countries in 2024), its tribute program (honoring Ousmane Sembene in 2024), and its partnership with Afrika Bizizi Distribution, which creates a potential pathway to distribution across African markets.
The festival is not a market festival. There is no formal film market or co-production forum. The Industry Sessions provide networking opportunities but are not structured as a market. International buyers and distributors do not currently attend in significant numbers, though the festival is working to build industry presence.
The festival operates within a broader Luanda film ecosystem that includes FESC-Kianda (short film festival, January) and DocLuanda (documentary festival, April). Together, these three festivals provide year-round programming for Angolan audiences and filmmakers. The 450th anniversary of Luanda (2025) provided additional momentum for the city's cultural programming.
For African filmmakers, LUANDA PAFF offers targeted exposure to Angolan and Lusophone African audiences that is difficult to obtain at Anglophone or Francophone festivals. For international filmmakers, the festival provides access to a market that is rarely served by European or North American festivals.
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.
Watch
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Oxalá Cresçam Pitangas (2006), a documentary by Pedro Cardoso about Luanda. The film reveals the reality behind the permanent fantasy of the Angolan capital through 10 voices exposing the conflicts, aspirations, and rhythms of a city in accelerated growth.
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Air Conditioner (Ar Condicionado, 2020) trailer, directed by Fradique. The Angolan feature had its world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam and was distributed worldwide by MUBI. When air conditioners in Luanda mysteriously fall from buildings, a security guard embarks on a surreal journey through the capital.
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.
