Please check back from time to time as information is added
Also see: Film Timeline of Works by African Women
1960s
1963 – Journalist Thérèse Sita-Bella (Cameroon) makes a 30-minute documentary entitled Tam Tam à Paris. The film documents the National Dance Company of Cameroon during its tour in Paris.
1966 – First World Festival of Black Arts, Dakar, Senegal.
1966 – Release of La Noire de… by Ousmane Sembene. Mbissine Thérèse Diop (Senegal) plays the role of the protagonist Diouana.
1966 - Zalika Souley (Niger) begins her pioneering career as actor in the film Retour d’un aventurier by Mustapha Alassane.
1967 – Efua Sutherland (Ghana) produces Arabia: The Village Story, a major documentary film made by ABC, a national U.S. television network. The documentary records the success of one of her most important projects, the Atwia Experimental Community Theatre Project.
1969 – Alimata Salembéré (Burkina Faso) one of the founding members of FESPACO—and president of the organizing committee of the first festival in 1969.
1969 – Tam Tam à Paris featured at the first Week of African Cinema—later to become FESPACO—along with the films of Mustapha Alassane (Niger), Ousmane Sembene (Senegal), Ababacar Samb (Senegal), Urbain N'Dia (Cameroon), Paulin Vieyra (Senegal), and Momar Thiam (Senegal).
1970s
1970 - Sarah Maldoror's Monangambee included in the 2nd Edition of FESPACO under the country Angola.
1971 - Sarah Maldoror's Monangambee selected at Cannes Film Festival (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) under the country Angola.
1972 - Sarah Maldoror's Sambizanga included in the Carthage (Tunisia) Film Festival in 1972, it is awarded first prize, the Tanit d'Or.
1972 – Safi Faye (Senegal) as a film student makes her short film La Passante.
1976 –Institut Africain d’Education Cinématographique (INAFEC) is created in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Burkinabès Aminata Ouedraogo and Fanta Nacro, among others pass through its doors.
1978 – Research conducted on African women in the media during a study visit by journalists Elma Lititia Anani (Sierra Leone), Alkaly Miriama Keita (Niger), and Awatef Abdel Rahman (Egypt), held at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 24-30 September.
1979 – Fad’jal by Safi Faye, presented in the “Un certain regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival.
1980s
1981 – Publication of Women and the Mass Media in Africa: Cases Studies of Sierra Leone, the Niger and Egypt by Elma Lititia Anani, Alkaly Miriama Keita, Awatef Abdel Rahman. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa. Research Series - African Training and Research Centre for Women/Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women.
1983 – Alimata Salembéré served as General Secretary of FESPACO from 1982 to 1984, thus overseeing the 8th FESPACO in 1983.
1989 – Vues d'Afrique Film Festival (Montreal) organizes a special section devoted to African women in the visual media.
1989 - Creation of the "Images de femmes" (Images of Women) project, from which emerges the prize "Images de femmes" offered by ACCT and presented during the annual Vues d'Afrique.
1989 – L’Association des Actrices Africaines\The Association of African Actresses is created at FESPACO, Zalika Souley (Niger) is elected president in recognition of the role she played in asserting the value of women in the world of African cinema.
1990s
1990 – Annette Mbaye d’Erneville (Senegal) creates RECIDAK (Rencontres Cinématographiques de Dakar).
1991 – During the 12th FESPACO a part of the platform is organized under the title "Women, Cinema, Television and Video in Africa.
1991 – Union Panafricaine des Femmes de l'Image du Burkina is established. Currently directed by Franceline Oubda and Kadidia Sanogo.
1991 - L’Union Nationale des Femmes Professionnelles de l'Image du Burkina is created, headed by Suzanne Kourouma.
1992 – Africa Women Filmmakers Trust (AWFT) based in Zimbabwe is established.
1992 – Bridget Pickering (Namibia) launches the Pan African Film Festival of Namibia.
1992 – The Association of Professional African Women in Cinema, Television and Video (AFAPTV) is created, Aminata Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso) is the general secretary.
1993 - Africa in the Pictures II, a film festival organized by the Africa Centre (London) and hosted by the National Film Theatre was accompanied by a one-day conference focusing on Women in African Cinema.
1993 - Mahen Bonetti (Sierra Leone) launches the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF).
1993 – African Women in Film and Video—Kenya Section, an affiliate of the Pan-African Union of Women in the Image Industry (AFAPTV) is created, Eulalie Namae is chairperson.
1994 – The Pan-African Union of Women in the Image Industry (AFAPTV) meets at the Fifth Women’s Regional Conference in preparation for the Beijing Conference in November 1994. AFAPTV emphasized the importance of presenting African perspectives at this international event and that women filmmakers on the continent should take the lead in the visualization of these perspectives.
1994 – Femmes d'images de l'Afrique francophone, compiled by Najwa Tlili (Tunisia), is one of the direct results of the 1989 Vues d’Afrique meeting. The index brings together the biography and filmography of women in the cinema from "francophone" Africa, as well as a listing of other relevant contacts.
1994 – Kommunalkino Bremen Film Festival (Germany) is devoted entirely to African women filmmakers.
1995 - Horria Saiha television producer, director and reporter from Algeria receives the Courage in Journalism Award (International Women's Media Foundation).
1995 – A Gabonese national bureau of the Pan-African Union of Women in the Image Industry (AFAPTV) is created.
1995 – L'Association des femmes africaines professionnelles du cinéma, de la télévision et de la vidéo/The Association of Professional African Women in Cinema, Television and Video reorganizes under the name, The Pan-African Union of Women in the Image Industry/L'Union panafricaine des femmes de l'image (UPAFI).
1996 – Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe is formed, chaired by Petronella Munongoro. The goals of the association are to: train more women for the film industry, collect funding for the continuation of the work, plan distribution and exhibition of films made by women, and organize production workshops.
1996 – Mossane by Safi Faye, presented in the “Un certain regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival.
1996 – Flame by Ingrid Sinclair presented in the “Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” section at the Cannes Film Festival.
1996 – Rencontres Cinématographiques de Dakar (RECIDAK) focuses on “Women and the Cinema”. From this meeting comes the slogan “When women of the cinema take action, African cinema moves forward.” A special tribute to Safi Faye.
1996 – Efua Sutherland pioneer journalist/filmmaker dies.
1997 – The 15th edition of FESPACO presents an unprecedented number of films (feature, short, documentary) by women: Safi Faye, Mossane; Tsitsi Dangarembga, Everyone’s Child; Ingrid Sinclair, Flame; Nadia Fares, Miel et Cendres; Anne-Laure Folly; Les Oubliées; Fanta Nacro, Puk Nini; Sara Maldoror, Léon G. Damas.
1997 - Based in Dakar, Senegal, the African Women's Media Center, a project of the International Women's Media Foundation is created.
1997 – Images d’Ailleurs, Paris-based cinema house organizes a film forum titled "Cri du coeur des femmes"
1997 – With Open Eyes: African Women and Cinema, edited by Kenneth Harrow (USA), Matatu 19 (Rodopi, The Netherlands).
1998 – The Festival international de film de femmes/International Women's Film Festival at Créteil has an impressive platform devoted to women of Africa, with gala for Safi Faye.
1998 –The audiovisual production company “African Queen Productions" inaugurates the Festival International du Court Metrage d’Abidjan (FICA). Ivoirian actress Hanny Tchelley Ivoirian is the Secretary-General.
1998 – Burkinabè actress Georgette Paré initiates, Casting Sud, a pan-African casting agency to promote African actors and actresses.
1998 – The Southern African Film Festival activities include the African Women Filmmakers’ Forum—a platform for African women filmmakers to meet.
1998 - Women of the Sun is conceptualized at the Southern African International Film & Television Market at Sithengi.
1999 - Disrupting Binary Divisions: Representation of Identity in Saikati and Battle of the Sacred Tree. By Wanjiku Beatrice Mukora. Master's Thesis, McGill University, Montreal.
2000s
2000 - Women of the Sun is launched in South Africa.
2000 – Sister of the Screen: Women of Africa on Film, Video and Television by Beti Ellerson (USA) published by Africa World Press/Red Sea Press (USA/Eritrea).
2000 – Africa at the Pictures Film Festival (London) – Weekend Seminar on African Women and Cinema ‘Taking Care of Business'.
2001 – The Mama Africa series released by Zimmedia. The series includes six short fiction films representing women throughout the continent: Raja Amari (Tunisia); Fanta Nacro (Burkina Faso); Ngozi Onwurah (Nigeria); Zulfah Otto-Sallies (South Africa); Bridget Pickering (Namibia); Ingrid Sinclair (Zimbabwe).
2001 - Taking Care of Business – African Women in Films, a mini-festival hosted by Women of the Sun, in conjunction with the Film Resource Unit. The festival consisted of screenings, a discussion with industry bodies, as well as film critics and analysis.
2002 - Case Study of Africa Women Filmmakers Trust detailed analysis in "Media and the Empowerment of Communities for Social Change" doctoral thesis by Chido E.F. Matewa of Zimbabwe.
2002 - International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF), the women's film festival in Harare, Zimbabwe founded by Tsitsi Dangarembga.
2002 - Women of the Sun website is launched.
2003 – Documentary, Sisters of the Screen: Africa Women in the Cinema by Beti Ellerson, distributed by Women Make Movies (USA).
2003 - African Women Filmmakers Awards is launched at Sithengi, Southern Africa's biggest annual international film and television market.
2003 - Les Premières Rencontres Cinématographiques "Films Femmes Afrique".
2004 - The African Women's Film Festival is established in Johannesburg in August 2004 under the theme "film from a woman's perspective". The festival showcases films of all genres by women, about women, and from women's perspectives, with special focus on the continent.
2005 - Images of Black Women Film Festival is launched in London.
2006 - Pioneer journalist/filmmaker Thérèse Sita-Bella dies on 27 February.
2006 - Seipati Bulane-Hopa of South Africa elected as secretary-general of FEPACI, Fédération Panafricaine des Cinéastes/the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers during the 7th congress of FEPACI held in Pretoria, April 2006.
2007 - Africa in Motion (AiM) Edinburgh African film festival focuses on women among the three themes.
2008 - Ladyfest London 2008 showcases several African women filmmakers.
2008 - Cinemas of the South at the Cannes Film Festival hosts a Pavillon des Femmes - African women among twenty-three women of the South present their films and discuss various topics regarding production, distribution and networking. L’Engagement des femmes cinéastes - Table-ronde au festival de Cannes 2008, 21 May.
2008 - The theme of the 12th edition of Ecrans noirs du Cinéma africain, held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has as its theme, Women, Cinema and the Audiovisuel.
2009 - Chantal Bagilishya, Rwandan Paris-based producer, dies on 28 September. Français
2009 - Villant Ndasowa, Malawian filmmaker and media consultant, creates the Malawi International Film Festival.
2010s
2010 - Maji-da Abdi, Paris-based Ethiopian producer-filmmaker launches Images That Matter International Short Film Festival (ITMSFF) in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.
2010 - Des journées cinématographiques de la femme africaine de l'image is launched in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 3-8 March.
2010 - First Edition of Mois du cinéma féminin a Dakar, launched by l’Association sénégalaise des critiques de cinéma (ASCC), every Saturday during the month of March.
2010 - The 32eme Festival international de film de femmes/International Women's Film Festival at Créteil presents the program Trans-Europe-Afrique, 2-11 April.
2010 - Arts-work: promoting professional women in the film. Goethe-Institut-hosted African Women Filmmaker’s Forum, a gathering of 25 women filmmakers of all levels of experience from sub-Saharan Africa, the USA and Germany to network with and gain inspiration from colleagues. 1-4 September, Johannesburg, South Africa. See Description
2010 - Women of Sun Film Festival. Johannesburg, South Africa, 3-9 September.
Also see: Film Timeline of Works by African Women
