The Jali Film Weekender, showcasing the very best of African cinema, both from the continent itself and African filmmakers all over the world, returns to the Filmhouse for its second year from 28 October – to 1 November.
While last year’s festival focused on Dreams and Apparitions, this iteration is themed around narratives of Rebellion.
Featuring 36 new premieres, the Weekender is set to open with a screening of Damilola Orimogunje’s Dear Ajayi, the first ever in Scotland. The film, set in 90s Nigeria, explores the relationship between two sisters – one a devout Christian; the other a free spirit and aspiring musician – as they search to find their respective freedoms. It originally premiered at September’s Venice Film Festival as part of the Venice Days strand, which has previously championed the indie filmmaking of future giants like Denis Villeneuve and the Safdie brothers.
Dear Ajayi will screen alongside the Scottish premiere of American short Tell Me When You Get Home, the story of a fifteen-year-old girl who suddenly senses the presence of her long-estranged mother at a party, eleven years after she last saw her. Ticketholders for the opening night film and short will also be able to enjoy the Weekender’s opening night drinks reception at the Traverse Theatre, following the premiere.
The Traverse joins the Weekender this year, alongside the Lochrin Rooftop Bar in Fountainbridge. Festivalgoers looking for something a little different will be well served by the Extended Reality Exhibition in the Traverse foyer, which will be open each day between 11am-6pm, completely free of charge.
This VR-only strand will feature the European Premiere of Honme, which will have audiences returning a king’s stolen treasures; the Scottish Premiere of Blackstar Sanctuary, which views the history of ancient Africa through a queer lens, and the World Premiere of mixed reality game The Wizard of Kitui Presents: Heart, Fortune and Power, which will encourage everyone to really think outside the box. Those promise to be a really interesting addition to the lineup.
The festival will also present Spotlight: Geração 80, shining a light on the acclaimed Angolan film collective and production company of the same name. The collective will be in attendance for the UK Premiere of My Semba, ‘a rap-fuelled, gritty and vibrant city symphony of Luanda, Angola’ that melds documentary with manifesto, with further screenings and Q&As to follow. The premiere will be followed by a post-show party at the Lochrin Bar, where guest can expect to be immersed in the atmosphere and culture of Luanda for the night.
Geração 80 will also host a special ninety-minute Masterclass at the Lochrin Bar on the 29th October; one of the Weekender’s Lunchtime Talks. Another Talk, the following day, will explore the increased significance of community-centred cultural spaces in what feels like an ever more divided world, and how best to support Black, African and diaspora communities in our arts industries.
Short film fans will be able to catch two feature-length compilations. The first, What We Know of Ourselves, screening on the 31st of October, will tell stories across Egypt, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and the US, each one exploring what it means to redefine yourself in a world that has already labelled you. The second series of shorts, What Calls Us Has Travelled Far, showing on the 1st of November, explores stories of devotion, told across a number of genres.
Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu’s House of the Wind will close the festival on the 1st of November, off the back of its world premiere at Venice. A tender tale of Cameroonian camaraderie, it follows 80-year-old Josette as she lives alone, all her adult children having moved to the West. An empty nester in every sense of the word, she finds a surprising and welcome comfort in a burgeoning bond with her young neighbour, Sarah. The film marks the feature debut from festival circuit staple Kouemo Yanghu.
With many more films screening over the course of the Weekender, including Sheffield DocFest alum Magma and Sundance award winner The Boys and the Bees, the festival is sure to be a joyous celebration of contemporary African cinema, with creatives harnessing their spirit and their passion wherever they are in the world.
More information, including the full 2026 programme, is available on the festival website.
